Geneva Watch Days 2024: Angelus has launched its latest edition to their Chronodate collection in the form of a new Titanium model in Magnetic Silver.
Angelus is an old-school movement maker, who in the past has made movements for for some of the biggest brands in the industry. Now owned by renowned movement maker, La-Joux-Perret, their watches are a combination of high-end movements, finished beautifully and mixed with a bit of industrial chic. Angelus’s Chronodate line is a testament to this, with a mix of materials, like Titanium, a peripheral date so as to not take away from the aesthetics of the dial, and a movement that on the surface may not appear as well-finished due to the industrial look, but on closer inspection, it is very well finished on all surfaces and angles to get the look they are going for. So don’t be fooled by this.
For Geneva Watch Days 2024, the brand has unveiled their latest edition to the popular Chronodate line, and this time they have chosen to do it a stunning Magnetic Silver. This choice adds to the edginess of the piece, and makes it a true high-end sports chronograph. The Magnetic Silver dial blends seamlessly into the muted grey of the Titanium case and bracelet, and for those who want an even more sporty look, the black runner strap both offsets the monochromatic effect and adds a contrasting element to the watch.
The 42mm case is 14.25mm thick and is made from titanium via both the middle and outer case and for the chamber, bezel ring and push-pieces Angelus has used a carbon composite which from both an aesthetics and weight perspective works. Having worn several of the Chronodate models, I can say that these are highly comfortable pieces, especially on the runner strap, and the case design and weight help to make this highly wearable even at 42mm and 14.25mm thick.
On the dial, Angelus has kept it pretty clean and highly legible with large applied numerals with a vintage 1940s style to them, not to mention lots of Super-LumiNova to assist with low-light reading. To assist with this clean and balanced look, The Angelus Chronodate has a small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock and a 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock, both of which are inset into the dial and given a circular graining pattern that is ever popular. This means that this piece is designed to track time over shorter intervals having no hour counter as most traditional chronographs do.
As mentioned, Angelus was a leading movement maker, and in particular, they were a leading maker of chronographs from the 1940s to the 1960s. So their heritage and credentials in watchmaking and movements are up there with some of the best. In the new Chronodate Magnetic Silver, Angleus uses the in-house A-500 calibre which is a fully automatic movement beating at 4Hz, pivoting on 26 jewels and a power reserve of a respectable 60 hours. However, the finishing of the movement needs to be talked about a little here, as you can see from below, it is a very well-finished movement done in a more industrial way – as to not take away from the overall look of the watch. It is a small detail, but one that I appreciate as not all watch movements need to have highly polished finishes to look good, especially if the watch’s overall look doesn’t warrant it.
references the early days of Angelus, and at the heart of the movement it is another nod to their history putting the movements at the heart of what they do.
Talking through what Angelus has done with the movement, the main plate is sandblasted and NAC-treated to assist in being more resistant to corrosion. On the bridges, Angelus has microblasted these to give them that anthracite look, and along the edges, has satin finished these. The other thing to note here is, that the bridges all have raised edges in a positive relief to give it more depth, which I feel works so well here. The wheels are all circular-grained and rhodium-plated, and you can also see the column wheel on the left side of the rotor, which is made from tungsten and finished with positive relief edges and a brushed inset.
Angelus has given people the option of two looks with the new Chronodate Titanium Magnetic Silver. You can opt to purchase the watch on the rubber strap alone, or if you want the best of both worlds, then if purchased on the titanium bracelet, you get the rubber strap in addition which you can swap out with the quick change system. Personally, my preference is the rubber strap as it helps to break up the monochromatic look of the watch, but for those that like this, and the lightness of a titanium bracelet, then you can this choice too!
Initial Thoughts
When I first had the opportunity to get the Angelus Chronodate Titanium collection on my wrists last year, my thoughts were two-fold. At first, I liked the piece as it was different from the usual swath of sports chronographs out there, and this was a positive in my mind. But was it different enough to stand out from the crowd on its own and command the A$38,600 price on rubber, or A$41,500 on bracelet? Now, almost a year later, and with plenty of time to think about them, and seeing the new piece at Geneva Watch Days, I would say yes. Now this is entirely subjective, as is all things when it comes to price, but here’s my rationale.
With the Chronodate Titanium Magnetic Silver, you are getting a watch that is made by an established and credentialed independent brand, that made a name for itself making high-end movements and winning awards along the way. Not to mention that with the exception of a few non-production models made by Patek Philippe featuring a calendar in 1937 and a perpetual calendar in 1941, Agnelus produced the first watch where a date appeared on a production chronograph wristwatch all the way back in 1942, the same model this piece is based on. History aside, the Chronodate is also something you won’t see all the time due to the low production, and Angelus is one of the few modern watchmakers that design, manufacture, assemble, finish, regulate, and test all its watches in-house. Not to mention they are pretty easy on the wrist. But like with all watches, you need to see them in person, and be the judge!
References: 0CDZF.A01A.K009H (RUBBER) / 0CDZF.A02A.M009T (Bracelet)
Specifications:
- Case: 42.5 mm with a thickness 14.25 mm
- Case Material: Brushed Titanium for the bezel, crown and monobloc case middle with carbon composite for the chamber, bezel ring, and push-pieces
- Dial: Magnetic Silver-coloured, sunray-brushed with appliqué numerals, and hour hands with Super-LumiNova
- Crystal: Box sapphire, anti-reflective coating on both sides
- Case Back: Sapphire box, anti-reflective finish
- Water resistance: 30m (3 Bar)
- Movement: In-House A-500 Calibre Automatic winding movement, beating at 4Hz / 28,800 VpH and pivoting on 26 jewels
- Power reserve: 60 hours
- Bracelet/Strap: Satin-finished titanium or black rubber strap both with a folding titanium buckle.
