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What We Know
Angelus has dropped the curtain on three new limited-edition watches built on the same platform as the fan-favorite (and GPHG-winning) Chronographe Télémètre, only not quite. With this trio of novelties — appropriately dubbed the Chronographe Tachymètre — Angelus has dropped the telemeter scale, replacing it with a tachymeter, and bringing with it a slightly sportier look than we’ve come to expect from Angelus’s most compact modern offering.
The new model follows up a limited-edition take on the idea of a Chronographe Télémètre released in collaboration with Monochrome Watches earlier this year. But where that watch featured a double-tracked tachymeter and a decidedly vintage aesthetic, these new watches offer a decidedly different take on the concept, leaning into the look of midcentury racing watches. Here, that means you have the same bi-register chronograph layout, but with a single-track tachymeter and subdials finished in contrasting colors.
Like the Chronographe Télémètre that preceded it, the new Chronographe Tachymètre is offered in three configurations, with two of those in steel cases and the other in yellow gold. The yellow gold offering — which is limited to 15 pieces — is fitted with a yellow-gold-tone dial with green (really, a very dark grey with a greenish hue) accents. The stainless steel watches are offered with either a salmon dial with grey accents or a grey dial with blue accents. These watches come in editions of 30 and 50, respectively.
The case of the Chronographe Tachymètre shares the same sizing, dimensions, and architecture as its predecessor, coming in at 37mm across and 9.25mm thick. Inside the watch is the A5000, a hand-winding monopusher chronograph movement produced for Angelus by La Joux-Perret. As mentioned above, it’s a bi-register chronograph with central seconds, a 30-minute totalizer, and running seconds for the timekeeping at 9 o’clock. The movement itself is handsomely finished, if not mind-blowingly so, and the 3 Hz movement has a 42-hour power reserve.
As for price, these are in keeping with pricing we’ve seen on other LEs from Angelus, with the steel watches priced at CHF 18,500 (with VAT), and the gold model priced at CHF 34,600 (again, with VAT).
What We Think
It’s hard not to like what Angelus is doing, at least aesthetically. I’m clearly not alone in that belief, because their La Fabrique line of vintage-inspired watches seems to have hit the mark for plenty of collectors. I mean, I won’t argue for a second that GPHG results are definitive, but when a jury of pretty deep-end collectors and journalists choose to recognize a watch in that format, it’s certainly worth acknowledging.
Beyond that, this hits a lot of the same success points as previous Angelus releases, without feeling overly repetitive. And even ignoring the rest of Angelus’s recent offering, the Chronographe Tachymètre is a great watch on its own merits. I particularly like how the bicolored dials recontextualize the spacing of the chronograph subdials. I always found the chronograph subdials to feel a little close together on the Chronographe Télémètre. The contrasting tachymeter track on this watch solves that completely.
Put simply, I think this is an enormously successful evolutionary release for Angelus, and it’s one that makes me wish Angelus would move away from the limited-edition format for more of their watches, especially ones that feel so centrally indexed in their catalog. The Chronographe Tachymètre doesn’t feel to me like a limited edition. It feels like a core release, and it’s unfortunate that the reality and the sensation this watch elicits don’t totally line up for me, because otherwise, this is a watch deserving of a clear look.
The Basics
Brand: Angelus
Model: Chronographe Tachymètre
Reference Number: 0CHCQ.H01A.V1168Q (Gold Case), 0CHCS.P02A.V1156S (Steel with Salmon Dial), 0CHCS.U01A.V1155S (Steel with Grey Dial)
Diameter: 37mm
Thickness: 9.25mm
Case Material: 18-Carat Yellow Gold or Stainless Steel
Dial Color: Gold-tone, Salmon, or Grey
Indexes: Applied markers — either gold-tone or rhodium-plated.
Lume: Yes, dots around markers and on hands.
Water Resistance: 30 Meters
Strap/Bracelet: Calfskin leather with matching hardware.
The Movement
Caliber: Angelus A5000 by La Joux-Perret
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph with 30-minute totalizer.
Diameter: 24mm
Thickness: 4.2mm
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Winding: Hand-winding
Frequency: 3Hz/21,600 vph
Chronometer Certified: No
Pricing & Availability
Price: CHF 34,600 incl. VAT (Gold), CHF 18,500 incl. VAT (Stainless Steel)
Availability: Available through Angelus’s dealer network.
Limited Edition: Yes, 15 pieces in yellow gold, 30 pieces in stainless steel with salmon dial, 50 pieces in stainless steel with grey dial.
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