Introducing: The Chronoswiss Strike Two Golden Gear And H2O
With Watches and Wonders 2024 just around the corner, it’s time to let the releases begin! Today, we have news of two new Chronoswiss watches. The Strike Two Golden Gear and the Strike Two H2O are meant to pave a new direction for the brand. There’s no denying these are Chronoswiss watches, but look closely, and you’ll notice a more modern take than in the past.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Chronoswiss. One of my earliest watch recollections is my dad trying on a ’90s model with a massive onion crown and a lengthy leather strap. It was meant for wearing over a leather driving jacket and featured a vintage Austin-Healey on the packaging. Sadly, he didn’t purchase that watch, but I often see our own Lex sporting his Chronoswiss Timemaster in photographs. So call it sentimentality, but I always notice when the brand releases a new model. The Strike Two Golden Gear and H2O pieces bring a more contemporary vibe but still capture the most important elements from the brand’s heritage. Let’s take a look.
The Chronoswiss Strike Two Golden Gear and H2O
Chronoswiss is releasing the new Strike Two models to mark Watches and Wonders 2024. The Golden Gear and H2O variants are both limited editions of 100 pieces and bring very different colorways. Before we get to the aesthetics, let’s walk through the specifications.
A modern case with traditional elements
Fear not; the new Strike Two models retain the signature coin-edge elements on the stainless steel case, the obligatory onion crown, and screws to affix the spring bars. However, compared to prior Chrononswiss models, the design has been reinterpreted to become less blocky and more fluid. Polished elements meet blasted surfaces on the sides of the lugs, and a domed sapphire crystal flows smoothly into an angled and polished steel bezel. It’s a complex case consisting of 17(!!) pieces, but the look doesn’t give off any “Erector set” vibes. Returning to the beloved onion crown, it has received a facelift. It is no longer perfectly spherical and now boasts an engraved line around its center.
An in-house-developed movement built by La Joux-Perret
Chronoswiss employs its new C.6000 caliber that La Joux-Perret has helped manufacture. The automatic movement boasts a tungsten rotor and has a power reserve of 55 hours. Côtes de Genève radial finishing and ruthenium plating add to the high-end feel. All of this is on display via a sapphire display window on the screw-in case back. The 33mm-diameter movement fills the 40mm case well, and the watch’s 12.7mm thickness, while not super slim, is still reasonable.
The Strike Two dials are gorgeous
Whether potential buyers are considering the Strike Two Golden Gear or the H2O, I think they’re in for a real treat. Chronoswiss has opted for a horizontal regulator-style display. First, we see the hours displayed on the rightmost sub-dial with a Super-LumiNova-filled hand. Then, we find the running seconds at 9 o’clock. A luminous central hand denotes the minutes. Pay special attention to the sub-seconds register because both models feature a hand-guilloché treatment. Regarding surface finishes, the H2O employs a blue chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on the stamped, textured base, while the gray dial of the Golden Gear uses vertical satinage.
Availability and pricing
The Chronoswiss Strike Two Golden Gear and H2O models will cost CHF 9,800 / US$10,800 and come on an alligator-patterned calfskin or optional rubber strap. While that’s not inexpensive, they are nice options in comparison to offerings from larger, more common brands. I like the more modern case design and the wearable dimensions. Finally, a bit of guilloché never hurts!
For more information on the Chronoswiss Strike Two Golden Gear and to reserve one of the 100 pieces, visit the brand’s official site. If the H2O is more to your liking, please find additional information here.
