Chronoswiss Introduces The Small Second And Q-Repeater
The watch industry is in full new-release mode this week, and Chronoswiss has brought the goods. Today, we’ll take a brief look at two new model lines. The Small Second will be the brand’s entry-level collection, while the Q-Repeater sits at the opposite end of the price range. Let’s take a look!
Chronoswiss has been on an absolute tear over the past 12 months and is reinventing its entire product line. New, modernized models with in-house-designed movements primarily built by La Joux-Perret lead the charge. All the pieces have been attractive, and our readers have provided favorable input. Now the relatively more affordable Small Second debuts alongside the complicated Q-Repeater.
The Chronoswiss Small Second
The Small Second is Chronoswiss’s newest entry-level model. It features a 17-part polished and brushed stainless steel case with a 40mm diameter. Granted, with a 50mm lug-to-lug, it is on the longer side, but the Small Second should fit most who have moderate-sized wrists. Thickness curmudgeons will also likely be pleased with the watch’s 11.5mm profile, which includes the domed sapphire crystal. This is the slimmest watch in the current Chronoswiss collection, and it has a more land-friendly water resistance rating at 3 ATM.
Two dial options — Blue Orbit and Desert
The Small Second is available with two distinct dial options. The Blue Orbit has a hand-guilloché dial with a blue CVD coating and applied silver numerals. For this model, the sub-seconds dial has an azurage finish. Also, the central feuille hands are adorned with Super-LumiNova. This version of the watch comes with a black calfskin strap. Next, the Desert edition has a 10-layer nano-printed dial with a hand-guilloché sub-dial. Here, the hands and applied numerals are blued metal. In addition, the watch comes with a distressed leather pilot-jacket strap.
The Small Second uses the automatic C.6000
Chronoswiss is rolling out its in-house-designed calibers with each new release. As a result, the C.6000 finds its way into the Small Second collection. As mentioned, these movements are produced by La Joux-Perret. A hallmark of the movement maker’s calibers is a tungsten rotor, and it is visible through the sapphire display back. Expect a frequency of 28,800vph and a power reserve of 55 hours.
Availability and pricing
Most Chronoswiss watches these days are limited editions, but the initial Small Second releases will join the brand’s regular lineup. Regarding pricing, the Desert will be available for €8,800 and the Blue Orbit for €9,400. While these aren’t inexpensive, they are the most accessible Chronoswiss watches in the current catalog. The level of finishing should prove impressive in person, and we can’t wait to see them live.
The Q-Repeater
After seeing the Small Second models, the least expensive Chronoswiss watches, let’s turn our attention to the Q-Repeater, a stunning set of complicated limited editions. Despite the traditional quarter repeater complication in these watches, they have 42mm by 50mm cases made of Grade 5 titanium. Due to the complicated movement, each has a 16.2mm thickness and a water resistance rating of 3 ATM. Also, as we’ll see, Chronoswiss has dialed up the funk on the dials with bright colors and finishes.
Two wild options — the Scream and the Blue Note
No matter the colorway, the Q-Repeater is a bold watch. The Scream offers multiple hues of CVD coating on the dial bridges with a dose of manual guilloché for the hammer mechanism. The Blue Note is a take on the Jazz Age with its blue CVD features and underlying guilloché components. Both models contain a regulator-style display with minutes in the center and the hours and seconds in respective sub-dials. Ample Super-LumiNova is found on the hands and the hour dial, while large, molded pips are attached to the movement.
The legacy C.126 automatic caliber
For the Q-Repeater, Chronoswiss has quite literally dug into its archives to find 50 vintage automatic movements. Chronoswiss introduced the C.126 movement in the 1990s. Here, the brand has restored these calibers for modern use. Technically, the movements have 35 hours of power reserve and a frequency of 21,600vph. Chronoswiss mentions that these calibers have a high level of hand-finishing, including Côtes de Genève and anglage. Functionally speaking, depressing the pusher at 10 o’clock sounds the chiming mechanism and reveals the hours and quarter hours.
Limited and decidedly non-entry-level watches
The Q-Repeater will sell for €42,500 in either colorway. This isn’t inexpensive, but chiming repeaters generally aren’t! Chronoswiss will produce just 25 of each model. I happen to like the funky, modern take on these traditional complications.
Final thoughts on the Small Second and Q-Repeater
Let us know your feelings about the latest Chronoswiss releases. The Small Second is a more approachable series, while the Q-Repeater is a very on-brand take on a beloved complication. We’ll report back with more photos and thoughts once we see them in the metal at Watches and Wonders 2025.
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