Hands-On With The New Albishorn Type 10 Classic
The world of microbrands can be weird. The industry’s logic only applies to some of these brands. What should not work does, and what is supposed to be a hit is often a flop. But it’s also a wonderful world because exceptional timepieces like the Albishorn Type 10 are occasionally released.
When a genuinely exceptional timepiece comes to the market, it’s often not an instant hit. Potential buyers need some background information. Some may say if the watch does not speak to you immediately, you should forget about it. This watch is worth the extra five minutes you’ll spend reading this article.
Albishorn
My friendship with Sébastien Chaulmontet goes back to one of the first Baselworld fairs I attended, either in 2015 or 2016. As an avid fan of vintage Angelus watches, I knew who he was and what he meant to the vintage (Angelus) watch community. Over the years, our acquaintance became a friendship after having met at multiple watch events worldwide. I’m proud to say that at one point, we even collaborated on a project led by our colleague Dr. Christoph Öhm-Kühnle. One of Sébastien’s constant topics was his desire to start a watch brand offering timepieces that the industry had not seen before. I remember we were standing in the hall of the Beau Rivage in the summer of 2023 when he and Fabien Collioud, his head of design, excitedly explained the final steps of preparation for the new Albishorn watch brand. The name, by way, comes from a point in the Albis chain of hills in Switzerland.
Life came full circle when, during the same event this summer, we were celebrating the launch of Albishorn’s inaugural release, the Maxigraph by Albishorn × Massena Lab. I must admit that I got a sneak peek at the new Albishorn lineup earlier this year at Watches and Wonders, but finally seeing the watch out on the market and the positive feedback it received was something else. The successful release of the Maxigraph during Geneva Watch Days put Albishorn on the right track. However, we are here to take a closer look at what else the brand was hiding up its sleeve. Hence, we will not talk about the Maxigraph this time but, rather, the second launch for Albishorn, the Type 10. As the brand puts it:
We create original and unique mechanical timepieces that can be seen as “missing links.” They fit seamlessly into the history of watchmaking but have their character. We create what we call “Imaginary Vintage®” watches.
This is the best way to sum up what we will discuss: it is a re-edition of a vintage watch that never existed.
Type 10
If you’re familiar with vintage chronographs and military timepieces, you know the iconic Type 20 watches created for the French Ministry of Defense in the early 1950s. The Albishorn Type 10 is the imaginary predecessor of those. What would have happened if Albishorn had existed around WWII, and the Ministry had asked the brand to produce the first type of chronograph right after it had ended? Following this train of thought, the Albishorn Type 10 resembles other military timepieces of the era. However, it comes in an execution you may not have seen before. Just as the Maxigraph is Albishorn’s first model in its Water Collection, the Type 10 Classic and the Type 10 Sihlwald are the first additions to the Air Collection. Okay, that’s enough of the background story. Let’s look at the Albishorn Type 10 Classic in detail.
Wearability
The Albishorn website has a bunch of details not only about the watch but also the backstory. Visit it if you want to know more about the brand and understand its philosophy. Yet, as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. In our case, it’s the wearability. First and foremost, the Type 10 is not a small watch at 41.7mm across the bezel (39mm without it). Is it too large? Not at all. But you may think so if you want a 36–37mm timepiece. Despite its width, thanks to its proprietary hand-wound movement, the thickness is only 12mm with the sapphire crystal. Lastly, it spans 47.7mm from lug tip to lug tip, which is rather standard and not particularly long.
What many find strange at first is the positioning of the crown between 10 and 11 o’clock and the pusher between 9 and 10. I was initially skeptical, but once on the wrist, the watch works surprisingly well with these “odd” placements. The Type 10 has a bidirectional DLC-coated stainless steel bezel with engraved, lacquered, and Super-LumiNova-filled markings. Thanks to its width, it is easy to rotate and read. The case comes in 316L steel with polished and satin-finished surfaces and chamfered, polished edges. However, due to the bezel width, the lugs are the only visible parts of the case when on the wrist. Both Type 10 executions come with a 20mm-wide leather strap in black (Classic) or green (Sihlwald) and a second beige leather strap option, all with quick-release spring bars.
Usability
The Type 10 sits comfortably on the wrist, and the crown is easy to use, as is the monopusher for the chronograph. Inside the Albishorn Type 10 beats the brand’s patented proprietary chronograph caliber ALB02 M. I’ll explain more about this below. First, though, let’s look at the watch face itself. When I showed the watch to fellow enthusiasts, the first comment was about the black textured dial. Indeed, this is one of the most recognizable features of the Type 10. Like the Type 20, for instance, the watch has two sub-dials. This time, however, they’re not at 3 and 9 o’clock. Instead, the running seconds register is at 4:30, while the 30-minute counter is at 7:30. The Albishorn Type 10 also hides an extra feature underneath the lumed lollipop on the central chronograph hand.
When you engage the chronograph and that hand starts running, an aperture appears between the 12 and the Albishorn logo. This is a patented chronograph function indicator. When you start the chrono, the dot turns red; when you stop it, it switches to white. Reset the chronograph, and the aperture color switches back to black under the lollipop. The white pencil hands are wider than usual, which offers easy readability. Beige Super-LumiNova is applied to them to strengthen the vintage look, but it doesn’t feel too much like faux patina.
A proprietary caliber
While many brands often have the looks but need an appropriate movement to accompany the model, this is not the case with the Albishorn Type 10. It has an overall design that you may not have seen before and an equally uncommon caliber. This watch houses the brand’s robust and reliable proprietary mechanical chronograph movement. No, it is not a Sellita but a highly modified Valjoux with COSC certification, produced in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Caliber ALB02 M offers 65 hours of power reserve, a 28,800vph (4Hz) frequency, and 21 jewels. As the movement is only 5.7mm thick, it is the perfect match for a timepiece that resembles vintage chronographs in its looks and thickness.
When I asked Sébastien to explain to me what drove him when designing the movement for the Type 10, this is how he explained the process:
Long before I joined Manufacture La Joux-Perret as head of innovation and later worked at Sellita and Manufacture AMT, I was already developing modules and complications for the Valjoux 7750. For example, during that time, I co-developed the COS (crown operating system) chronograph with Richard Habring, for which we held a joint patent. I always knew that if I ever created a chronograph of my own, I would use the 7750 as a base but with several key improvements. The height would need to be significantly reduced, or the layout would have to be original. The chronograph’s operation would need to be smoother. Lastly, I would add some patented complications. All of these considerations have been addressed in the Type 10.
What’s left to say?
The word “microbrand” is a bit vague. It could refer to a private-label brand selling €500 watches with meca-quartz movements, or it could refer to a brand like Albishorn. As the price of the Type 10 is CHF 3,950, it is hardly a Haute Horlogerie piece. Still, for several reasons, from the unique looks to the patented movement, it stands out from the haze of microbrands. Let’s call it a limited-production watch. While the Albishorn Type 10 is not a limited-edition piece, it is limited by production capacity. The first batch of 25 pieces is available now, and delivery will start at the beginning of November 2024.
While I reviewed the Type 10 Classic, it is worth mentioning that the Type 10 Sihlwald version is also available. That model sports a green dial and leather strap, a bronze winding crown, and red chronograph hands. Regardless of which version you choose, if you are a fan of vintage chronographs or military pieces in general, look no further. You have found your watch.
