This watch is pure sex. It says so right on the dial!
Just like Universal Genève, Angelus is one of the old Swiss chronograph masters that couldn’t survive the Quartz Crisis. They succumbed to the changing international watch market and shuttered their factory, leaving behind some of the finest chronos of the mid-20th century. Luckily, they left behind some amazing artifacts of their illustrious past, and since Angelus is only in the nascent stages of a collecting revival, the value proposition of these watches is pretty incredible.
Unlike the many Swiss brands that turned out cool looking watches by assembling quality components from multiple suppliers, Angelus was among the elite group of watchmakers who built in-house complicated chronographs decades ago. The Chronodato is one of the earliest full calendar chrono wristwatches, and like Universal Genève’s TriComapx, it proved to be popular among mid-century customers.
Angelus excelled not only at creating high quality movements, but also at designing them for the ultimate legibility. Instead of scrunching up the calendar around the center of the dial like many other brands, Angelus gave each register plenty of breathing room and arranged the day and date windows in a pleasant symmetrical layout. The date displayed at the outer edge of the dial, marked by a red-tipped hand. At first glance, the Chronodato appears to be a simple vintage chrono, but a closer look let's one appreciate its thoughtfully-designed functionality.
This is an early version of the Chronodato, featuring an unusual (not to mention gorgeous!) gold-colored dial and matching case. The beveled lugs are reminiscent of later sports chronographs, helping this watch achieve a delicate balance between sport and dress. The Chronodato absolutely kills it with a suit and tie, but is a sportsman at heart. In short: We love it.
