Introducing: The Chronoswiss Pulse One Sand And Blue
Chronoswiss has been on an absolute tear over the past year with novel case designs and movements. Today, the transformative roll-out continues with the most distinct releases yet. The Pulse One models introduce an entirely new integrated case and bracelet design.
I’ve been keenly paying attention to the rebirth of Chronoswiss. The brand has introduced new, more modern cases that maintain the DNA of its past watches. The onion crown, coin-edge bezel, and bold dial colors have come along for the ride, but the watches look different in a good way. They’re wearable, and with in-house-designed and La Joux-Perret-manufactured movements, they bring competitive specs. Today’s Pulse One models might be the most mainstream-looking pieces yet and could thrust the company into the spotlight.
The Pulse One Sand and Blue
If a small producer like Chronoswiss has joined the fray, the trend of integrated-bracelet watches must be here to stay. Thankfully, the effort looks incredible! The new Pulse One is a Grade 5 titanium watch in two variants. The Sand model features a salmon-hued dial, while the Blue version has a rich tone of royal blue. The case comes in at 41mm wide by 46.27mm long and 12.75mm thick. For the first time, Chronoswiss steps away from a strap option and offers the watches exclusively on a titanium bracelet. Befitting the sporty aesthetic, the Pulse One also has a capable 10-bar water resistance rating.
Looking at the bracelet
I don’t often begin a review with details about a bracelet, but Chronoswiss appears to have designed a gem. We haven’t gone hands-on with the Pulse One yet, but the photos show high levels of articulation and finishing. The finely brushed top surfaces have small polished areas between the links that create visual interest. My favorite detail, though, is how the butterfly clasp sinks into the underside of the bracelet. This helps avoid a thick clasp area and should increase comfort. Furthermore, the links use screws, which is always a nice touch.
A new case design
The Pulse One boasts a new case design that is easily the best reinterpretation of the classic Chronoswiss form. A media-blasted mid-case shows off curved forms never previously seen in the brand’s offerings. The downward curve making up the crown guards is technical-looking and elegant. Then, in place of the typical fine-ridged top and bottom case rings, the watches have thicker polished knurling.
It makes for a sportier guise but is also like high-end jewelry. Naturally, the onion crown appears, and it suits the case design surprisingly well. Finally, like the bracelet, the bezel sports a brushed top surface, keeping the sporty theme consistent.
The Pulse One dials are uniquely Chronoswiss
Chronoswiss hardly ever brings a traditional dial with three center-mounted hands, and the Pulse One upholds the tradition. The top sub-dial displays the hours, and the central hand displays the minutes. The real party trick, though, is the bottom sub-dial with retrograde seconds. As a watch publication, we mention retrograde displays with relative frequency, but if you’ve never seen one in person, they’re more than amusing.
Regarding the details, the Sand and Blue models contain deep, angled rehauts with applied batons. The upper sub-dial sits above the colored main section and also contains applied indexes. On the Sand model, Chronoswiss opted for blue CVD-coated hour markers and hands.
The Blue edition has cooler tones with rhodium-plated hardware. Note the printed retrograde scale with the Chronoswiss name on one end of the arc and the unique LE number on the opposite side. Perhaps the only oversight I notice on these sporty dials is the lack of luminous material. Otherwise, I love the layout and details.
The C.6001 automatic caliber
The Pulse One follows other recent Chronoswiss releases with an in-house-designed and La Joux-Perret-manufactured automatic caliber. The C.6001 is a 31-jewel movement with a 28,800vph frequency and 55 hours of power reserve. It’s nicely finished with a skeletonized tungsten rotor and radiating Geneva stripes.
Clean on the wrist
I’m looking forward to seeing the Pulse One models in the metal at Watches and Wonders next month. For now, I can only assume that it will fit moderately sized wrists due to its reasonable lug-to-lug length and lightweight construction.
Conclusions (for now)
The Pulse One is a unique proposition within the integrated-bracelet genre. The sporty case is fresh, and it’s nice to see a different dial style in this type of watch. At €12,900, it also feels oddly competitive. Plus, with Chronoswiss only producing 100 of each variant, the Pulse One should remain a special offering. Honestly, Chronoswiss has created one of the better-looking new watches I’ve seen recently, and I can’t wait to check it out in real life. I’ll take mine in blue, please!
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