Back in 2022, the French independent brand Charlie Paris teamed up with the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre (French Hiking Federation), which is the organization responsible for marking and maintaining hiking trails throughout the country. The partnership between the French duo resulted in a field watch designed for hiking known as the Grande Randonnée (meaning “Great Hike” in English); however, Charlie Paris expanded its popular “GR” collection in 2024 to include two new models. Alongside a time-only version with an additional 24-hour display is the Charlie Paris GR Mecaquartz Chronograph, which builds upon the blueprint of its sibling with a date window and chronograph functionality.

Crafted from brushed 316L stainless steel with high-polished bevels, the case of the Charlie Paris GR Mecaquartz Chronograph measures 39mm in diameter by 10.6mm thick, with short angular lugs that are set 20mm apart and extend to create an overall lug-to-lug profile of 45mm. Once you factor in the domed sapphire crystal that protrudes above the rim of its bezel, the total height of the GR Chronograph measures approximately 12mm, and the weight of the watch comes in at 54 grams (not including its strap or bracelet). The right-hand side of the case is furnished by a signed push/pull-style crown flanked by a pair of oblong chronograph pushers, while the reverse side of the watch receives a solid screw-down caseback, and water resistance for the Charlie Paris GR Chronograph comes in at 100 meters to offer ample protection against whatever aquatic conditions you might encounter on a hike.

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Inside the Charlie Paris GR Chronograph is the familiar Seiko Caliber VK64 mecaquartz chronograph movement, which runs on a single SR936SW power cell that provides it with a battery life of approximately three years. As the two-register, date-displaying version of this popular Japanese mecaquartz chronograph platform, the Seiko VK64 lacks the additional running seconds sub-dial that can be found on its three-register Cal. VK63 sibling. Additionally, since its mecaquartz design emulates the functionality of a mechanical chronograph with an instantaneous reset and a five-beats-per-second sweeping motion for its central seconds hand, the Charlie Paris GR Chronograph does not exhibit the usual once-per-second tick that typically characterizes quartz watches.

At the time of writing, Charlie Paris offers its GR Mecaquartz Chronograph with the option of four different dial colors (blue, green, brown, and beige), with the green-dial version being the model that is featured here. Regardless of color, all of the dials feature the same fundamental design with a multi-layered construction consisting of a raised central section set against a recessed chapter ring and a pair of registers. Applied Arabic numeral hour markers and a date window at 6 o’clock further add visual depth to the dial, and just like other watches that are based upon this popular mecaquartz movement platform, one of the sub-dials serves as a 60-minute totalizer for the chronograph, and the other functions as an additional 24-hour display for the time.

The lightly sandblasted green surface of the Charlie Paris GR Mecaquartz Chronograph’s dial is punctuated by white and khaki-colored markings, and the finishing on the hands corresponds with their functionality. The time-telling hands are polished with khaki-colored luminous accents, while the hands dedicated to the chronograph are painted white, and the applied Arabic numeral hour markers offer ample contrast against the dial’s dark green surface. Since the applied indexes are finished white, the only luminous elements on the GR Mecaquartz Chronograph are the cardinal-point markers within its minute track and the central sections of its hour and minute hands, which are finished with Berlaglow luminescent material that emits a green-colored glow in the dark.

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Despite having an anti-reflective coating, the domed profile of the sapphire crystal creates a surprising amount of reflections, although they primarily appear on the upper surface of the crystal, which means that they do little to compromise the overall legibility of the display. My personal experience with Berlaglow isn’t extensive enough to make blanket statements about its performance compared to more commonly used luminous compounds, such as LumiBrite or Super-LumiNova. However, the relatively small size of the luminous elements on the Charlie Paris GR Mecaquartz Chronograph means that they can only contain a small amount of lume, and the hands and hour markers offer moderate luminescence that isn’t nearly as bright or long-lasting as what you get from something like a purpose-built dive watch.

Charlie Paris offers its GR Mecaquartz Chronograph with the option of either nylon or leather straps, although the brand also sells a version of the model that is paired with a matching stainless steel bracelet. Featuring a five-link construction with brushed sides framing three rows of high-polished center links, the bracelet tapers from 20mm at the case down to 16mm at its clasp, and it consists of solid machined components with single-sided screws for the removable links and integrated quick-release springbars attaching it to the lugs. Additionally, while the signed clasp is made from machined (rather than stamped) components and operates with a double push-button release, it lacks any type of integrated extension system beyond four sizing holes to place the connecting springbar.

Arguably the greatest appeal of mecaquartz chronographs is that buyers can get their hands on an accurate and reliable timepiece with analog stopwatch functionality for less than what they would normally pay to service an automatic chronograph. Assembled in France and priced at $332 USD when purchased on a strap, or $376 USD when buyers opt for the stainless steel bracelet, the Charlie Paris GR Mecaquartz Chronograph costs only slightly more than what someone might otherwise spend on a MoonSwatch, yet it provides a significantly more premium ownership experience due to its sapphire crystal and solid metal construction. Thematically connected to hiking without offering any design elements that might be considered too on-the-nose, the GR Chronograph represents a competent and compelling option for those who want an affordable chronograph-equipped field watch. For more information on the Charlie Paris GR Mecaquartz Chronograph, please visit the brand’s website.


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