Chronoswiss is a brand I’ve never paid much attention to. Apart from the fact that I was never particularly drawn to its designs, there is another, slightly stranger reason: the brand name simply never appealed to me.
Yes, a brand name can genuinely be a dealmaker or breaker for me. Take Bravur, for example. I love that name. Just hearing it made me want to look into the brand for no particularly rational reason. Chronoswiss, on the other hand, didn’t spark much curiosity. It felt too obvious, like a yoghurt company deciding to call itself “Greek Yoghurt.” 🙂
But hey, that’s entirely personal. Plenty of people clearly don’t share my peculiar obsession with brand names—otherwise Chronoswiss probably wouldn’t still be going strong more than four decades after it was founded.
Founded in Germany in 1983 and now based in Lucerne, Switzerland, this luxury watchmaker has built a broad catalogue over the years that includes everything from regulator watches and chronographs to tourbillons. Its latest release brings three new watches to the Neo Digiteur collection. And despite my long-standing reservations about the brand name, the watches certainly caught my attention with their cool character and joyful colours.
Neo Digiteur — For Those Who Want More Than Traditional Hands and Indexes
The Neo Digiteur is for those who want a mechanical watch but also want something a little different. If traditional hands, hour markers and chapter rings don’t particularly excite you, this package from Chronoswiss, may be something for you. Its design is more minimalist and considerably more playful than many other watches from the brand.
Instead of conventional hands, the Neo Digiteur displays the hours, minutes and seconds through three apertures arranged vertically across the dial. The matte-finished dial places the jumping-hour display just below 12 o’clock. Beneath it sits the considerably larger minute window, followed by a small seconds display towards 6 o’clock. Each aperture has its own distinctive shape, giving the otherwise minimalist dial plenty of character.
The case follows the same unconventional approach. Made from 316L stainless steel, it has a rectangular profile measuring 30 mm wide and 9.7 mm thick. At 48 mm lug to lug, the case curves along its length to better follow the wrist. A combination of polished and brushed surfaces adds visual contrast, while the recessed, sandblasted case flanks give the case profile additional depth. The Neo Digiteur is completed by a sapphire crystal, a polished onion crown, and a screw-down caseback with a satin finish. It is a dress watch, after all, and water resistance is rated at 5 bar (50 meters).
Chronoswiss In-House Movement
The Neo Digiteur is built around the Chronoswiss Calibre C.85757, a hand-wound movement featuring a proprietary in-house module developed in Lucerne, Switzerland. The relatively thin calibre operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), uses 19 jewels and offers approximately 48 hours of power reserve. Incabloc shock protection is also part of the package.
The decorative side has not been forgotten either. The movement is plated and finished with radial Côtes de Genève, adding a touch of traditional watchmaking decoration to what is otherwise a decidedly unconventional way of displaying the time.
The Rose, Mint and Sky
The watch is eye-catching not just because of its unusual dial and case layout, but also because of its cheerful colours. Offered in Rose, Mint and Sky, all three give the Neo Digiteur a distinctly cool personality. The Rose is perhaps the boldest of the three: a soft yet expressive shade for those who want to make a statement and aren’t afraid to wear a colour traditionally associated with femininity.
Then there is Mint, which brings a cooler, fresher character to the watch. It feels playful and bright, and looks almost as funky as the Rose. Finally, Sky is the calmest of the trio. Its light, sky-blue tone gives the Neo Digiteur a more relaxed character while still being far from conventional.
Availability
The Neo Digiteur is limited to 99 pieces in each dial colour and is priced at €12,700. The watches can currently be reserved through the Chronoswiss website with a €250 deposit.
