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Herbelin

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Charquemont, FranceFounded 1947MH Dev (holding company)Website

Independent French watchmaker blending French design with Swiss movements, assembling approximately 90,000 watches annually.

Michel Herbelin founded the company in 1947 in Charquemont, in the French Jura region, initially under the name 'Impec' (from 'impeccable') to emphasize the high quality of his timepieces. The brand became eponymous as 'Michel Herbelin' in 1965 as it gained recognition. In 1988, Michel's son created the Newport collection, inspired by the America's Cup race to Newport, Rhode Island, which became the brand's flagship line. Michel Herbelin retired in the 1980s, passing the company to his sons Jean-Claude and Pierre-Michel. In 2020, the third generation took the helm with grandsons Maxime and Mathieu Herbelin joining the management team alongside Cédric Gomez-Montiel and Benjamin Theurillat. The company rebranded from 'Michel Herbelin' to simply 'Herbelin' in 2022 and opened their Paris flagship store, signaling a new chapter while maintaining their core philosophy of quality French watchmaking at accessible prices.

QUICK FACTS

BRAND TYPE

Watch Brand

PRICE SEGMENT

Mid Range

MOVEMENT TYPES

QuartzAutomatic

MANUFACTURING

Assembler

SPECIALIZATIONS

French dress watchesNautical-inspired timepiecesNewport collectionLadies' collections

HEADQUARTERS

Charquemont, France

OWNERSHIP

1947 Michel Herbelin (founder)

1980 Jean-Claude and Pierre-Michel Herbelin (second generation)

2020 Maxime and Mathieu Herbelin (third generation)

Current MH Dev (holding company)