Sick of your TriCompax?

I can't help but notice how more and more alternatives to the classic tricompax chronos are just popping up. If like me you just don't get any kicks out of the classic chrono and still need to time your eggs or tea in the morning, there are number of options for you to be slightly different. Yes, several new choices that are a refreshing way of timing something. It's very typical of the watch industry so prices range from affordable to the absurd, as always I guess.

First the reappearance of the manual bicompax like Lange's Datograph and Double Split or WEMPE's Radiomir Anniversary, then the mono-pushers like the MIH, the spectacular Porsche Indicator with its digital but mechanical display, then the the integration of the minutes and hour hand in Patek's 5960, the appearance of several retrograde chronos like the Genta Cuatro Retro or Kunz Chrono Sport and last but not least the Jaeger AMVOX2 with its alternative start/stop and reset mechanism.


Personally I am glad that this is so since I just can't stand boooring chronos anymore. I would rather welcome a power reserve or GMT complication that I find much more useful. Other than timing the pizza delivery boy I just have no use for a chrono, except for aesthetic reasons that is. Some watches just look great with three buttons instead of one... others just don't. At this point I just welcome any variation of the classic chrono. What strikes me as odd is that most of these re-thought chronos are not that outrageously expensive inspire of the fact that many had to go to the drawing board quiet extensively. That in Switzerland is very, very expensive. Without going into details like modules, ETA-based or Valjoux-based a new movement (or module) takes about 2 years to become reality, plus a huge bag of money.

I guess that there will be more news regarding "alternative" chronographs in the following months. I am especially eager to see the long rumored and awaited RM011 by Richard Mille. Knowing the man I am almost certain that it will not be just another "run of the mill" chrono.






A. Lange & Söhne...
Patek Philippe...
MIH...
WEMPE...
Porsche...
Gerald Genta...
Pierre Kunz...
Jaeger leCoultre...
Richard Mille...