Edox Grand Ocean Automatic Chronograph I

The new Edox Grand Ocean Automatic Chronograph I is the best-looking nautically-themed dressy watch in the class of affordable Swiss watches.

Before the Grand Ocean line was introduced, Edox’s top trump was the gorgeous Classe Royale series of square watches. Ranging in price from €1500 to €3500 (and even less on the gray market,) the watches looked like they were 2-3 times more expensive. Too bad, Edox didn’t dare to bring to market a solid-gold version of the Chrono V model: a limited edition timepiece would definitely be a hit among watch aficionados. What a waste!

Their new Grand Ocean series is, too, an exercise in perfection. At least, in terms of stile, since the watch has its own minor flaws.

Its main problem is that, while exploiting the nautical theme, the watch has some problems with legibility in bad lighting conditions. You can see on the photos, that there is no luminescent substance whatsoever neither on any of its six hands, nor on the hour indices. The other problem, as other reviewer points it, the watch becomes almost unreadable in bright sunlight. Its elegant hour and minute hands are too thin to provide adequate contrast.

However, if you don’t plan to use the watch on your own yacht, and do not live in Spain or Chile, these problems would possibly never bother you at all.

The third problem is its size. With its 48 mm case made of stainless steel with black and gold-colored PVD coating, the watch stays on the larger side of the automatic chronographs world and will possibly be too big for guys with thin wrists and delicate palms. However, if you do spend some time in a gym, the generous size of the watch will not be a problem. It will fit just fine.

From the technical point of view, there is nothing revolutionary about this watch. The company says that the Grand Ocean Automatic Chrono I is powered by their own Edox 012 movement, which is based on a relatively new ETA Valgranges A07.211 mechanism. Created to satisfy demand for large watches, the mechanism is 36.60 mm in diameter and 7.90 mm in height, which makes it larger than most of the automatic watches of the past.

A natural born chronograph caliber, the movement comes with two push-pieces, an Etachron regulator system and offers a standard tri-compass layout of its sub-dials with the 12-hour counter staying at 6 o’clock, the 30-minute indicator at 12 o’clock and a seconds indicator at 9 o’clock. There is also a wide date window at the 3 o’clock, that balances the overall layout and provides it with more professional look and feel.

Once again, too bad that Edox doesn’t want to make a solid-gold version of the watch. It would easily rival even the gorgeous, yet much more expensive Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver Titanium chronometer watch.

Photos: Edox

Edox Grand Ocean Automatic Chronograph I watch’s specification:

Price range: €3500
Movement: Edox 012, based on ETA Valgranges A07.211 ebauche, automatic, 28800 vph
Complications: Date
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case material: Stainless steel
Case size: 48 mm
Case height: 17 mm
Dial: Black
Water resistance: 100 m
Strap: Black rubber with a folding buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, anti-reflective