Angelus released two new editions of the Instrument de Vitesse monopusher chronographs in the La Fabrique collection, with Indianapolis blue and Silverstone grey dials.
Angelus was founded by the brothers, Albert and Gustav Stolz in Le Locle, Switzerland in 1891. In the early 1900s they employed 15 artisans and started to make their own movement blanks (ébauches) and to build their own manufacture.
Angelus launched in-house monopusher chronographs in 1925 and started to create two-pusher chronographs in 1935. Their watchmakers created the smallest (32mm x 21mm) 8-day movement in 1930 and in 1936 the calibre SF240, the smallest 8-day alarm movement then available.
In 1942 Angelus presented the world’s first series chronograph with calendar, first called Chronodate, which became Chronodato from 1943, equipped with the 32.8mm calibre SF217. (See a great, detailed article about this model here.)
During the mid 1950’s Angelus 8-day calibre SF240 was chosen by Panerai to equip watches for the Italian navy. The manufacture debuted also the Datalarm, the first wristwatch featuring both alarm and date function, the latter displayed in a window at 3 o’clock.
The Tinkler, the first ever automatic quarter repeater wristwatch as well as the first waterproof repeater wristwatch was produced in 1958, only approximately in 100 pieces.
The Angelus Medical from 1960 was a monopusher for doctors featuring scales around the periphery of the dial between 12 o’clock and 3 o’clock for measuring breathing and pulse rate. (The model had a great re-edition last year, the Chronographe Médical x Massena LAB.)
The new era of the brand started in 2015, with the next generation of Angelus timepieces at its manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
‘Instrument de Vitesse’ new editions
The La Fabrique collection is the most elegant line of Angelus – the pieces are timeless interpretations of Angelus’ watchmaking legacy, it includes the above mentioned Massena LAB collab piece too. The 39mm ‘Instrument de Vitesse’ (‘speed instrument’) monopusher chronographs without sub-counters were introduced earlier this year at Watches and Wonders. Monopusher chronographs have a stopwatch function that can be started, stopped and reset via a single push-button crown and equipped with a single timing hand, meaning this complication can’t measure successive intervals.
Now clients can choose other sleek and refined limited editions; Silverstone grey model with white and bright blue details and Indianapolis blue version with white and faded gold accents. The look is completed with mouse-grey or dark blue nubuck calfskin bracelet with ecru stitching.
The manually wound A5000 caliber is by La Joux-Perret, a sister company of Angelus (in 2012 the Japanese Citizen Watch Group has acquired Prothor, the holding company for Arnold & Son SA, Angelus, Manufacture La Joux-Perret and Prototec SA).
These two editions come in a limited editon of 25 pieces, each.
Photo credits: Loupiosity.com
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