Chronoswiss -a luxury brand that was established almost three decades ago in Munchen, but then moved to its current location in Lucerne, Switzerland- will soon start selling the new Pacific Collection that includes a pair of chronographs and a three-hander. As usual, all versions are powered by Swiss-made movements. The new collection will arrive in slightly oversized bodies 43 millimeters in diameter that seem to be adequate for the sporty-styled watches with their aggressive color accents and energetically sculpted elements.
If the new Pacific Collection looks somewhat familiar to you, there is a good chance that this is not an acute case of deja vu and you don’t need to visit a doctor.
Judging by its look, Chronoswiss probably used the famous IWC Ingenieur line of sporty timekeepers as a powerful source of inspiration.
Unlike the recent Sirius Triple Date in rose gold that looked sort of generic with its deliberately archaic, unimaginative styling, the new collection tries to imitate one of the most successful collections currently offered by IWC.
Of course, it is more than a fantasy rather than a direct rip-off, if you don’t mind the expression, although the shape of hour and minute hands, as well as the way the faceted hour markers, are milled from single chunks of metal, making it dangerously close to becoming one.
Well, at least the shape of the body is radically different. Crafted from stainless steel and polished to mirror finish, the 43-millimeter case sports a more classic shape that fans of Chronoswiss love so much.
For me, it looks a bit too archaic and not very congruent with a daringly modern finish of the dial, but that’s my personal opinion that’s not particularly relevant here. What may be more relevant to you is that the case is surprisingly large on a normal wrist: although the circular-shaped body itself isn’t massive compared to some sporty timekeepers of competing brands, the long lugs take all width of a normal wrist potentially making the watch not very comfortable to wear with formal attire.
So, don’t forget to try one before ordering it.
It takes just one look at the dial to guess that the chronograph versions are powered by the well-known ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement.
The dial features a pair of chronograph totalizers at 12 and 6 o’clock, a small seconds display at 9 o’clock, a central chronograph second hand, and two small display windows for the day of week and date respectively. The vivid green of the chronograph hands and push-pieces is a nice touch that makes the Pacific stand out from the crowd of the rest 7750-based chronos.
The three-hand version that lacks the green accent is not that impressive but is still pleasant to look at.
According to the German company, it is powered by the ETA 2892-A2 engine. Both movements, by the way, are very good. Although not “revolutionary” or “groundbreaking” or ahem “superlative,” they’ve earned a good reputation among aficionados thanks to their robustness, accuracy, and legendary reliability. And it is these three qualities that will allow you to resell the watch at a higher price when you finally decide to let one of them go to make space in your drawer for yet another timepiece.
When it comes to usability, you may like the fact that the German brand has temporarily ditched the huge onion-shaped crown in favor of a flat one, which is more in line with the dial and must be a lot more comfortable when wearing the watch while still providing good grip when operating the hands or winding the movement.
The Chronoswiss Pacific collection will soon go on sale with prices starting at more or less affordable $3800 for a three-hander. The chronograph will probably be at least twice as expensive.
See also: Panerai Luminor Composite 3 Days PAM 386 in Ceramic
WWR Verdict
Originality 4/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Overall Legibility: 5/5
Nighttime Legibility: 5/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Photos: Chronoswiss
Chronoswiss Pacific specification
Price: $3800
Movement: ETA Valjoux 7750 (chronograph version, ref. CH-7582) / ETA 2892-A2 (three-hand version)
Functions: Hour, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph, day of week
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Size: 43.00 mm
Dial: Black or Silver
Hands: Steel
Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap: Black leather with branded steel buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Sapphire, antireflective