New York (March 28, 2024) – An ode to the golden age of timed races, the new Angelus Instrument de Vitesse mono-pusher chronograph watch appears to have been plucked from the dashboard of a vintage GT car. The Instrument de Vitesse timepiece joins the Angelus La Fabrique collection and offers two distinctly sporty dial options in ivory-white or ebony-black, with each colorway limited to just 25 timepieces each.
Historical
Dedicated to the renaissance and reinterpretation of classic timepieces from Angelus’ past, the La Fabrique collection unveils its second model, following in the footsteps of the Chronographe Médical. Once again, the house draws on its aesthetic heritage and showcases historical design elements and affinities. As a result, Angelus has designed a monopusher chronograph that seems to belong on the dashboard of a beautiful English or Italian vintage car, with the roar of a V12 engine as its soundscape.
Race-Ready
Instrument de Vitesse presents the look of a classic three-hand chronograph, but the tachymeter scale running around the outer edge of the dial reveals the watch’s true chronometric function. This is a chronograph presented in its purest expression, dedicated to timing short bursts – a measuring instrument designed to take average speed readings over a maximum of 60 seconds. This, in turn, casts new light on the crown, which also acts as the chronograph’s single push-piece to set the slender center seconds hand in motion.
Graphic
Released in a twin series of 25 timepieces each, Instrument de Vitesse is available with a steel case measuring 39 mm in diameter and just 9.27 mm thick. It features a domed dial divided into two functional zones. The peripheral indications are dedicated to the tachymeter scale, graduated from 60 to 500 with a base metric of 1,000 (typically one kilometer). The more central indications, meanwhile, are designed to display the time, with a finely graduated minutes circle. In both cases, the typography, specially chosen for the La Fabrique collection, is clear, contrasting, and elegant.
Contrasting
Instrument de Vitesse is available in two versions. The first, presented on a caramel calfskin strap, features an ebony-black dial with rhodium-plated applied Arabic numerals that stand out with their striking white hue. The second version is presented on a midnight-blue nubuck strap. Its ivory-white dial is punctuated with applied Arabic numerals outlined in black to create an incredible three-dimensional effect. The hour and minute hands, together with the applied numerals, are coated with luminescent material.
Mechanics
Inside, Angelus operates its own A5000 chronograph movement. With this new variant, this caliber – the technical stalwart of La Fabrique – once again demonstrates its adaptability. Presented in this manually wound version without totalizers, it offers a reduced thickness of just 4.20 mm. Set to a frequency of 3 Hz, it functions by way of a column wheel and horizontal clutch in the purest chronograph tradition.
ABOUT ANGELUS
Founded in 1891 in Switzerland, Angelus has been widely hailed by watchmaking connoisseurs as one of the most influential horological manufactures of the 20th century. Angelus’ pioneering, house-made movements and vintage timepieces continue to be coveted by collectors all over the world. The recently revived Angelus Manufacture is fully equipped to design, produce, finish, assemble, regulate, and test its entire line of house-made movements and timepieces. The Angelus collection blends the very best of classic high watchmaking with ultra-modern design and materials, as evidenced by the Chronodate, a chronograph for a new Angelus era with a cutting-edge dial and modular case, the U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon with its sapphire mainplate, the U21 Tourbillon, which features a combination of carbon-fiber and 18-karat gold, and the U50 Diver Tourbillon, with its titanium case and superior water-resistance up to 300 meters. angelus-watches.com