Dubai Watch Week
The New Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Makes a Strong Case for Moving Forward by Looking Back
While the inventive watchmaker first introduced a mechanical-digital “regulator” 20 years ago, this new re-imagining, launched today, fits perfectly into the maison’s “Modern Mechanical” zeitgeist. Don’t call it a revival; it’s a re-invention.
By Mike Espindle
Executive Editor
The tale of Lucerne-based independent watchmaker Chronoswiss has been one of traditional horological beginnings intended to preserve classical watchmaking techniques in the heat of the “Quartz Crisis” in the mid-1980s, followed by a period of bold innovation in both materials and color.
Jump-cut to today, and Chronoswiss’ future seems to be tied to timepieces that honor both aspects of that heritage.
More evolution than revival, last month saw the watchmaker re-envision its iconic Opus watch line, first introduced 30 years ago, with the Opus Chronograph Dakar. Earlier this year, its designers revamped its important regulator mechanical approach, presenting the fascinating design as a kind of contemporary sports watch in the Pulse One.
Today, Chronoswiss again plumbs its enviable archive with two new re-imagined versions of its tapered rectangular, handless Digiteur Montre sans Aiguilles (MSA) timepiece created 20 years ago by brand founder Gerd-Rüdiger Lang.
Back to the Future
While you can tag the roots of the Digiteur MSA to the 1920s and ‘30s, that bold aesthetic was an inspiration to Lang at the time, and 999 limited editions were created in fine metal executions.
However, in line with the brand’s “Modern Mechanical” tagline, today’s new Neo Digiteurs honor both the historical watches and Lang’s more modern version by bringing the Digiteur into the 21st century in several compelling ways, with its tailored, structural 48mm by 30mm case being the most obvious innovation.
The curved, barrel-shaped case, while faithful to the 2005 original, is, first and foremost, created in a combination of matte-brushed and polished – and more accessible – stainless steel. Moreover, a sand-blasted horizontal case-side segment provides the perfect visual break, emphasizing the elongated, subtle, wrist-fitting curve and overall thinness of the case (just 9.7mm).
Many Chronoswiss aficionados know that an oversized onion crown is a telltale piece of the brand’s design DNA, but the Neo Digiteur’s crown has been reduced and flattened to mesh perfectly with its more elegant nature.
Might As Well Jump
The mechanics and dial design also align with Chronoswiss’ profound regulator heritage, but do so in a very original manner: An exquisitely sleek and modern jumping hour window sits at 12 o’clock, followed by a half-circle sweeping minute wheel in the center of the dial stacked above the curved running seconds gauge at 6 o’clock.
Think of it as a handless, mechanical-digital regulator, if you will, that artfully straddles the fence of futuristic and analog timekeeping.
A new, in-house hand-wound Caliber C.85757 movement, featuring a 48-hour power reserve, powers the energy-demanding jump-hour function while keeping the minute and second discs smoothly rotating. An elongated octagonal exhibition aperture on the caseback reveals artisanal details, such as partially guillochéd bridges and wheels.
Stone or Sand?
Two dial treatments are available. The Neo Digiteur Granit sports an inky black, satin-finished anthracite dial surface that would fall into the elegant evening watch category (albeit a very interesting evening watch).
Meanwhile, the 4N sand-blasted dial surface of the Neo Digiteur Sand offers a more colorful, disruptive option, but is equally elegant. A black Nubuck strap holds both these timepieces on your wrist, but that strap joins the case fairly high up the side, thus throwing some more emphasis on this unique case’s architectural structure and elegant, angled tapering.
Only 99 editions of each model will be produced, and no pricing information was available at press time. You can learn more at the Chronoswiss website.