While Carl Suchy & Söhne are an Austrian brand who typically find inspiration in Vienna, their latest releases are named after two of the most popular wine regions in France. They’re the Carl Suchy & Söhne Belvedere Champagne and Bordeaux. Technically they’re named after the colours which just happen to be named after the wine regions, but it’s an interesting coincidence, nonetheless.
The Belvedere collection was released in 2023 as a sporty alternative to the brand’s typical refinement and elegance. Although, despite that sporty character, it retains the characteristic alternating stripe motif that’s something of a signature. For the 2024 additions, the core structure of the Belvedere has been retained with a 40.8mm diameter in steel, broad, flat bezel and integrated strap.
As I hinted to in the introduction, it’s the colours of the dials and straps that make these watches stand out from the original editions. The first is champagne, which is a lovely off-white, cream tone that really suits the intricate design of the dial. It’s much warmer than the stark white edition which almost seems sterile in comparison.
Second is the Bordeaux, which is a rich wine-red tone. As a completely unrelated side note, this is the colour I imagine when Homer notes the ‘wine dark sea’ in the Odyssey, although I understand that that description comes more from the artefacts of translation and also archaic languages and cultures not having comparable terminology to contemporary English than it does the actual colour of the sea. Bringing us back to the watch world, the tone is reminiscent of the Fears x Christopher Ward Alliance 01 watch, which also looks great.
Powering both the Carl Suchy & Söhne Belvedere Champagne and Belvedere Bordeaux is the CSS201, an automatic movement based on a Dubois Dépraz calibre. It has a 42-hour power reserve which is the new baseline these days now that sub-40 reserves are starting to go the way of the dodo. It’s the same movement as used in the originals, which is also why the new duo have the same price at €7,900 (approx. £6,660).
Price and Specs:
More details at Carl Suchy & Söhne.
