The Anton Suhanov Chronotope, An Unconventional Yet Captivating Weekday Watch

As a platform dedicated to fine watchmaking and a deeply rooted passion for independent watchmaking, the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (or AHCI) is very close to our hearts. This institution, preserving the traditions of watchmaking by forming a community of watchmakers, was founded by Svend Andersen and Vincent Calabrese. It has brought forth many illustrious names and still manages to tie in new and exciting, and very talented watchmakers. One such man is Anton Suhanov, a candidate (a prelude to actually becoming an AHCI member) to the Academy. You might have gotten to know him through his inaugural watch, the Racer Jumping Hour GMT, but his latest creation also manages to capture the imagination. This is the Chronotope, and it has a rather special yet practical and highly tangible complication hiding in plain sight!

Anton Suhanov has a background in mechanical engineering, but a chance encounter with Konstantin Chaykin led him down the rabbit hole of watches. Joining Chaykin’s manufacture as a constructor, he amassed the knowledge and experience needed to build watches. In 2019 he set up his own establishment and introduced a series of fascinating table clocks soon after. The Racer Jumping Hour GMT, presented in 2021, was his first wristwatch. This was followed by the Racer Retro (see below), a more vintage take on the same concept as his debut watch. The Chronotope is next in line and presents a completely new model.

Anton Suhanov Racer Retro

Pharos table clock

Lotus table clock

Close-up of the Lotus table clock’s top

The 42mm wide by 12.3mm tall case for the Chronotope is machined from stainless steel and features mostly brushed finishes, with a polished edge separating it from the bezel. Speaking of which, this bezel is notched at every hour, basically aiding you in telling time at a glance. It also has a flat crown that’s partially nestled into the case, and a pusher at the bottom which is set with a watchmaking ruby, and that is where the proverbial magic happens. You see, the Racer Jumping Hour GTM and Racer Retro featured a similar pusher, albeit it at a different location, so it’s sort of a signature element of Anton Suhanov’s watches. I’ll explain what it does in a bit though, as I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

Moving to the dial, made from brass and coated in rhodium and ruthenium, this is where things start to make perfect sense. The hour and minute hands have a distinct tweezer-like design and are fitted with a ruby pallet stone. The sky blue titanium central seconds hand also has rubies inserted at either end, tying it in with the others. The upper half of the dial is reserved for two things; the date which is visible through the round aperture, and the weekday display. A scale runs from Monday to Sunday, with the indicator showing “Today” running along it one day at a time. Below that is a snail-like cam fitted with yet more ruby pallets and a ruby roller. This is where the aforementioned pusher comes into play, as it sets the weekday indication to the correct day if needed.

All this is driven by an ETA 2824-2, believe it or not. At heart at least, because Anton Suhanov has heavily reworked its architecture and finishing, plus an in-house module on top for the extra indication to turn it into the Su200.10 calibre. Anton even developed a peripheral winding system to replace the central rotor construction of the base movement. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a new fine-adjust module with a rotating wheel mounted on top of the balance cock. The finishing is equal parts traditional, with Côtes de Genève, perlage and more, as well as contemporary, with blue elements to give it some pop. In the centre is a practical yet inconspicuous power reserve indication to round it all off.

Only 33 will be made, all presented on a grey alligator leather strap with a stainless steel pin buckle. But, just as with the Racer Jumping Hour GMT being morphed into the Racer Retro, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a different version of the Chronotope somewhere down the line. The price is set at USD 34,200 before taxes, which sounds fitting for such an intricate piece. Touches like the watchmaking rubies decorating the dial also add a touch of frivolity without feeling tacky. With it, the Chronotope showcases a fresh take on watchmaking front to back, which is just lovely.

For more information, please visit Anton-Suhanov.com.