A Trip Down Memory Lane with the Titoni Heritage Chronograph

Independent Swiss watch brand Titoni has been run by the Schluep family since 1919. Originally registered under the name Felco in 1919 and then Felca AG, this Grenchen-based watch manufacturer embraced foreign markets early in the game, surviving the vicissitudes of the 20th century intact. Titoni’s Heritage collection is inspired by some of the brand’s best-looking vintage models, revisited with contemporary specifications. One of its most successful references is the Heritage Chronograph, a handsome bicompax chronograph that captures the original flair of a 1950s chronograph produced by Felca. Released a couple of years ago, we posted a video of the Heritage Chronograph last week and wanted to look at this golden oldie again in more detail.

Titoni’s 100-year-plus lifespan speaks positively about the quality of its mechanical watches and its willingness to court overseas clients. In 1945, for example, the brand won a contract to produce 30,000 watches for the US Army. In the late 1950s, Felca produced the official timepiece – the Desert-Router – for the Nairn mail delivery service with bus drivers covering 600 miles of desert between Damascus and Baghdad. In the same decade, the Titoni brand name was created for its Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern markets, complete with its Chinese plum blossom (meihua) flower logo. The ensuing success of Titoni prompted management to change the entire company name to Titoni.

Looking at the photograph of the original 1950s Felca chronograph, it’s hardly surprising that the fourth-generation Schluep brothers felt a strong wave of nostalgia. With its creamy-coloured dial, blue tachymeter scale, red telemeter scale and bicompax layout, the Felca was begging for a remake. Although I haven’t been able to establish the diameter of the original Felca, the proportions of the stainless steel Heritage Chronograph are clearly contemporary, with a 41mm diameter and a thickness of 15.2mm. Like the original, the drum-shaped case features straight, faceted lugs and classic piston-style pushers. Somewhat unusual for a sporty chronograph, the case is polished from head to toe. The large push-pull crown, decorated with Titoni’s plum blossom logo, does not screw down, reducing the water resistance to just 50 meters.

The dial is the true protagonist with its faithful rendition of the Felca chronograph. The light blue tachymeter scale and the red telemeter scale give the dial its personality, and although the telemeter scale is somewhat archaic, it adds a lovely vintage touch. A third track, relaying the minutes/seconds is picked out in black followed by the period-correct Arabic numerals representing the hours with blue outlines. Two sub-dials arranged horizontally at 9 and 3 o’clock deliver the running seconds and 30-minute elapsed chronograph times and are indicated by blue hands. The counters are slightly recessed with snailed interiors and black markings and lob off the surrounding numerals. Like the original, the dark blue hour and minute hands are sword-shaped, and the long central chronograph seconds hand is red, reaching all the way to the edge of the dial.

Unlike the Felca, the Heritage Chronograph has a rectangular date window at 6 o’clock, and the Felca branding has been replaced with Titoni and its plum blossom logo. To evoke the luminescence employed in the 1950s, the hands and Arabic numerals are treated with old radium Super-LumiNova. The dial is protected by a domed sapphire crystal extending beyond the polished bezel.

Although the original Felca was powered by the sturdy manual-winding Landeron calibre 148, the new Heritage Chronograph has a Sellita SW510Bha (Valjoux 7750 base) automatic cam-operated, bi-compax 4Hz chronograph with a date at 6 o’clock. Not the slimmest of movements, its 7.9mm height contributes to the case thickness. A sapphire crystal reveals the gold-plated Titoni rotor with Geneva stripes delivering energy to the barrel for the 58-hour power reserve.

While the width and thickness of the case might be an issue for fans of more vintage proportions, the undeniable retro charm of its dial and its accessible price will appeal to many. The watch is fitted with a taupe leather strap with white top stitching and a steel push-button deployant clasp. It currently retails for EUR 2,200 / USD 2,775.

For more information, please consult Titoni.ch.