CHRONODATE TITANIUM BLACK

A beautifully styled contemporary sports timepiece, the Chronodate Titanium Black watch by Angelus wears its cleanly styled indications on a velvet black dial. Revived in 2015 by Swiss movement manufacturer La Joux-Perret, Angelus have a significant history dating back to 1891 and a legacy rich with innovative mechanisms and complications, not least their legendary Chronodato models from the 1940s. This handsome new addition to the company’s Chronodate series has the advantage of a precision in-house Manufacture automatic movement with column-wheel and horizontal clutch chronograph arrangement, and its complex casing is complemented by a rubber sports strap.

Rendered in striking velvet black, and with nuances of gold and red, the dial layout of the Chronodate Titanium Black by Angelus is designed to be highly legible, and it features well-proportioned in-set counters for the small seconds and the 30-minute timer. Giving a sense of depth, the hour numerals are applied, and together with the hour and minute hands these elements have been enhanced with Super-LumiNova. From the centre, the red-tipped chronograph hand is joined by a pointer date hand, which stretches out with a red arrow-tip to its display at the perimeter.

Measuring 42.5mm across, the Angelus Chronodate Titanium Black's casing is of a complex construction, with a titanium bezel featuring 12 notches, and a titanium crown and case middle. Introducing cutting-edge materials to the mix, the movement is cradled within a carbon fibre composite inner casing with the pushers, also in carbon fibre connecting directly to it. Lending a further technical aspect, the bezel ring is also rendered from carbon fibre. Characterised by alternating angles and curves, the case has a contemporary sports feel, which is reaffirmed by its openworked lugs which are styled to seamlessly embrace the black rubber strap.

Beating within the Chronodate Titanium Black by Angelus, the automatic in-house Manufacture A-500 movement by La Joux-Perret incorporates a column wheel and horizontal coupling clutch mechanism, the defining feature of a high-end chronograph complication. Visible through the sapphire caseback, the calibre has a contemporary finish, with NAC-treated and micro-blasted bridges and a tungsten rotor, decorated with the company’s signature ‘A’ motif. Equipped with a power reserve of 60 hours, the Angelus Chronodate Titanium Black has a frequency of 28’800 vib/h.