Hands-On With The Chronofixe × Seconde/Seconde/ Asterix Watch

Another historic French watch brand has been revived, and this time, it’s in a way we’ve never seen. Chronofixe, initially founded in the 1850s, became a well-known altimeter and Type 20 chronograph maker in the 1960s. After that, though, the brand went quiet. A virtually unknown Chronofixe watch, model Flight 1952, already surfaced a few years ago. However, the Asterix 65th Anniversary Limited Edition should be the brand’s breakthrough.

Chronofixe × seconde/seconde/ Asterix 65th Anniversary Limited Edition

Before diving into the Asterix watch, I want to explain a bit more about the Chronofixe brand. The history of Chronofixe dates back to the mid-19th century. It was founded in 1857 in La Rasse, close to the Swiss border. The Chronofixe factory was the only French watchmaker certified to produce altimeter clocks. In the early 1950s, the French Ministry of Defense developed a set of specifications for a chronograph intended for the Air Force. The government asked watchmakers to create a highly resistant and flight-qualified model, the Type 20. Among many others — like Breguet, Dodane, Airain, Vixa, and Auricoste — Chronofixe was one of the suppliers of these flyback chronographs. So what would have been more obvious for Chronofixe than a Type 20 reissue? Well, Chronofixe chose to do it all differently.

Skin diver

Instead of the apparent choice of a Type 20 chronograph, Chronofixe opted for an entirely different type of watch — a skin diver. While there is no official definition of a skin diver, it is generally considered a watch with a pressure resistance rating between 10 and 20 atmospheres. Because of the lower rating, it tends to be slimmer and more ergonomic than watches meant for scuba diving, so-called diver’s watches. Skin divers often have arched cases with sloping, squared-off lugs hugging the wrist. And more often than not, they have relatively large, unprotected crowns. They’re rugged and sporty yet stylish and elegant with a 34–38mm diameter.

So, what does Chronofixe have to do with skin divers? As far as I know, next to nothing except that the new Asterix 65th Anniversary watch is indeed rugged and sporty yet stylish and elegant. And that, of course, makes this type of watch always a good choice. But that’s not where it ends.

Asterix

Instead of commemorating the brand’s 167th anniversary, Chronofixe chose to celebrate Asterix’s 65th. It’s a more appealing number and a more famous name. I don’t think I have to explain much about who Asterix is, but for those unfamiliar with this small and mighty warrior from a tiny village in ancient Gaul, here’s a recap.

Asterix is the main character in a French comic book series created by writer René Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo in 1959. He lives in the last stronghold resisting Roman rule, thanks to a magic potion brewed by Getafix, the village druid. The potion grants superhuman strength, allowing Asterix and his best friend, Obelix, to outmatch any Roman force. His intelligence, strategic mind, and indomitable spirit make him a true hero. The comics, filled with humor, historical references, and playful wordplay, have remained beloved for decades, symbolizing resistance, cleverness, and the underdog’s triumph.

I don’t want to go too deep into the similarities between Chronofixe and Asterix, but with a bit of imagination, there certainly are some. This makes Chronofixe’s choice to connect with Asterix even more fitting.

Collaborating with seconde/seconde/

For Chronofixe, simply having an image of Asterix on the watch’s dial or case back wasn’t enough. The character needed to be an integrated part of the watch’s design. Who better to ask for this creative assignment than Romaric André, aka seconde/seconde/? We’ve seen seconde/seconde/ spice up watch models with great success for brands like Frederique Constant, Christopher Ward, Airain, Maen, H. Moser, Nivada Grenchen, Spinnaker, and even vintage Omega and Excelsior Park. For Chronofixe, the assignment was clear. Just like in the comics, there had to be a lot of Romans, and Asterix should be busy defeating them. Not surprisingly, Romaric André of seconde/seconde/ delivered. The watch celebrates Asterix’s 65-year legacy with a “double-level” design approach. With Asterix fans and horology lovers in mind, the design captures Asterix’s cultural relevance and watchmaking sophistication.

Details

As said, there should be a lot of Romans, and there are! Let’s start with the bold, luminous Roman numerals in the dial. First, we find Asterix beating up the largest and most attention-grabbing number, VIII, and sending it off to the other side of the dial. Second, we see the Roman number IV rather than the IIII used much more commonly on watch dials. Then, we find the never-before-seen Roman numerals on the unidirectional 60-click bezel. That’s a unique look, with X instead of 10, XX for 20, XL for 40, and L for 50 — brilliant! The final reference to Romans on the dial is the window at 3 o’clock, which displays the date in Roman numerals.

However, the reference to Asterix and the Romans isn’t limited to the dial. To top it off, the non-screw-down and polished crown is adorned with Caesar’s laurel wreath. Last, Asterix appears steadfastly on this Chronofixe Sous-Marine’s case back, speaking the words, “Resister, encore et toujours…” (“Resist, again and always…”).

Conclusion, pricing, and non-availability

Like the real world, the watch world is currently not in the most jubilant situation. Many brands’ sales figures and results suffer from setbacks, while price increases seem unable to reach their limit. So it’s not all fun and games in the watch industry, which makes me respect an initiative like Chronofixe’s collaboration with seconde/seconde/ even more. I’m so glad that brands, against all odds, dare to offer a cheerful, solid-quality watch at a highly affordable price.

Chronofixe produced 500 pieces of the Asterix 65th Anniversary watch in December 2024 and January 2025 batches. The price was only €395 (including VAT), with free shipping in mainland France and a small fee for other countries. I say “was” because this /seconde/seconde collaboration watch has, unfortunately, already sold out. A total of 500 pieces isn’t a lot for a collaboration watch with an attractive theme at an affordable price for a large audience. But that’s all the more reason to keep a close eye on Chronofixe. Rumor has it that we’ll see more interesting models from the brand soon.

What is your opinion on collaborations and fun thematic watches like this one? Please let us know in the comments below!