The New Chronoswiss Small Second Blue Orbit and Desert

Think of Chronoswiss, and certain image elements immediately come to mind: a watch with a fluted case, a large onion crown, most likely openworked, colourful, and with a regulator display – elements of a timepiece meant to stand out. With few exceptions, such as select Sirius models, the entire Chronoswiss catalogue, including the Heritage and Classic collections, embodies this signature aesthetic. The brand departs slightly from its defining style with the introduction of the Small Second – a timepiece that “focuses on essentials while remaining anything but ordinary”.

The new Chronoswiss Small Second model is a “simplified” version of the Strike Two Series with a horizontal regulator display, and while the signature layout has gone, the new watch keeps much of the character the brand is liked for. The 17-part, 30m water-resistant stainless steel case measures 40mm in diameter and 11.5mm thick, with 50mm lug-to-lug. The case is fully polished, including the bezel with the fluted decorative ring, while the screwed exhibition caseback is satin-finished. The case is topped with the domed sapphire crystal featuring double AR treatment, and the onion crown is retained, as are the long, slightly curved and hollowed lugs with screwed strap links.

The Small Second series debuts with two dial options: Desert and Blue Orbit. While distinct in inspiration and execution, both share a curved construction, centrally mounted hour and minute hands, and a small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock – all crafted using modern and traditional techniques.

The Desert is inspired by shifting dunes; its textured dial is created through laser engraving and enhanced with ten layers of nano-printing. The applied blued Arabic numerals and leaf-shaped hands are also blued and filled with Super-LumiNova, while the hand-guilloché small seconds sub-dial remains white for contrast. A silver-coloured, dotted minutes ring with five-minute markers frames the dial’s three-dimensional design.

The Blue Orbit features a blue CVD-coated, hand-guilloché dial. This version maintains the same layout but with silvered numerals and hands. The azuré small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock draws the eye, while the silvered minutes ring mirrors the Desert model’s design.

Powering the Chronoswiss Small Second models is the calibre C.6000, developed in collaboration with La Joux-Perret. This movement with a tungsten rotor, visible through the sapphire caseback, boasts a ruthenium-coated finish, radial Côtes de Genève, and refined engravings. The movement has a 55-hour power reserve and an operating frequency of 28,800 vibrations/ hour.

The Small Second Desert comes on a pilot-leather calfskin strap, while the Blue Orbit is paired with a black calfskin strap. Pricing is EUR 8,800 for the Desert and EUR 9,400 for the Blue Orbit. For further details, visit chronoswiss.com.