Where There’s Smoke: Meet the Hot New Delphis Firestarter from Chronoswiss

Full disclosure: I have been a fan of Lucerne-based watchmaker Chronoswiss ever since industry veteran (with an impeccable eye) Thierry Chaunu brought me by the brand’s booth at a Baselworld many, many years ago. More to the point, the maker has one of my favorite brand names in the industry (Chronoswiss kind of says it all, right?).

Founded in 1983, Chronoswiss has always been associated with collector appeal, immaculate finishing, and an avant-garde approach to dial design. However, the brand initially stayed within a somewhat traditional milieu, cultivating a specialty in stacked “figure 8” sub-dial regulators.

Since 2012, when entrepreneurs Oliver and Eva Ebstein took the reins, the “avant garden” has grown with washes of bold color, unexpected materials, more complications for the repertoire, and whimsical but dynamic design. The new Chronoswiss limited edition Delphis Firestarter is a sizzling hot case-in-point.

The Delphis Firestarter’s 42mm case is crafted from a first-of-its-kind titanium core nano shell. That means the ruby red case does not get its shine from any color coating; it is carved from a solid block of Grade 5 titanium bonded at the molecular level with a lightweight composite that provides its fiery red hue.
 

Cutting-edge modernity is balanced with an equally stunning oversized “onion” red crown you might associate with vintage pilot watches. Meanwhile, more cutting-edge-meets-classic details await on the dial.

First, a large aperture at 12 o’clock displays the current hour, while a curved fuel gauge-style skeletonized jumping minute hand counts the minutes. Then, at the end of the hour, the hour digit advances in the window, and the minute hand quickly springs back to zero on the retrograde indicator.
 

This performance drama is further enhanced by a gorgeous, classic hand-guilloched dial surface with no less than five layers of fire enamel hand-crafted in 18k white gold. Burn baby, burn.

On the bottom half of the dial, a small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock – done in the style of an eye-catching universal “warning” symbol – pops off a black matte textured surface, which features curves that complement the retrograde minutes dial. A technical red rubber strap completes the burning motif.
 

Finally, the manufacture C. 6004 calibre movement packs 55 hours of power reserve and incorporates a skeletonized tungsten rotor, three-spoked balance wheel, and Incabloc shock protection. Meanwhile, a transparent caseback framed by the fiery red case perimeter gives you a view to it all.