Angelus Extends The Chronodate Collection With Two New Dials
For Watches and Wonders 2023, Angelus presented new additions to the Chronodate collection. Currently, the brand offers four model lines — the Flying Tourbillon, Urban Collection, LA Fabrique, and the Chronodate. With these recent additions, the last line now has eight different variations for you to choose from.
The Chronodate is not an entirely new release. That would be the Chronographe Médical × Massena Lab that Tomas covered here not too long ago. These releases, however, bring some new looks to the brand’s most “accessible” modern timepiece. Angelus also gave us an entirely new and überfabulous titanium bracelet to match these watches.
The Angelus Chronodate
One of the most iconic models in the vintage Angelus catalog is the Chronodato from the early 1940s. That legendary vintage beauty, which we’ve covered extensively on Fratello (here and here), inspired the Chronodate when the resurrected Angelus brand wanted to offer something simple yet modern for its fans. While the inspiration comes from the vintage model, the new Chronodate is a more straightforward timepiece. At least regarding complications, it “only” offers the chronograph function and a pointer-date feature. The old Chronodato was a triple-calendar chronograph with apertures for the day and month at 6 and 12 o’clock, respectively. It is not easy to see the connection between vintage and new since the Chronodate line is not a re-edition of the Chronodato. But take a closer look, and you’ll find many nods to the forefather.
Fresh green and classic black
But this is not a hands-on review, so instead of dissecting the Chronodate, let us take a closer look at the new models. First and foremost, we need to talk about these new dial colors — as the title of the press release says, “a repertoire in black and green.” Previously, the Chronodate was only available with either blue or silvery-white dials. For Watches and Wonders 2023, the atelier created a fern-green dial, bringing an exciting and vibrant shade to the already colorful model line. Just like before, the applied numerals and, for the first time, black sub-dials make the unique Chronodate Titanium Green stand out. Aside from the green dial, a black dial with gold accents now joins the lineup as well.
Titanium
This brings us to the topic of materials. Up until now, the Angelus Chronodate came in a red gold case with a blue dial. You could also get it in a titanium case with blue or white dials. This year, however, the collection received an extension. Aside from the green dial in a titanium case, you can also get a black dial in either a titanium or a red gold case. Furthermore, the brand created a superb titanium single-row bracelet with a pronounced vertically brushed finish throughout. This bracelet is available for the green- and black-dial Chronodates, bringing the total number of new case/dial combinations to five. You can get the green or the black dial in a titanium case with a rubber strap or a bracelet and the black dial in a red gold case on a strap — quite the extension if you ask me.
One cool feature of the Chronodate’s case is its construction. The housing is made of carbon fiber composite for both titanium and gold models. The movement sits in this with the pushers directly connected to it. This carbon “box” is placed inside the gold or titanium cradle.
A-500 inside
Inside every Chronodate model is the brand’s in-house caliber A-500. This 26-jewel movement measures 30mm in diameter and 7.9mm in thickness. It beats at 28,800vph frequency and provides 60 hours of power reserve.
While the main plate is sandblasted and NAC-treated, the bridges are micro-blasted with satin-finished edges and NAC treatment, giving the A-500 a very sporty and contemporary look. Depending on the case material, the rotor is either gold or tungsten with the iconic Angelus “A” decoration.
Regarding prices, the red gold Chronodate on a rubber strap is CHF 42,900 (incl. tax). The titanium versions on rubber are CHF 22,900 (incl. tax), and if you want the titanium Chronodate on a titanium bracelet, the price is a tad higher at CHF 24,700 (incl. tax). For more information, visit the official Angelus website.
Watch specifications
Model
Chronodate
Dial
Velvet black or fern green with applied numerals and central minute/hour hands with Super-LumiNova
Case Material
Bezel, crown and monobloc case middle: 18K red gold (5N) or titanium. Chamber, bezel ring, and chronograph pushers: carbon composite
Case Dimensions
42.50mm × 14.25mm
Crystal
Box-type sapphire, antireflective treatment on both sides
Case Back
Box sapphire crystal, anti-reflective treatment
Movement
Angelus A-500 — automatic chronograph, 28,800vph, 60-hour power reserve
Water Resistance
3ATM
Strap
Black rubber strap (red gold or titanium models) or titanium single-row bracelet (titanium models only)
Functions
Time (hours, minutes, small seconds), chronograph (central seconds, 30-minute counter), peripheral date display
Price
Red gold with rubber: CHF 42,900 incl. tax (subject to change) / Titanium with rubber: CHF 22,900 incl. tax (subject to change) / Titanium with titanium bracelet: CHF 24,700 incl. tax (subject to change)