Introducing: The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand And Granit

March 11, 2013

In 2005, the Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA (Montre Sans Aiguilles) was a modern homage to the jump-hour watches of the 1920s and 1930s; today, its a reinterpretation of that 21st-century homage. The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand and Granit are watches without hands, featuring an updated look in stainless steel - the original Digiteurs were all made of precious metals. The reinvented model debuts with confidence due to its stronger and sharper-than-ever shapes.The 2005 rectangular Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA perfectly embodied Gerd-Rdiger Langs love for traditional craftsmanship and watchmaking. The founder of Chronoswiss undoubtedly had original, creative ideas and pursued his visions with admirable stubbornness, a trait that characterizes people with a burning passion for something. The original Digiteur utilized the tonneau-shaped, modified, and refined caliber 130 from Fabrique dEbauches de Fleurier (FEF), the movement-blank specialist founded by Jules Jequier and David-Louis Petitpierre in the Swiss town of Fleurier, Val-de-Travers, in 1882. The movement sat within a rectangular yellow gold, pink gold, white gold, or platinum case with swooping curves. Chronoswiss produced six limited-edition references, and due to the limited supply of movements, only 999 of these Digiteurs ever saw the light of day. The new Neo Digiteur Sand and Granit are available in runs of 99 pieces each.Two versions of the original DigiteurIntroducing the Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand and GranitTwo limited editions of the Neo Digiteur debut are available. The Neo Digiteur Granit features an anthracite dial with vertical brushing and timekeeping disks with minimalist, deep blue glossy numerals. The Neo Digiteur Sand features a 4N-gold-plated sandblasted dial and elegant numerals, also in glossy deep blue. The price of the watches is the same - CHF 12,500 / $13,800 / US$15,200.The Neo Digiteur is undoubtedly a descendant of the original watch, but it s also clearly a modernized update. Its 30 48 9.7mm case?shows a bold, architectural, and tailored rectangular form. The Chronoswiss design team has completely reimagined the swooping silhouette.The watch has a more assertive look and a distinct profile. However, the sculptural qualities should not compromise comfort. An interesting detail is the sandblasted horizontal segment along the case side. It introduces lightness and contrast to the structured geometry, while polished edges add visual refinement. The redesigned crown features an onion shape, typical of Chronoswiss creations, but with a wider,?flattened underside for improved ergonomics. A nice touch is the historically correct lug design with screws to hold the strap.A regulator done differentlyA crown that feels good in the fingers is necessary because the Neo Digiteur is equipped with the new Chronoswiss C.85757, a hand-winding movement featuring a 48-hour power reserve. Every two days, you will have to wind the watch. If you dont and end up waiting too long, the fun might be even greater because then you will see the digital indications on the different discs move.At the heart of the Neo Digiteur lies a rare mechanical concept - a jump-hour regulator without hands. You read the time by first looking at the jumping hour at 12 oclock. Then, the eye goes to the digital minutes at the center, and finally, you arrive at the running seconds in a horizontal window at 6 oclock. Together, they create a mechanical digital regulator that feels futuristic and looks profoundly analog.As mentioned, the C.85757 movement - a caliber with a name reminiscent of the brands original postal code from 1983 - makes the digital magic happen. The movement operates at a 3Hz frequency and incorporates a proprietary in-house module. This module manages the energy-hungry jump-hour mechanism while maintaining the smooth motion of the minute and seconds discs.Artisanal detailsThe movement is a visually appealing representation of artisanal watchmaking, as is evident when flipping the Neo Digiteur over. Its bridges and wheels feature partial hand-guilloche finishing, crafted in-house at the brand s atelier in Lucerne.In a nod to the historic FEF calibers, the sapphire part of the case back is shaped like the old movements. Is it a shame that the new caliber C.85757 is not shaped like the old FEF 130? Perhaps, but it does help keep the price at an attractive level because it saves on high R&D costs associated with a movement that has to be developed from scratch.Leaving you with thisLets not beat around the bush: the Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur looks better than any of the recently introduced Cartier Tank Guichets models. Apart from being much more affordable than those gold or platinum watches from Cartier, Chronoswiss s take on a watch without hands looks more alive. Thanks to the dial s more open and pronounced apertures, it is easier to read. Also, the case has a more interesting and dynamic shape. And with that bombshell, its time for me to say goodbye. Leave your remarks in the comments section below. Watch specifications Brand Chronoswiss Model Neo DigiteurReference CH-1373.2-ANSI (Granit) / CH-1373.2-ROSI (Sand) Dial Anthracite with vertically brushed finish, white text, three cutouts, and blue sans-serif numerals on time-telling discs (Granit) / 4N gold tone with sandblasted finish, blue text, three cutouts, and blue serif numerals on time-telling discs (Sand)Case Material Stainless steel with brushed surfaces, polished edges, and recessed sandblasted flanksCase Dimensions 30mm (diameter) 48mm (lug-to-lug) 9.7mm (thickness)Crystal Sapphire with double antireflective coatingCase Back Stainless steel with brushed finish and sapphire crystal, affixed with screws Movement Chronoswiss C.85757: manual winding, 21,600vph (3Hz) frequency, approx. 48-hour power reserve, 19 jewels, 23.3mm diameter, 5mm thickness (2.5mm for in-house jump-hour module), Glucydur balance wheel, Nivarox balance spring, Incabloc shock protection, excenter cam for fine adjustment, rhodium plating, radial C?tes de Geneve, manual guilloche on wheel bridge gold-plated wheel bridge and circular-brushed ratchet wheelWater Resistance 5 barStrap Black nubuck (20mm width) with stainless steel pin buckle Functions Time (jumping hour at 12 o'clock, minutes in the center, seconds at 6 o'clock)Price CHF 12,500 / $13,800 / US$15,200 Special Note(s) Each version is limited to 99 pieces