Chronoswiss has made a name for itself as a brand by following the beat of its own drum. In doing so, the marque has built up one of the most unusual catalogues in modern luxury watchmaking, anchored by its signature series of regulator models. Over the years, Chronoswiss has taken the quirky, hyper-legible style in a menagerie of stylistic directions, from aggressive sports models to dressy elegance. For its latest iteration, Chronoswiss takes the traditional, dressy form of the Regulator Classic and reimagines it in rich, dynamic color. This Regulator Classic Blue Steel may look monochrome at first glance, but on further inspection, the watch displays a symphony of blue tones and shades.
The 41mm stainless steel case of the Chronoswiss Regulator Classic Blue Steel follows the signature Chronoswiss style, with distinctive contoured straight lugs and a Breguet-esque coin-edged case accented with an oversized onion crown. While the blue effect is undoubtedly striking, it’s difficult not to be disappointed in the fact that this is a PVD treatment rather than true heat-blued steel. That said, bluing is a notoriously temperamental process, so achieving a perfectly even color across a large and complex shape like a watch case would be exceedingly difficult.
Like the case, the dial of the Regulator Classic Blue Steel follows the tried and true Chronoswiss layout with a few subtle alterations. The same blend of matte, radially brushed and guilloché segments carries over from the base Regulator Classic, as does the iconic Chronoswiss triangular handset with its chunky hour hand in the 12 o’clock subdial. The use of Roman numerals for the hours subdial injects a bit of classic elegance to the clear, legible printed Arabic numerals of the rest of the dial. Of course, the most obvious change comes with the all-blue color palette. While monochrome designs can often come off as stark or boring, the details at play here keep the look visually engaging. The lighter blue of the hands pops against the deeper navy of the dial surface, while splashes of brighter blue on the minutes hand tip and printed hour indices provide subtle focus points that help to balance the unusual visual weight of a regulator design. The other notable change from the Regulator Classic formula comes at the 6 o’clock seconds subdial. Chronoswiss has added a small skeleton window here exposing the gear behind the small seconds hand, but the window is too small to see much of anything else.
A much more comprehensive view of the in house Caliber C. 295 automatic movement is available through the wide sapphire display window around back. This movement offers a 28,800 bph sweep, a 42-hour power reserve, and a few high-tech elements including a three legged Gluycdur balance and a balance spring made from exotic Nivarox 1 material. The Caliber C. 295 is respectably decorated, as well, featuring a rhodium-plated signed rotor finished with Côtes de Genève along with perlage on the movement plates.
Naturally, Chronoswiss pairs the Regulator Classic Blue Steel with a blue strap. The material of choice here is hand finished Louisiana alligator leather, dyed in an elegant midnight blue.
Overall, the Chronoswiss Regulator Classic Blue Steel is a dramatic example of the brand’s independent spirit. While the high-impact blue treatment may not be for everyone, there’s no denying that the result is like nothing else on the market. The piece is available now from Chronoswiss authorized dealers at an MSRP of approximately $5,065. For more information, visit the Chronoswiss website.