Imagine your watch subtly changing hue from green to blue, depending on the angle of the light. This is exactly what is happening with the new Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear nicknamed the Ocean. The effect is the result of chemical vapour deposition on top of handmade guilloché, which gives the watch an array of oceanic tones.

Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean Watch Review
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean

Green CVD also goes on the rotor – skeletonised as always with Chronoswiss – which makes for rotating chlorophyll-coloured foliage veiling the mechanics visible through the sapphire crystal case back. By the way, did you know that studies have shown green to reduce fatigue?

The ew Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean

Other colourful details are the coral pink applied to the tip of the Trigono-shaped minute hand majestically sweeping the entirety of the dial, and the bright red tip clarifying the small seconds. The red is applied to one of three sickles – a symbol of the Titan and God of Time Cronos. The sickle is linked with time immemorial, as it was one of the first harvesting tools to be used by humankind. “The second hand cuts time itself into increments, and by connecting three sickles we achieved a harmonious design,” says Maik Panziera, Head of Design at Chronoswiss.

Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean Watch Review
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean

Despite such archaic references, Flying Regulator Open Gear watches are truly modern mechanical timepieces passing today’s tough quality controls with flying colours. Carrying several Chronoswiss essentials, such as a generous onion crown and elaborate multi-layered watch face construction atop a hand-guilloché structure, the overall progressive design also includes skeletonised train wheel bridges and funnelled hour and second displays.

Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean In House Movement
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean

The extremely legible regulator set-up has been a Chronoswiss signifier ever since 1988, when this was the first brand to introduce a serially produced regulator wristwatch series.

Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean Watch
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean

Within the small team of the independent family-owned Lucerne company, Panziera is known as the creative artist. You will often find him in the atelier experimenting with unique shades of enamelling in volcanically glowing ovens or adding a contemporary touch by altering the settings of the near century-old hand-operated guilloché machine.

Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean

Chronoswiss watches are made by nonconformists, for nonconformists in truly limited series. We see ourselves as part of a growing movement, which is an antidote to copycat mass production. Chronoswiss is a symbiosis of old handcraft and new materials,” says Panziera.

Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean Watch Review
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean

The Ocean will be produced in limited editions of 35 pieces.

Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean

Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean

Technical specifications:

Reference Numbers: CH-8753-GREBK Stainless steel, dial green and black, limited to 35 timepieces

Displays: Off-center hours at 12:00, central minutes, small seconds at 6:00

Case:

·       Solid 16-piece, stainless steel case, with satin finish and polished, bezel with partial knurling and curved, non-reflecting sapphire crystal, screw- down case back with satin finish and sapphire crystal, onion crown, water resistance up to 10 bar, strap holders screwed down with patented Autobloc system

·       Measurements: Ø 41 mm, height 13.85 mm

Movement:

·       Chronoswiss caliber C. 299, automatic, with stop seconds

·       Diameter: Ø 35.20 mm, impulse-angle 51°

·       Height: 6.11 mm

·       Jewels: 27

·       Balance: Glucydur, three-legged

·       Balance spring: Nivarox 1

·       Fine Adjustment: Via Excenter

·       Shock protection: Incabloc

·       Frequency: 4 Hz., 28‘800 A/h (semi-oscillations)

·       Power reserve: Approx. 42 hours

·       Special features: Skeletonized and CVD coated green rotor, with Côtes de Genève and colimaçon; with ball bearing; polished pallet lever, escape wheel and screws; bridges and plates with colimaçon

Dial: Elaborate construction on two levels: bottom level hand-guillochéd, with green CVD coating, upper level featuring screwed-on skeletonized train wheel bridges and funnel-like constructions for hours and seconds display

Hands: “Trigono” shape; lacquered; with Super-LumiNova inlays and tips

Strap: Hornback crocodile leather, hand-sewn

The price for the Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Ocean ref. CH-8753-GREBK is CHF 8,800 or EUR 8,900 and is limited edition to 35 pieces.

For more information please visit Chronoswiss Online.