By Bill Riepl
Chronoswiss is proud of the fact that it was founded in 1983. While 23 years in business might seem short term when compared to the history behind some of the watchmaking industry giants, who have been producing timepieces since the first part of the nineteenth century, in the comparatively short time Chronoswiss has been around, it has worked wonders.
This allowed him to start selling his own watches with a stated objective of saving the traditional art of watchmaking, using these new old stock movements as well as his relationships with mechanical-movement specialists like A. Rochat and Kelek. At the same time, he enrolled in a class to obtain his master watchmaker certificate.
Chronoswiss is known for mechanical innovations; some of the standouts from its line include the Regulateur, the first wristwatch-sized regulator dial watch; the Opus skeleton chronograph; and the Delphis, an unusual jump-hour retrograde watch. Chronoswiss strongly believes in exclusivity and produces only about 7,000 watches per year.
Perhaps more important to those of us
who have a passion for fountain pens, Herr Lang has very good taste
when it comes to writing. He normally uses a Pelikan green demonstrator
to sign off on paperwork!
Chronoswiss's new Digiteur MSA was introduced at Baselworld 2005. MSA stands for "montre sans aiguilles" (watch without hands) and this watch is, indeed, a watch without hands. A mechanical digital watch, in other words.
The
hour is displayed in a beveled square window at the top of the face.
Beneath that is a semicircular window that displays the minutes, and
below that the seconds count off in a third window.
It takes a bit of getting used to, but
once you do, it's a very easy-to-read display. The three windows set
into the plain silver face make for an elegant and sophisticated wristwatch
that is still functional.
The Digiteur is based on a new old stock caliber FEF 130 shaped-movement from FEF, a movement manufacturer founded in the Swiss town of Fleurier, Val de Travers, in 1882. ("Caliber," originally referring to a movement's size, now refers to the specific movement.)The company continued to produce hand-wound movements in various designs until 1979, when the quartz watch revolution killed it. Chronoswiss discovered the small supply of these movements remaining in inventory and acquired them for use in this watch.
While the original, unadorned movements
were of high quality, to satisfy Chronoswiss's high standards, the original
caliber has been modified and reworked. The starting point is the manual-wind,
shaped-caliber FEF 130 (produced between 1933 and 1963). This is a 15-jewel
movement, with a 40-hour power reserve, beating at 18,000 vibrations
per hour. Chronoswiss has added polished pallets, palletwheel (internal
parts involved with wheel rotation) and screws. The bridges are finished
with Geneva Stripes, polished and perlage (a surface decoration comprised
of a circular-grain pattern). The result is a truly unique movement
among today's timepieces.
The
Digiteur is offered in several versions: 33 pieces in solid platinum
case; 99 pieces in solid 18kt yellow-gold case; 99 in solid 18kt rose-gold
case; and 99 pieces in a solid 18kt white-gold case. The dial is finished
in sterling silver, 18K rose gold, or black, with a sapphire crystal.
A sapphire exhibition back shows off the
movement. The case is water resistant to 30 meters (3 ATM), and measures
27.7mm x 11mm.
The Digiteur is fitted with screwed-on strap bars with a patented Autobloc safety system, and the lugs (the protruding parts that hold the bar to which the band attaches) measure 20mm. The strap is Louisiana crocodile leather in either black or brown, and a buckle matching the case material. Each watch is individually numbered.
Not an inexpensive watch, the Digiteur may nevertheless be one of the best choices of 2006 if you're seeking something unique, interesting, or just especially elegant.
copyright 2005 William Riepl
Images copyright 2005 William Riepl