Watches and Wonders 2023: Angelus Adds Three New Models to its Famed Chronodate Collection

Watches and Wonders 2023, the week-long watchmaking trade gala in Geneva, has begun and it’s raining timepieces! Swiss watchmaker Angelus, known for its exceptional chronograph and multi-complication wristwatches, has launched three new variants as part of its Chronodate collection. 

Calling it a ‘neo-retro chronograph’, the brand has unveiled a 5N red gold reference and two models in titanium.The jet-black dials highlighting the details of Chronodate Gold and Chronodate Titanium steal the show. The titanium version also comes with a fern-green dial that is in perfect harmony with the grey metal. 

Here’s what GMT India thinks is the USP of the Angelus Chronodate collection. It blends the historical references with contemporary construction. The Chronodate complication alludes to the brand’s early successes in 1935, when it pioneered double push-piece chronograph wristwatches. Meeting the modern standards and comfort with  multi-material and multi-structure cases, the sporty chronographs do exhibit a neo-retro spirit. The A-500 calibre, powering the watches, is housed in a carbon composite container, which is itself surrounded by a 5N red-gold or titanium case middle. 

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Case in Point: Angelus Chronodate Red Gold and Chronodate Titanium

Each of the new references boasts a 42.5 mm case that houses the movement in a container machined from a carbon-fibre composite. The chronograph push-pieces, also made from carbon composite, are directly applied to this vessel. From the same matte black material, a ring is seen between the monobloc case middle and the bezel. Around this container, Angelus has designed an attachment system consisting of an openworked cradle that brings the case middle and the lugs into a single line, made from 5N red gold or titanium. It also houses the bezel marked with 12 notches, also cut from the same metals. The crystal and the caseback are both made of box sapphire, provided with anti-reflective treatment.

Fast and Flexible

Each watch’s modular superstructure has been developed to play with multiple materials. It is made of elements with taut, sloping and bevelled lines that adopt the same aesthetics as several other Angelus timepieces, such as those from its diving collection. Their chamfered profiles, alternating right angles and curves, and simply the energy they exude ensure the Angelus Chronodate collection’s sporty vibe. The large, protruding crown and a central rubber strip make each watch easier to operate. 

Aesthetics and more

Earlier, the brand’s chronograph watches were smaller in diameter and the modest dimensions made the counters appear particularly large and visible. Now, Angelus has chosen to provide the Chronodate collection with imposing counters that offer optimal readability.

The counters are set on a deep black dial, fittingly described as velvet black, or on a fern green one. All dials feature large applied Arabic numerals with Super-LumiNova. 

Making Moves

The Chronodate collection is powered by Angelus’s chronograph movement, A-500 calibre. Its format displays the small seconds at 9 o’clock and the 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock. A hand-based date display circles round the edge of the dial, paying homage to the first Angelus Chronodate, created in 1942. Its red arrowhead sets the tone for the secondary indications; the markings on the chronograph push-pieces, the chronograph central seconds hand and the 30-minute counter hand are all finished with a touch of red lacquer. 

Oscillating at a frequency of 4 Hz, the A-500 calibre incorporates a column wheel and a horizontal coupling clutch to keep a slim profile. It operates through a self-winding system with an oscillating weight, shaped like ‘A’, above a star – Angelus’s emblem depicting a bell and its clapper. This rotor is made of tungsten on the Chronodate Titanium and it is fitted with a 5N red gold counterweight on the Chronodate Gold – a reference to the early days of Angelus, right at the heart of the mechanism. 

The new Angelus Chronodate collection includes functions such as hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph and peripheral date. The watches also offer a power reserve of 60 hours and are water resistant for up to 30 metres. The gold variant can be paired with a black rubber strap. You can get a titanium bracelet for the other reference.