The Angelus x Massena LAB Chronographe Medical With Gorgeous Motion

Whereas Angelus is a part of the well-respected unbiased watchmakers round, and a model with a really wealthy historical past, it took a contemporary and daring course when it was revived a number of years in the past subsequent to sister-company Arnold & Son. It’s a deliberate alternative, however some followers of the title Angelus and of its very good classic chronographs had been barely puzzled. Nicely, issues are altering, with the return of traditional chronographs and conventional hand-wound actions. And to inaugurate this new assortment named La Fabrique, the model has teamed up with design studio Massena LAB, who has created a re-edition of a shocking classic physician’s watch, which is now powered by an internally-produced motion (and what a motion certainly…) Let’s have a more in-depth take a look at the brand new Angelus x Massena LAB Chronographe Médical.

If you happen to take a look at the present assortment of Angelus, it absolutely doesn’t replicate what the model has completed up to now. There was a alternative to not create classic re-editions, however as a substitute to think about what Angelus would have turn into if it had remained in existence. No debate concerning the watchmaking expertise or the complexity of the watches, nonetheless. We’re speaking about modern, daring high-end watchmaking. However Angelus is about to convey one thing extra to its portfolio, one thing that pays tribute to the immensely wealthy previous of the model – and one thing that, I’m positive, many watch lovers will probably be comfortable to see. This new assortment, which comes subsequent to the trendy creations, is known as La Fabrique and is a separate class created particularly for tribute watches (and now, I’m wanting ahead to a traditional Chronodato…) And William Massena, together with his design studio Massena LAB, inaugurates this new vary with one thing very, very interesting.

The watch that’s about to be launched by Angelus and Massena LAB is modelled after a Sixties physician’s watch, with a reasonably stunning show. Unique, and designed with one mission in thoughts, this watch was a hand-wound chronograph with a novel dial. Made for one particular viewers, it featured a twin scale for studying the very important indicators of the affected person throughout an examination; a pulsometer to measure the heartbeat and an asthmometer to measure the respiratory fee. The result’s a watch with an atypical format, a reasonably odd magnifier on the crystal to emphasise the pulsometer scale and a one-minute measurement just for the chrono (no extra was wanted anyway). This watch, made for skilled necessities, has been introduced updated by Angelus and Massena LAB. And in a tasteful means.

The grand opening of a capsule assortment, the Angelus x Massena LAB Chronographe Médical stays true to the unique look of the Sixties device chronograph. Absolutely, it’s a little bit of an oddity, and a watch that’s way more authentic than many of the traditional bi- or tri-compax watches we see on the vintage-inspired market. However that is additionally what provides this watch a lot appeal. Sure, we all know that William has a watch for that.

All of it begins with a comparatively compact case of 39mm in diameter, with a standard design. Spherical, with a slim bezel, polished on the highest surfaces, brushed on the edges, with a compact crown and a box-shaped sapphire crystal, it’s undeniably retro and fairly a departure from something Angelus has completed within the final decade. The case is slim too, at solely 9.22mm in top… You don’t discover that anymore with trendy automated chronographs. Worn on a supple leather-based strap for a heat contact, the watch is a pleasure on the wrist. Mainly, a chronograph housed in a case that feels extra like a costume watch.

The dial is, by far, probably the most placing and differentiating factor of the Angelus Chronographe Médical. And, if some small changes have been made to fulfill the bigger diameter of the watch and the completely different motion that beats inside, the look and show really feel similar. Barely domed and silvered opaline with a heat off-white really feel, the dial options the identical dual-scale format as the unique mannequin, with a pulsometer scale on the periphery, and protecting the primary quarter of the dial, in addition to an asthmometer scale that’s positioned contained in the seconds scale, with a 5-breath base.  The pulsometer even has a selected color code – inexperienced, black, or crimson – akin to the severity of the studying obtained through the examination. In contrast, the respiratory scale is red-coloured. And each use a very massive font that makes the vocation of the watch unmistakable. Barely bizarre, very completely different, however fairly beautiful.

The remainder of the dial is barely extra conventional, with utilized and rhodium-plated indexes and Arabic numerals, luminous dauphine fingers and small luminous dots subsequent to the hour markers. The one grief can be the place of the distinctive sub-counter of this dial, the operating seconds, which could be very near the axis of the fingers. However with its crisp black printings and unobtrusive {hardware}, this dial is de facto giving the Angelus x Massena LAB Chronographe Médical a toolish, purpose-built type.

We have to speak about mechanics now. As a result of inside this watch isn’t your traditional, off-the-shelves Sellita or Valjoux calibre. Whereas old-school actions akin to Lemania ébauches aren’t accessible anymore, Angelus has recreated one thing that pairs completely with the general type of the watch, a hand-wound monopusher chronograph with conventional column wheel and horizontal clutch structure. And looking out by means of the exhibition again, the design of the motion ought to really feel acquainted to some… Certainly, the Angelus Calibre A5000, made in-house throughout the services of La Joux-Perret (sister firm of Angelus), is the trendy evolution of a motion as soon as completed by THA and Journe, housed as an illustration within the case of the good Cartier CPCP Tortue Monopoussoir (Jaquet SA, which later turned Manufacture La Joux-Perret, purchased the proper to FPJ for this motion some years in the past).

What’s essential to know is that the motion has been drastically reworked and upgraded, and is now absolutely manufactured internally. Essentially the most notable modification concern the place of the pusher, now at 2 o’clock. The motion has an excellent conventional structure, with all of the springs, levers and wheels seen (the enjoyment of the horizontal clutch format) and a column wheel in full show. Beating at 3Hz, it shops an affordable 42h energy reserve, however largely, it’s the look and the high-end ending that matter right here. Polished bevels, stripes and perlage, polished screws and sinks… It’s all there.

The Angelus x Massena LAB Chronographe Médical is worn on a full-grain calfskin Novonappa strap in a heat golden brown color that develops a patina over time. It’s closed by a traditional metal pin buckle, signed with Angelus’ brand.

Availability & value

The Angelus Chronographe Médical x Massena LAB will probably be a restricted version of 99 items, accessible by way of massenalab.com. It’s priced at CHF 19,900 (incl. taxes) or USD 19,900 (excl. taxes). And clearly, it makes us curious to see what comes subsequent within the La Fabrique assortment by Angelus… Extra particulars at angelus-watches.com.