Four great chronographs designed for adventure!
Two chronographs chosen by Frank Sans C, two by the team of LE CALIBRE YouTube channel, here is a selection that has the merit of offering exceptional pieces completely different.
The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic
When it was created, these 42 mm-diameter instruments offered in titanium, was the chronograph with the thinnest GMT function in the world. Combination of high level and aesthetic refinement, it has still not been defeated and is favoured in the ultra-competitor world of the watchmaking chronographs dedicated to travel like a chic and urban option to all those for whom fineness and elegance are closely linked.
This piece with a finished and ultra-identifiable design with its many angles shows an aesthetics daring in the purest Italian style. This light jewellery fits magnificently well on the wrists, even the thinnest, is only 6.9 mm-thickness. Water-resistant to 30 m, it contains the self-winding mechanical movement by BVL 318 peripheral rotor. The titanium dial shows the local time, the time of a second time zone at the tip of its GMT hand in the counter at 3 o’clock (that can be activated thanks to a push-button put on the left of the case middle) and short times measurement over 30 minutes (counter at 6 o’clock). Equipped with a 55-hour power reserve, this heart of 3.30 mm-thickness is also visible through the transparent case back when this watch coming with a textured titanium bracelet closed by a folding clasp is not closed on the wrist.
Price : €19,200
Chopard Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition
Sponsor of the 1000 Miglia since 1988, Chopard creates this year, a new limited collection of 1000 steel models and of 250 steel models and ethical rose gold 18 carat of its eponym chronograph. This was necessary to celebrate the 40th edition of the vintage cars rally, the most famous in the world linking Brescia to Rome.
For this anniversary, the Maison that is official sponsor and chronometer of the competitive event, offers a 44mm-diameter instrument powered by a self-winding mechanical calibre chronometer-certified by the COSC. Water-resistant to 100 m and equipped with 48 hours power reserve, it allows to read time easily at the tip of its strong hands and the date thanks to a magnifying glass. Its case is decorated with a gold or steel bezel according to the versions, equipped with a ceramic insert featuring a tachymeter scale. Sporty chic, this chronograph is worn on a strap combining leather and rubber with Dunlop tyre decoration to attract the car drivers who will see in its classically elegant design, the perfect reference to wear in their vintage cars.
Price: €7,890 in steel / €11,600 in steel and gold.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium®
On display at Watches and Wonders 2022, this chronograph belonging to the Pilot’s Watches collection is the first 41 mm-diameter instrument to be entirely made of Ceratanium®.
This new revolutionary material, both light and resistant like titanium is here as hard and resistant to scratches than ceramic. Innovative, this ceramic metal is used for the case middle, pushbuttons, and screw-down crown. The slightly metallic matt black colour is the result of a unique manufacturing process. It is developed on the surface of the material when the components are fired at very high temperatures in a kiln. This instrument, water-resistant to 100 m, displaying time, date and weekday in a double aperture opened at 3 o’clock, comes with a black rubber strap with textile insert. Robust and designed for the adventure, it is powered by a manufacture self-winding mechanical calibre 69385, whose the very effective Pellaton winding system is visible through the transparent case back.
Price : €13,800
The technical specifications sheet of the watch
The Longines Avigation BigEye
Attached to maintain the memory, Longines takes particular care to make it modern some of the emblematic timepieces of its savoir-faire that Longines exhibits in its personal museum.
This instrument here offered in steel and belonging to the Heritage line, is graphically inspired by a chronograph that was made over the 1930s, period during which Longines put a lot into meeting pilots’ expectations. Faithful to the timepieces’ spirit, these 41 mm-diameter steel pieces have a very legible black dial whose remarkable feature is the large counter, designed to count the minutes passed during a chronographic measurement started or stopped by pressing the big pushbuttons put on the right side of the case middle.
The engineers at that time had chosen to oversize them so that the crew members of the planes flying without pressurisation could activate them with the thick gloves that they wore to protect themselves from the freezing cold that can be found in the heights. Effective and chic, this resistant instrument with a very pleasant vintage look is water-resistant to 30m and is worn on a calfskin strap. Effective, it is powered by a calibre of L688 self-winding mechanical chronograph with three counters (passed minutes, passed hours and continuous seconds) whose particularity is to be equipped with a column wheel and a 66-hour power reserve.
Price : €2,900
An interesting variant with a blue and titanium dial
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