The larger hours subdial is arguably the focal point of the watch. Unlike the chapter ring and seconds subdial, the hours are indicated by Roman numerals – which I feel bring a dressy element to the watch. The ring is mounted via three arms and fastened to the dial by heat blued screws. The ring sits above two separate bridges that extend towards 3 and 9 o’clock. One bridge is jewel-set and holds the gear train, the other holds the hour hand gear. Additionally, those bridges are fastened to the dial with 3 more blued screws. Visible in the middle of the dial is the hour wheel and adjacent train wheels that drive it. While being the busiest part of the dial, it felt the cleanest to me.
Tying the dial together is a silver dial plate with an applied Chronoswiss logo at the 6 o’ clock position, and “Atelier Lucerne C.299” at the 3 o’clock position. The splashes of color from the blue leaf hands and screws are nothing short of entrancing and even with the hour and minute hands featuring lume (something I could have done without), they weren’t too difficult to pick out at a glance. I found myself often trying to get the watch to play with the light as I found that, to me, was one of its most attractive details. Overall, the dial gets its point across – Chronoswiss is an industry leader when it comes to Regulator dials. It’s clean, easy to read, and classy and really showcases Chronoswiss’ strong-suits.
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Movement – A Two-Sided Approach to Watchmaking
Inside of the Flying Regulator Open Gear, you’ll find the Chronoswiss C.299 Calibre. The C.299 is an automatic 4Hz movement with 31 jewels and a power reserve of 42 hours. It’s likely based on the ETA 2892 or something similar but is highly modified by Chronoswiss. It’s difficult to convey the movement as a whole without separating it into sections since a large portion of it sits on the dial side and is entirely developed in-house. So let’s discuss the dial-side first.
The dial works as the module board, and the train wheels have been polished, skeletonized, and brought to the centerfold. The hour train wheels are held in place by two extended bridges with polished edges. There are 4 gears visible in total – the hour gear, the gear train that drives it, the minutes gear, and the seconds gear. This module is 37 parts in total and is entirely designed around displaying the unique “Open Gear” concept, and I won’t be subtle, it looks fantastic.
Flipping the watch over, you’ll see some nice decoration. The rotor is skeletonized with subtle Geneva striping and the Chronoswiss logo at the bottom. There’s a cool brushed finish to the thickest part of the counterweight that ties nicely into the striping. The main-plate has a perlage finish and both the outside edge of the movement and the central rotor feature an engraved curl pattern that ties nicely into the knurled edge of the case and onion crown. Overall, the decoration on the movement feels fluid despite the many different patterns utilized, though not as interesting as the dial side.
Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear Strap
The strap I received was the only disappointment I found with the watch. The watch has the option of coming on a slew of leather straps or a bracelet. I don’t feel the bracelet fit the overall DNA of the watch, so I opted for the black alligator leather strap. It’s fastened to the case by two flat head screws, so changing out the strap would be an ordeal – which is a turnoff for me in general but is usually forgiven if the strap fits the watch, and in this case, it mostly does, though I did have my gripes.
The black alligator is counter-stiched with white stitching and isn’t terribly distracting, but adds a little sporty touch that I had trouble vibing with. I think if I went another round with the watch, I would opt for a different color leather or a matching stitching instead of contrasting.
Additionally, while this may very well be a test strap, the construction of the belly of the strap left much to be desired. The strap utilizes a turnover method, meaning that it folds a portion of the leather over and glues it to the belly instead of running a full piece of leather along the belly. This is common in affordable alligator straps but can be irritating and fray over time – something a watch in this price point shouldn’t skimp on. In the instance of this watch, because I wear watches on my right hand, I could feel the edge and corner of that turn-over against my bone. It wasn’t painful or irritating, but it was a bit noticeable and often uncomfortable.
The strap features a butterfly folding clasp. While it fits the watch nicely and features a nice polished logo’d buckle, I found the actual clasp a little too big, and it resulted in a flat edge that didn’t allow for a secure, flush fit against the underside of my wrist. The results of that meant I was constantly pulling the watch down because the clasp would guide where the bracelet sits on the wrist. I think shaving off a few millimeters from the curved portion of the strap would benefit the wearability immensely.
Final Thoughts
While perhaps not the force they once were in the ’90s and early 2000s, I have no doubt they will get there soon. I’m more than impressed with the direction Chronoswiss has taken with producing models that nod to a bygone era with a modern twist. I feel that a spotlight has been shown on Chronoswiss and with it, new attractive models based on what they’ve always done best – Regulators. The Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear is a great example of how a brand can successfully honor its heritage while still bringing it into a modern landscape. The “Snowman” is quirky New-School Chronoswiss, and that’s definitely something I can get behind.
In an industry where a lot of the same is created daily, it’s refreshing to see a unique watch that doesn’t really conform to any normal design. Everything from the floating dial design, to the case shape, doesn’t look or feel like any other watch I’ve played with and that’s hard to find these days. Price for the Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear is 6,940 CHF. You can learn more from their website at chronoswiss.com.
Necessary Data
>Brand: Chronoswiss
>Model: Flying Regulator Open Gear
>Price: 6,940 CHF
>Size: 41mm x 13.85mm
>When reviewer would personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Someone looking for a nice quirky sporty-dressy style watch with some unique features.
>Best characteristic of watch: The dial is a beautiful testament to Chronoswiss’ penchant for finishing.
>Worst characteristic of watch: The strap utilizing the turnover method – a watch in this price-point should have a much higher quality strap.