Angelus Introduces Three New Chronodate Gold & Titanium Watches at Watches and Wonders

Three New Chronodate Gold and Titanium Watches by Angelus

GENEVA (March 27, 2023) 

Swiss watchmaker Angelus reintroduced its legendary Chronodato model in 2022 with a modernised version, and the newest Chronodate models shown at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2023 demonstrate that the neo-retro Chronodate collection is here to stay.

The Chronodate expertly combines many periods with its historical connections and current creation. The series is a combination of the Angelus brand lineage and its enormous contribution to the history of Swiss watchmaking, with the Angelus of today: modern, technological, and ultra-dynamic.

The Chronodate complication is a reference to the brand's early achievements in 1935, when it helped pioneer twin push-piece chronograph wristwatches.

With its modular casing and creative blend of highly sophisticated materials, the new Angelus Chronodate combines tradition and innovation. The A-500 movement is encased in a carbon composite casing, which is itself encompassed by a 5N red-gold or titanium case core.

Contemporary example

These new Chronodate references have a 42,5 mm case that retains the athletic chronographs' neo-retro aesthetic. The mechanism is enclosed in a carbon-fiber composite container. Also built from carbon composite, the chronograph push-pieces are directly attached to this vessel. A ring between the centre of the case and the bezel is likewise constructed from similar matte black material.

Angelus has created an attachment method for this container consisting of a 5N red gold or titanium open-worked cradle that aligns the case centre and lugs along a single axis. In addition, it contains the bezel with 12 notches, which is likewise fashioned from the same metals.

A flexible framework

Its superstructure was designed to accommodate diverse materials. It consists of components with tight, sloping, and bevelled lines, adopting the same style as a number of other Angelus clocks, such as its diving series.

Its chamfered shapes, with their alternation of straight angles and curves, imbue the Chronodate with dynamic and athletic vitality. The same applies to the crown, which has a broad shape that protrudes from its guard and a central rubber strip that makes it simpler to use.

Aesthetics of chronography

Angelus was a leading maker of chronographs beginning in the 1930s, thus a chronograph was selected to honour the brand's heritage. The timepieces' modest diameter reflected the preferences of the period. These small proportions make the counters look especially huge and apparent, thus Angelus has opted to equip the Chronodate with imposing counters that maximise legibility.

The counters are shown on a dial characterised as "velvet black" or a subdued shade of "fern" green. All of the dials include big Super-LumiNova Arabic numerals that have been applied.

A dynamic action

Within the Chronodate line is the A-500 calibre chronograph movement by Angelus. Its layout has the tiny seconds at 9 o'clock and the 30-minute chronograph counter at 3. In tribute to the original Angelus Chronodate, introduced in 1942, a hand-based date display rings the dial's perimeter. Its red arrowhead sets the tone for the secondary indicators, with red lacquer applied to the markings on the chronograph push-pieces, the chronograph central seconds hand, and the 30-minute counter hand.

The A-500 calibre oscillates at 4 Hz and has a column wheel and horizontal coupling clutch to maintain a thin appearance. It functions using a self-winding mechanism with an oscillating weight in the form of a capital letter "A" above a star — the Angelus logo showing a bell and its clapper. On the Chronodate Titanium, this rotor is crafted from tungsten, whereas on the Chronodate Gold, it is outfitted with a 5N red-gold counterweight. A allusion to the early days of Angelus embedded into the mechanism's core.

About Angelus

Angelus was founded in Switzerland in 1891 and is generally regarded as one of the most significant horological manufacturers of the 20th century. Pioneering, in-house-made movements and antique watches from Angelus are highly desired by collectors worldwide. Angelus Manufacturing is fully prepared to develop, manufacture, finish, assemble, regulate, and test its whole range of in-house movements and watches.

As evidenced by the Chronodate, a chronograph for a new era of Angelus with a cutting-edge dial and modular case, the U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon with its sapphire mainplate, the U21 Tourbillon, which features a combination of carbon-fiber and 18-karat gold, and the U50 Diver Tourbillon, with its titanium case and superior water-resistance to 300 metres.

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