The Revival of a Charming Chimer with the Angelus Tinkler 1958 Quarter Repeater

Unveiled by Angelus at Watches & Wonders 2026, the Tinkler 1958 Quarter Repeater is a re-edition of the brand’s pioneering mid-century automatic, waterproof quarter repeater wristwatch, which was already a rarity in its day. Engaging sight, sound and touch, we’re going hands-on with the more luxurious, 15-piece limited edition of this charming chiming revival piece in yellow gold.

Brief Background

Founded in 1891 in Le Locle, Switzerland, by the Stolz brothers, Angelus acquired great expertise and a solid reputation for its innovative chronograph and repeater movements, filing a patent in 1896 for a silent-strike governor. The introduction of the Tinkler in 1958 was touted as the world’s first automatic, waterproof quarter repeater wristwatch, featuring a repetition module designed by Alfred Louis Golay for Angelus. What is perhaps less well-known about the original Tinkler is how its combination of world firsts eventually led to its demise.

Although Angelus rose to the challenge of combining a repeater mechanism powered by automatic winding in the confines of a small but water-resistant case, the unorthodox set of features proved so costly that only 100 watches were ever made. Moreover, the timing was off, and by 1958, repeaters had gone the way of horse-drawn carriages. Be that as it may, the extreme rarity of the Angelus has ensured its status as a cult watch among collectors today.

The Reissue

Like the original, the Tinkler 1958 Gold comes across as more discreet than its complication might suggest. In fact, if it weren’t for the pusher, you’re looking at a classic gold 1950s three-hander with some pretty elaborate hour markers. However, before we address the dial, let’s take a look at the 38mm yellow gold case, a material that suits its heritage perfectly. The clean profile of the case with its straight lugs and polished finishes maintains an understated 1950s aesthetic. To contain the complication, the 12mm thickness is above that of a dress watch, but is balanced by the compact diameter. To get a feel for how well it sits, our photographs were taken on Robin’s 18.5cm wrist.

Instead of the pump-style pusher on the original, the re-edition features a rectangular trigger for the repeater with an ingenious mechanism. Faithful to its ancestor, the tightly sealed screw-down caseback that ensured the case’s 30m waterproofness is featured here and decorated with a large “A” framing a star. In addition, the solid metal caseback acts as a soundboard for the gongs.

chiming sequence

By pushing the trigger, the quarter repeater sounds the hours with a single low-pitched strike on the first gong, followed by a rapid double strike of alternating notes across both gongs for elapsed 15-minute intervals. Obviously, a quarter repeater can never match the accuracy of a minute repeater, but the quarters are provided with three double-strike sequences to get closer to the nearest minute.

• from 0 to 14 minutes – no quarter chimes, just hour strikes
• from 15 to 29 minutes – one double strike
• from 30 to 44 minutes – 2 consecutive double strikes
• from 45 to 59 minutes – 3 consecutive double strikes

It takes a bit of practice, but once you’ve become acquainted with the sequences, it becomes second nature. Knowing that we are prone to fiddling and pushing, the energy for the chime is supplied by the pusher mechanism rather than the main power reserve, meaning you can activate the repeater without depleting the movement’s robust 70-hour power reserve.

The Dial

One of the features that most captivated us resides on the dial. Set against the classic domed white sunburst background, the Tinkler 1958 indicates time with highly original indices. Capturing the prevailing design mood of the late 1950s, and featured on the original, a golden Arabic numeral sits at noon, followed by a combination of golden arrow-shaped markers and distinctive “exclamation-shaped” indices at the key quarter repeater positions.

Looking closely at the arrow-shaped markers, you’ll notice how elaborate they really are, with a hollowed faceted tip and an indented base creating the silhouette of an “A”. The exclamation marks are also highly detailed, with a longer faceted rectangular shape in the centre, like a skyscraper towering above two lower buildings. Sharp faceted golden hands indicate the time, and a retro-inspired box sapphire crystal protects the dial.

New Movement

The watch is powered by the new Angelus A600, with an in-house automatic base and a specialised integrated chiming module developed with Dubois-Dépraz, a highly reputed Swiss complication specialist. Beating at 4Hz with a robust 70-hour power reserve, the movement’s high-end decorations are executed in-house but hidden under the caseback.

The gold edition is paired with an inky blue alligator strap and an 18k yellow gold pin buckle. It is limited to 15 pieces and retails for CHF 56,300 (incl. tax).

More information at Angelus-Watches.com.