Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New Chronoswiss Delphis Glacier
An alpine ice-cool interpretation of the brand’s emblematic jumping-hour regulator, executed in lightweight titanium.
The Delphis collection by Chronoswiss is home to increasingly expressive editions. The colourful and technically elaborate Delphis Firestarter, the refined Delphis Art Deco, the decorative and contemporary Delphis Dracula, Horizon and Dune, or the Delphis Sub Zero, inspired by glaciers and bright blue Arctic skies, all these and more were used by the Lucerne-based independent brand as a showcase for its distinctive combination of regulator-style displays, artisanal dial work and creativity. Still, despite these bold appearances, the Delphis, first introduced in 1996, remains a complication that has been part of the brand’s identity for decades: a jumping hour display combined with retrograde minutes. The latest addition to the collection, the Delphis Glacier, is another limited edition which takes its cues from the colours and textures of Swiss glaciers, bringing the images of ice and frozen landscapes to the dial.
The watch is housed in a 42mm case crafted from Grade 5 titanium. The case architecture remains faithful to the collection, featuring Chronoswiss’ signature fluted caseband, polished bezel and oversized onion crown. Complex in construction, the case consists of 17 individual components and measures 14.5mm in height. A cambered sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective coating protects the dial, while a sapphire display back offers a view of the movement. Water resistance is 100m, thus the Delphis Glacier is more versatile than many watches with similarly elaborate displays.
As always with the Delphis collection, the dial is the watch’s true personality. The display features a digital jumping hour at 12 o’clock, a central retrograde minutes hand, and a small seconds display at 6 o’clock. This arrangement, originally introduced by Chronoswiss founder Gerd-Rüdiger Lang in the 1990s, remains one of the most recognisable executions of the regulator concept in modern watchmaking.
For the Glacier edition, the upper dial is finished in silver galvanic tones and adorned with hand-guilloché patterns inspired by the fractured surfaces and textures of glacial ice. Contrasting with this silver upper section is the lower seconds display, presented in a rich blue CVD finish and decorated with hand-guilloché motifs crafted inside the Chronoswiss Atelier in Lucerne. The retrograde minutes hand sweeps across the upper arc before snapping back to its starting position at the end of each hour, while the digital hour changes instantaneously. Skeletonised and carefully finished, the minutes and seconds hands provide good legibility against the contrasting surfaces.
Powering the Delphis Glacier is the contemporary calibre C. 6004 developed by La Joux-Perret. This automatic movement operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations/hour and delivers a power reserve of 55 hours. Comprising 37 jewels, the movement features a Glucydur balance, Nivarox hairspring and Incabloc shock protection. Visible through the sapphire caseback, the calibre reveals several decorative details, including Geneva stripes on the bridges, polished screws and a skeletonised tungsten rotor mounted on ball bearings.
The Delphis Glacier is worn on a black rubber strap. It is produced as a limited edition of 50 pieces, with a price that’s to be confirmed, but expect around CHF 15,000–18,000.
For more information, please visit Chronoswiss.com.
