Video Consider: The Titoni Heritage Chronograph

Neutral Swiss watch mannequin Titoni has been run by the Schluep family since 1919. Initially registered under the determine Felco in 1919 after which Felca AG, this Grenchen-based watch producer embraced abroad markets early inside the recreation, surviving the vicissitudes of the 20 th century intact. Titoni’s Heritage assortment is impressed by among the many mannequin’s best-looking traditional fashions, revisited with updated specs. One among its most worthwhile references is the Heritage Chronograph, a handsome bicompax chronograph that captures the distinctive aptitude of a Fifties chronograph produced by Felca. Launched a number of years previously, we posted a video of the Heritage Chronograph ultimate week and wished to take a look at this golden oldie as soon as extra in further aspect.

Titoni’s 100-year-plus lifespan speaks positively regarding the prime quality of its mechanical watches and its willingness to court docket docket overseas consumers. In 1945, for example, the mannequin acquired a contract to provide 30,000 watches for the US Navy. Throughout the late Fifties, Felca produced the official timepiece – the Desert-Router – for the Nairn mail provide service with bus drivers defending 600 miles of desert between Damascus and Baghdad. Within the similar decade, the Titoni mannequin determine was created for its Indian, Asian and Middle Jap markets, full with its Chinese language language plum blossom (meihua) flower model. The next success of Titoni prompted administration to fluctuate your complete agency determine to Titoni.

Wanting on the {{photograph}} of the distinctive Fifties Felca chronograph, it’s hardly surprising that the fourth-generation Schluep brothers felt a robust wave of nostalgia. With its creamy-coloured dial, blue tachymeter scale, crimson telemeter scale and bicompax construction, the Felca was begging for a remake. Although I haven’t been able to arrange the diameter of the distinctive Felca, the proportions of the stainless steel Heritage Chronograph are clearly updated, with a 41mm diameter and a thickness of 15.2mm. Just like the distinctive, the drum-shaped case choices straight, faceted lugs and conventional piston-style pushers. Significantly unusual for a sporty chronograph, the case is polished from head to toe. The large push-pull crown, embellished with Titoni’s plum blossom model, does not screw down, reducing the water resistance to easily 50 meters.

The dial is the true protagonist with its reliable rendition of the Felca chronograph. The sunshine blue tachymeter scale and the crimson telemeter scale give the dial its persona, and although the telemeter scale is significantly archaic, it supplies a surprising traditional contact. A third monitor, relaying the minutes/seconds is picked out in black adopted by the period-correct Arabic numerals representing the hours with blue outlines. Two sub-dials organized horizontally at 9 and three o’clock ship the working seconds and 30-minute elapsed chronograph events and are indicated by blue arms. The counters are barely recessed with snailed interiors and black markings and lob off the encircling numerals. Just like the distinctive, the darkish blue hour and minute arms are sword-shaped, and the prolonged central chronograph seconds hand is crimson, reaching all the best way wherein to the sting of the dial.

In distinction to the Felca, the Heritage Chronograph has an rectangular date window at 6 o’clock, and the Felca branding has been modified with Titoni and its plum blossom model. To evoke the luminescence employed inside the Fifties, the arms and Arabic numerals are dealt with with earlier radium Large-LumiNova. The dial is protected by a domed sapphire crystal extending previous the polished bezel.

Although the distinctive Felca was powered by the sturdy manual-winding Landeron calibre 148, the model new Heritage Chronograph has a Sellita SW510Bha (Valjoux 7750 base) automated cam-operated, bi-compax 4Hz chronograph with a date at 6 o’clock. Not the slimmest of actions, its 7.9mm peak contributes to the case thickness. A sapphire crystal reveals the gold-plated Titoni rotor with Geneva stripes delivering vitality to the barrel for the 58-hour power reserve.

Whereas the width and thickness of the case is maybe an issue for followers of additional traditional proportions, the plain retro attraction of its dial and its accessible worth will enchantment to many. The watch is fitted with a taupe leather-based strap with white prime stitching and a steel push-button deployant clasp. It at current retails for EUR 2,200 / USD 2,775.

For further information, please search the recommendation of Titoni.ch.