Chronoswiss Regulateur & Opus: A Collector's Journey with Gerd R. Lang

cazalea · 2020-08-18T10:17:09Z

Explore the enduring appeal of Chronoswiss watches through cazalea's personal journey with the Regulateur and Opus, featuring insights from founder Gerd R. Lang and community stories.

cazalea

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

10 replies2714 views21 photos

Cazalea's post offers a delightful retrospective on Chronoswiss, a brand that holds a special place for many collectors. His personal anecdotes, from acquiring the quintessential Regulateur to orchestrating a memorable event with founder Gerd R. Lang, highlight the brand's unique charm and its impact on his collecting journey. This piece reminds us why certain watches, and the stories behind them, become cherished parts of our horological lives.

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This morning as I was scanning all the threads on our site, I realized I hadn't seen any Chronoswiss lately.

As I am currently wearing my Regulateur, I thought it time to ask what Chronoswiss models lurk in the dusty back corners of your watch cabinets.

If you are not familiar with the brand, it was a German/Swiss confection of a few decades ago, brain child of Gert Lang. In fact, I first visited the predecessor of this site, "The Purists", when I was searching to buy a used Chronoswiss. I stumbled on this Kairos, for sale by Thomas Mao in 2004.

In the end I reckoned that this gold-cased skeleton was too much $$ for me, and I bought the quintessential Chronoswiss watch instead - the Regulateur.

It was modeled after the old clocks with three arbors, one for hours, one for minutes and one for seconds. A mixture of Roman numerals AND Arabics, railroad tracks around the outside, opalescent white dial, blue strap, coin edge bezel, blued hands - this watch "had it all". IF you could only slow your eyes enough to read the time (that took awhile).

I bought my watch because Mr Lang was coming to my local watch store, and I thought it would be rude to go to this reception without one of his watches on my wrist. Today I realize how impossible it would be to own a watch from every watchmaker I have met in the last 20 years...

He was a big Jaguar fan so Hamel's got a comparable Jag in and put it on the sidewalk to please him and attrack more customers to the reception.

Notice my red Lotus on the curb behind the security man (you almost can't see it behind Mr Lang's red pants)

Being a car guy with access to Jaguars, I got an XK140 (on my own authority) and drove it up on the other side of the doorway. The Hamel people were a bit surprised, but happy to double up the attraction value on their sidewalk. We managed to avoid any city bureaucrats and police attention.

I mean WHO WOULDN'T WANT THIS CAR in front of their house or store?

A good time was had by all, and many watches were sold.

About a year later my wife went to the same shop, without me, and in consultation with Yolanda, bought me this Chronoswiss Opus for my 55th birthday.

Here is our very own Dr. No taking some photos of the watch on its strap, at his favorite bar/restaurant in Hollywood.

And the pair on a single wrist:

And the blued hands:

POSTSCRIPT

As often happens, things change over time, Chronoswiss changed hands, and the newer models are a bit more flash and less tradition.

If you enjoyed this, you can take a trip back through the company's history HERE IS THE HISTORY

Anyone with a Chronoswiss story or photos?

Cheers,

Cazalea

Key Points from the Discussion

Chronoswiss watches, particularly the Kairos, served as a gateway into serious mechanical watch collecting for many enthusiasts, fostering a deep and lasting appreciation for horology.
Some collectors have experienced fortunate surprises when acquiring Chronoswiss watches, such as discovering a white gold case instead of steel, highlighting the brand's diverse offerings and occasional hidden gems in the secondary market.
The Chronoswiss Delphis and Chronoscope monopusher are notable models that have captivated collectors, showcasing the brand's innovative designs and complications beyond the Regulateur.
The Chronoswiss 25th Anniversary manual wind model is another example of the brand's significant pieces, often cherished by collectors for its specific design and movement.

The Discussion

K-

K-Lo

Aug 18, 2020

Very detailed write up. I can appreciate the Swiss/German background in re the company, also, who doesn’t love a good Jaguar? And being able to meet Lang in person? Priceless. Your general analysis is bar none, so I look to see more posts from you. Ted

sdr1

Aug 18, 2020

I all, here is my 25th anniversary which is manual wind.

DrPool

Aug 23, 2020

What a great story, thx a lot for sharing! That reminds me of my student days 25 years ago while i saved every month some money to buy my first "real" watch. Well, this Kairos is still with me today and is NOT for sale... Unfortunately I wasn't able to met Gerd Rüdiger in these days although i'm also a big fan of classic cars and have attended a lot of those events as a spectator (Sachsen Classic). Chronoswiss has awakened my serious love for mechanical watches to this day. I will always be grat

Bounce781

Aug 23, 2020

In fact the first ever watch I remember falling head over heels in love with was the Delphis. Here’s a pic of my Chronoscope monopusher as well. Funny story - I bought it sight unseen from an auctioneer in Melbourne Australia and when I went to collect it I realise the case was white gold and not steel (as the auctioneer has thought). It was an extra pleasant surprise 😀

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Chronoswiss Regulateur & Opus: A Collector's Journey with Gerd R. Lang

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