On The Wishlist – Corniche Visionnaire
“Corniche? What even is this brand?”
That’s exactly what I said to myself while doomscrolling Instagram over the holidays, as I was being aggressively reminded that everyone else had received so many Christmas presents. Somewhere between mulled wine posts and ski trips, an ad popped up for a square watch I’d never seen before.
And I stopped scrolling.
Now, to set the scene properly, I’ve been thinking about the Cartier Tank for quite some time. The design, the elegance, the history… it’s like eye candy. Unfortunately, the price point makes it out of reach right now. A recurring theme in these blogs is my expensive taste paired with a tragic lack of funds, so it’s no surprise that I’d love to own a Tank one day… and a Rolex… and an AP… and basically every watch on my secret list of “things I’ll definitely buy when I’m rich” (which I might share here at some point).
As one does when they can’t afford an expensive watch, instead of saving up like a responsible adult, I usually go hunting for affordable alternatives to scratch the itch. But this time? This one genuinely wasn’t my fault. I wasn’t even looking.
Instagram did this to me.
I saw the Visionnaire and something just clicked. I can’t fully explain it, but it looked stunning. Square case, rough-ish edges, elegant but not delicate. So naturally, I braced myself for the price.
And when I checked… it was sold out. Which somehow made it worse and better at the same time.
I assumed it must be expensive if it sold out that fast, but after doing a bit of digging, I found the price: around €295 (roughly $350). And honestly? That feels like a great deal for what’s on offer.
Some Specs
Case Material: Sandblasted rose gold PVD
Case Size: 24 × 39.5 mm, 7.4 mm thick
Dial: Textured, with hand-applied luminous numerals
Hands: Dauphine, BGW9 lume
Crystal: Sapphire with 7-layer AR + anti-fingerprint coating
Strap: Japanese cotton-hemp by Fujikinbai
Movement: Miyota quartz
Water Resistance: 5 ATM
Yes, it’s quartz, I know. Some people will immediately close the tab at that point. But honestly, at this price, with this design and finishing, it feels like a very fair trade-off.
If we’re talking square, Tank-style watches from microbrands, the list is not long. The Echo/Neutra Rivanera is basically the only other one that comes to mind, which makes the Visionnaire stand out even more.
The sandblasted case, sapphire crystal, and white strap give it this elegant-but-sporty vibe that feels genuinely versatile. It doesn’t scream “dress watch,” but it also wouldn’t feel out of place with something a bit smarter.
But… Who Even Is Corniche?
To be completely honest, I’d never heard of the brand before this ad. When I come across a new brand I know nothing about, I usually do a bit of a deep dive: website, Reddit, random forums, the usual.
Corniche’s whole identity is very much built around France and the French Riviera. On their website, they talk about childhood summers on the Côte d’Azur, rocky coastlines, pine trees, and that very poetic chi-chi-chi of crickets in the evening air.
Sounds lovely.
It turns out, though, that the company is actually Swedish, based in Stockholm. So while the Riviera inspiration may be real on a personal level, the brand itself isn’t French. Not necessarily a bad thing, just worth knowing. A lot of brands lean heavily on romantic geography for storytelling these days.
Marketing Aside…
If we strip all that back and focus on the actual proposition, a well-designed, square watch that’s classy and sporty, clearly nodding to the Cartier Tank but still doing its own thing?
Yeah. Sign me up.
If it hadn’t been sold out when I saw it, there’s a very real chance I’d already be wearing one. And that probably tells you everything you need to know about where this one sits on my wishlist.
For now, it’s another “almost.” But it’s a very tempting one.
