The Chronoswiss Opus Chronograph collection is a purist’s watch model because it closely follows the original brand concept as conceived by the late founder, Gerd-Rudiger Lang. Clearly in love with chronographs (hence the name of the brand), Lang started to make sporty chronographs with vintage aviator cases in the mid-1990s. It is a look that is very much associated with Chronoswiss by those who follow modern watch history. Under Oliver Ebstein’s ownership, Chronoswiss today has focused more on the regulator-style display as being more what the brand wants to be known for. That makes sense given that there are fewer regulators on the market to compete with than chronographs. With that said, given the demand for the Chronoswiss Opus Chronograph models — Chronoswiss continues to produce them today. While it isn’t inexpensive, one really wearable, attractive, and fun version of this wristwatch family is the new reference CH-7543T.1S-DGR Opus Chronograph Titanium.
The Chronoswiss Opus Chronograph Titanium watch combines a lot of themes into one cohesive package. If you like all of those themes, then there is a good chance you’ll like this watch. Let’s examine the layers of themes present in this new timepiece package. First is the vintage aviator chronograph theme. From the pomme-style hands to the case shape and pushers, at its core, this timepiece is a vintage pilot’s-style chronograph sports watch. The next theme is an enjoyment of mechanical movements and skeletonization. While the face has clear markers and displays for the time and calendar, it is also lavishly open-worked with a view of the semi-skeletonized automatic chronograph movement. Next is the lightweight watch theme. The case is polished to look like steel but is done in lighter-weight titanium metal. Finally, we see a military/camouflage theme (and by extension, a green color trend). This is included with the camo-style print on the comfortable fabric (leather-lined) strap. Adding this design element to the watch isn’t something you’d normally do and probably sounds silly on paper, though, in execution, the green-colored open-worked dial paired with the strap and case style work very well together. While the concept isn’t at all historically accurate, it does feel satisfying from a fashion perspective.
The Opus Chronograph Titanium case is a very wearable 41mm wide in grade 5 titanium. It is water-resistant to a respectable 100 meters, is capped with AR-coated sapphire crystals, and is 14.8mm thick. The dial is about as legible as can be but is semi-skeletonized and has only luminant on the hour and minute hands. I happen to like the overall look of the watch a lot. Even in polished titanium, the crispness of the details in the coin-edge bezel and onion crown are apparent. For those who like the various themes presented in the Chronoswiss reference CH-7543T.1S-DGR, this is a very handsome and compelling package.
Inside the Opus Chronograph Titanium is the Chronoswiss caliber C. 741 S. I am not sure who produces the movement, but it is a higher-end execution of Valjoux 7750 architecture with a lot of black-coated components for style. The movement operates at 4Hz with 46 hours of power reserve and has an automatic rotor mounted using efficient ball bearings. The name of the movement is placed on the dial of the watch, a rare movement. I suppose that means this movement is a fan favorite and Chronoswiss wants to advertise its popularity on the face of the Opus Chronograph watches. For those who like this overall look but want to be a bit more reserved, it would be easy to replace the (odd-sized) 21mm-wide camo strap with something a bit more conservative.
Compared to a lot of other brands, Chronoswiss produces fewer watches per year. This allows it to be agile and edgy, but it also dictates that Chronoswiss is less able to compete pound-for-pound in terms of pricing. Accordingly, the Opus Chronograph family, including the Titanium, is going to appear expensive, though the watches are of good quality and quite fun to wear, despite having a very classic sensibility about them. Price for the reference CH-7543T.1S-DGR Chronoswiss Opus Chronograph Titanium watch is $14,600 USD. Learn more at the Chronoswiss website.
