Tempo majestuoso for the chrono
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Christophe Roulet
Editor-in-chief, HH Journal
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Watchmaking has many registers and so does the chronograph. Performance-focused or a lesson in elegance, innovative or traditional, a record-breaker or a design delight, chronographs were all over Baselworld 2019.
Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42
Powered by Breitling’s own Caliber B01, this is the standout piece in the Premier line, a new range that harks back to the 1940s originals. As a collection designed for everyday elegance, it complements the Navitimer and Chronomat ranges. Cased in steel with a 42mm diameter, it delivers 70 hours of power reserve.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic
Bulgari does it again with a fifth world record for the Finissimo, this time for the thinnest mechanical chronograph. Making it happen is Calibre BVL 138, measuring 3.30mm high inside a 6.90mm titanium case. And why stop there? Bulgari has added a GMT function, making this the chronograph every traveller will want.
Carl F. Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual
This Heritage BiCompax is unapologetically vintage in design, taking its cue from a 1950s chronograph by the brand, which has added a useful annual calendar function. The larger size – 41mm as opposed to 34mm – aligns with contemporary tastes but the symmetrical BiCompax dial is pure retro while seamlessly incorporating the different calendar displays.
Chopard L.U.C Chrono One Flyback
Chopard returns this year with a Chrono One Flyback, powered by the in-house L.U.C 03-03-L movement. This is the first time the calibre has been housed in a Titalyt case: titanium whose hardness is reinforced by electro-plasma treatment. Masculine but never macho, its laidback elegance makes a welcome addition to any gentleman’s wardrobe.
De Bethune DB21 Maxichrono
After appearing in the DB28 case in 2014, the Maxichrono returns in the more contemporary form of the DB21. The originality of this monopusher chronograph remains intact, with its five coaxial hands for ease of reading. So as to further improve legibility, the chronograph seconds hand sweeps the dial in 30 seconds.
Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT King Gold
Sporting Ferrari colours and design cues, this chrono is a powerful homage to Hublot’s automotive partner since 2011 and its Gran Tourismo cars. Proposed as 3D Carbon, titanium and King Gold versions, this Classic Fusion is driven by a second-generation Unico movement, the HUB 1280 flyback chronograph, introduced in 2018 and distinguished by its 6.75mm thickness and three days of power reserve.
Louis Moinet Memoris Titanium
Louis Moinet has invented a world in which Jules Verne would have felt at home; a combination of steampunk aesthetics and irreproachable mechanics. Not so much watches as machines that give the time. The expression “wheels of time” has never been truer than in this Memoris Titanium monopusher chronograph.
Patek Philippe Chronograph ref. 5172G
This classically constructed men’s chrono was the first from Patek Phillipe to be fitted with an in-house movement, Ref. 5170. That was in 2010. Subsequent versions have appeared in yellow gold, white gold, pink gold and platinum. This year’s iteration features a blue dial and a redesigned white gold case with round guilloché pushers and three-tier lugs. The vintage inflection is highlighted by the sapphire crystal “box” glass extending across the bezel.
Singer Reimagined FlyTrack Concept
Launched in 2017 with the aim of reinventing Haute Horlogerie, Singer Reimagined offers a new interpretation of the sport watch. After the Singer Track 1 chrono with central coaxial hands comes the Flytrack, a tool watch with peripheral hours, central minutes and, the only chronograph function, a flyback seconds hand for measuring very short intervals.
TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph
This is the watch TAG Heuer has chosen to debut its latest groundbreaking invention, namely a carbon-composite balance spring that is totally anti-magnetic, makes perfectly concentric oscillations and is highly shock-resistant. The result is a COSC-certified tourbillon chronograph inside a 45mm black PVD titanium case, with a carbon bezel.
Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G
Land and Water. Tudor’s Black Bay in steel and gold brings both these elements together in one watch. On the one hand, it reprises characteristics from the brand’s dive watches, a speciality since the 1950s. On the other, it channels the ultimate motor-racing function, the chronograph. In all, a sport-chic watch with old-school flavour.
Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Carbon
Land and Water. Tudor’s Black Bay in steel and gold brings both these elements together in one watch. On the one hand, it reprises characteristics from the brand’s dive watches, a speciality since the 1950s. On the other, it channels the ultimate motor-racing function, the chronograph. In all, a sport-chic watch with old-school flavour.
