At the beginning of 2023, Xavier Broise, co-founder of Avel and Men, went to Paris to meet Alexandre Lacharme from the YouTube channel Tocantes. It was an opportunity for the two watch lovers to discuss their passion, but also to present the brand in a little more detail. This discussion is an opportunity to (re)discover Avel and Men, its watch accessories, its values and its attachment to the nautical world. For all the details and to see the products, don’t hesitate to watch Alexandre’s video in French). If you do not speak French, no worries: you will find a summary just below in order to come back on five key facts that make the identity of Avel and Men.
1. A strong influence from the sea and the nautical world
Xavier and Agnès Broise, co-founders of Avel and Men, are brother and sister. They are also from Brittany and grew up by the ocean. When they created their watch accessories brand in 2016, referring to this special link with the sea and sailing was obvious. Everything is therefore thought around the nautical universe, starting with the name which means wind (avel) and rock (men) in Breton.
This DNA can also be found in the design and the name of the products. As for the design, the materials are also a reminder of the sea and sailing. This is notably the case for the marine ropes used to close the watch cases (watch rolls and pouches), but also for the genuine sail cloth used to make some of the watch straps. As for the names of the products, they are named after famous harbors where Xavier had the chance to race (La Rochelle, Carantec, Tampa, Ploumanac’h, Geneva, etc.).
In 2023, Avel and Men also launched the SNSM operation by creating an orange version of the Tampa canvas watchstrap, one of the brand’s bestsellers, with each one sold donating €10 to the Porspoder National Sea Rescue Society (SNSM).
2. Outstanding materials
Avel and Men only works with high quality materials that Xavier and Agnès select themselves according to strict criteria. This is especially true of the leather that they buy in Italy.
The unique character of the leather used for Avel and Men’s watch rolls and pouches is due to its natural grain. Unlike lower quality leathers whose grain is formed with a plate (mechanically printed by pressing a steel plate on the skin), this leather has a unique grain that gives it all its character.
Depending on where you cut the skin, the pattern differs, with more or less smooth areas that make the authenticity of the product. In the case of Avel and Men and as you can see in the YouTube video of Tocantes, this nevertheless implies quite significant falls. This is the price to pay for optimal rendering, interesting grain and truly unique pieces.
Another advantage is that the Avel and Men watch rolls do not require any particular maintenance and will patina over time.
From left to right: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso timekeeper on Douarnenez leather strap and navy leather storage case, Avel and Men leather watch rolls, LIP Nautic on Douarnenez strap and matching pouch
3. One-of-a-kind designs
In addition to the unique grain of each skin used by Avel and Men, great attention to detail is paid to make each watch strap and storage case truly unique. The lining of the watch rolls is made of cotton printed with isobaric lines well known to sailors. In weather forecasting, the closer these lines (isobars) are, the more the system is low pressure (basically bad weather). On the contrary, distant lines indicate the presence of a high pressure system and therefore good weather. Depending on the cut, each watch roll has different isobaric lines which make it unique.
The canvas watch straps are embellished with a discreet blue-white-red reminder on the lower part of the strap, close to the watch case, to recall their creation in France, by a French family business.
4. A meticulous work in French workshops
Unlike what one might think, sailcloth is a very rigid material, which leads many brands to use other types of cloth for their watch straps. True to its values, Avel and Men buys its canvas from a sailmaker and has to be very ingenious when assembling its bracelets. This involves very meticulous work consisting of a clean cut of the regatta canvas which is then embellished with a leather edge to protect the edges of the fabric and an inner leather lining to provide optimal comfort.
All Avel and Men watch accessories, cases and bracelets, are manufactured in France, in the best regional workshops in Maine-et-Loire, Creuse and Doubs. Each product is thus respected and sublimated, according to the local expertise of the leather, the fabric or the watch accessories of our French craftsmen.
From left to right: Carantec sailcloth strap on Omega Seamaster, black Larmor Plage strap on vintage Seamaster 300, black Tampa on Rolex Submariner
5. A perpetual ambition
In the beginning, Avel and Men was a multipurpose leather goods brand. The love for beautiful leather and its meticulous workmanship has remained from the early days of the company. However, the specialization in watchmaking accessories was quickly established and new products are regularly added to the Avel and Men online store.
Among the new projects, Xavier and Agnès are working on the development of new leather watch straps that will complete an already well-supplied range of canvas watch straps. In terms of storage cases, fans of steel straps should soon be delighted with the development of a system of wedges to protect the case back when storing a watch with a steel strap in a pouch. A pillow-type system could also be developed in the near future.
Feel free to watch the Tocantes YouTube video and comment to tell us what you think about our products!