Micromilspec Launches The New Milgraph GMT Chronograph At Geneva Watch Days

Making its Geneva Watch Days debut, Norwegian independent brand Micromilspec has announced a new watch. Launched as a civilian model, the Milgraph is a serious military-inspired chronograph that packs a lot of functionality onto the wrist. It provides a column-wheel-operated chronograph movement with a GMT function in a blasted titanium case. At first glance, there’s a lot to like. Many of our readers may be unfamiliar with Micromilspec, so let’s take a closer look.

“Who is Micromilspec?” is a fair question. Established in 2019, the brand built its reputation on making custom watches for the military, first responders, and special clients. Understandably, these projects were secretive and not marketed to the general public. There has long been a big tradition of units commissioning special watches. They celebrate and pay respects to the efforts of the hard-working service men and women comprising those units. Some big, well-known brands have made custom watches for military and policing units. Rolex, Tudor, and Omega are some of the more prominent names that come to mind. However, these watches are usually limited to a logo on the dial and/or case back.

Going deep

Micromilspec takes that concept further by customizing the whole watch. In doing so, the brand incorporates important parts of each unit’s history into the overall design. The designers go deep into all the small details. As a result, each project looks wholly distinct in its own right. From bezels and hands to dials and case backs, nearly everything is up for discussion during the customization process. A quick look at the brand’s website will highlight some of its past projects and give you an idea. Each watch uses the same core case and bracelet, with everything else explicitly designed for the project. The base watch is the Field Testing Unit. That is a simple three-hand model with a rotating bezel.

Recently, Micromilspec has begun offering “Civilian” versions of its watches, including a production run of the Field Testing Unit. This is where I see the Milgraph fitting in. The Milgraph is the brand’s first core chronograph concept, forming a new base model that units can use for their watches. Offering a regular series to civilians means it’s not only the military guys who get all the fun. In the official press release, Henrik Rye, CEO of Micromilspec, said, “The Milgraph embodies the essence of Micromilspec. As we expand our offerings to the public, we emphasize our commitment to professional watches with a Scandinavian and modern twist, rooted in traditional Swiss craftsmanship.”

The Milgraph is a very accomplished-looking watch

Starting with the basics, we have a 42mm case with a 15mm thickness, including the flat sapphire crystal. From lug to lug, we’re looking at a 50.3mm span, and the Milgraph also offers a 100m water resistance rating. The Grade 5 titanium case has a microblasted finish to eliminate reflections. This finish also dulls and slightly darkens the titanium. I happen to love a microblasted finish on titanium watches anyway, but given the military-inspired nature of this watch, it feels even more appropriate.

Having the crown and chronograph pushers on the left side of the case is also a very military-appropriate feature. In the field and on operation, I assume that the slight extra mobility and comfort the wearer would experience from not having a crown or pushers digging into the wrist counts for something. I say “I assume” because I am far from an experienced veteran outside of the fictional world of Call Of Duty. Even there, I would not suggest that my squad relies on me in any way. I’m usually more of a hindrance in those games, but a wristwatch is the least of my troubles. Allow me to take this moment to apologize to my regular teammates Tom and James; I will do better. But I digress…

Organized with military precision

The Milgraph’s dial shows quite a lot of information in a relatively small space. It’s incredibly organized, as one would expect from a military-inspired watch. I find it all relatively balanced and not overwhelming despite how a watch can be when faced with an assault of numbers and scales. A 24-hour scale, hour and minute markers, and three sub-dials complement each other surprisingly well. All are generously lumed with Super-LumiNova X1 for optimal legibility in low-light conditions. I’m forever thankful when a brand decides to omit a tachymeter scale from a chronograph watch. I stand by my previous statements that it’s nothing more than a whimsical “feature” in the modern day and age. The military prioritizes practicality over whimsy.

Information shown in order

The L121 from La Joux-Perret powers Micromilspec’s Milgraph. This is a column-wheel-operated automatic chronograph movement with a 60-hour power reserve. The caliber features a three-register layout with sub-dials at 12, 3, and 6 o’clock. You’ll notice they are different sizes and might wonder why. Well, it takes the concept of the “big-eye” military chronographs of old. The sub-dials display different information, each with different levels of importance; thus, the Milgraph shows them in order of said importance.

Running seconds are the least important thing on a chronograph and serve as little more than an indication that the watch is working. Therefore, this register at 3 o’clock is the smallest and has minimal markings. Next in size order is the 12-hour counter at 12 o’clock. Large yet simple markings allow for near-instant reading on the move. Finally, the 30-minute counter sits at 6 o’clock. Not only is it the largest of the sub-dials, but it’s also closest to the wearer. A combination of position and size means the eye is naturally drawn to this counter first. When in a situation in which timing can mean the difference between life and death, this is critical. If you were still unsure which sub-dial was which, Micromilspec has handily labeled each one. Of course, the watch also displays elapsed seconds centrally with an orange-tipped, needle-shaped hand along with the main hours, minutes, and additional 24-hour time zone.

Notice the red crown-protection ring, letting the wearer know that the crown is not screwed down

QuadGrip

The Milgraph’s bezel also sports a new feature for Micromilspec. It features four deep indents to complement the knurled edges and further enhance operation on the go. The brand calls this QuadGrip. The idea is neat, and all things considered, the elapsed-time scale is unaffected and remains highly legible. I’m particularly looking forward to inspecting the QuadGrip bezel more closely.

The Milgraph is available with a few strap options. You can choose from rubber, leather, or a titanium bracelet with a butterfly clasp. Bracelets are often hit-or-miss for me, and I’m usually less keen on titanium ones. Therefore, the rubber or leather would be my preference given the stealthier aesthetic they have in this instance. Each has a signed Micromilspec buckle with a matching finish.

My first impressions are solid, and I can’t wait to see more

All in all, the Milgraph is a pretty impressive watch. It packs a lot of functionality onto the wrist and combines two of the most popular and useful complications in one watch. With the Milgraph, Micromilspec has created a perfect base for exploring collaborative projects with its clients. For those interested in adding this watch to their collections, production is limited. Micromilspec will only have 50 of the civilian-issue Milgraphs available per year. The brand’s bread and butter are the military and first-responder units. With that in mind, orders are open now on the Micromilspec website. Deliveries will start in Q2 of 2025. The Milgraph is fairly priced at €3,500 (including taxes) on the rubber strap. Expect to pay a little more for the leather or the titanium bracelet.

As always, I want to hear from you. What do you think of the new Milgraph? Is it a mission success? Let me know in the comments.