Hands-On: The New Titoni Impetus With An Anthracite Clous De Paris Dial

Historic Swiss watchmaker Titoni has been quietly making watches in its in-house facilities in Grenchen, Switzerland since 1919. You read that right — for over a century. With a focus on Swiss values and affordability, Titoni’s mid-range mechanical watches embody its motto: “It is not the desire for growth and quantity but first-class quality and the love of details that matter.” Today, the family-owned independent brand is in the hands of the fourth generation, which continues to demonstrate Titoni’s credo with the attractive full-steel models in the Impetus series. The latest Impetus 83751 S-626R in a 39.5mm case with an integrated bracelet offers a svelte, classy style for everyday use.

If you find the Titoni name unfamiliar, you’re not alone. It was one of many brands with a respectable presence at Baselworld that I often walked past, wondering why I had never seen it outside of the fair. Until recent years, the long-standing brand had its sight set further afield and was largely unrepresented in the European market.

Celebrating its 100th birthday

We started featuring Titoni on Fratello back in 2019. You can relive Titoni’s unwavering dedication to the craft with Rob in this article. It was also the year Titoni debuted the “Line 1919” collection with its first in-house T10 movement to mark the company’s 100th anniversary. This ambitious move has certainly helped the heritage brand claim its foothold back on European soil.

New to the Impetus series

To power the Impetus 83751 S-626R model, Titoni opted for the slim and reliable ETA 2892-A2 caliber. This suits its 39.5mm case with its lean 8.2mm profile incredibly well. Atop this thin movement sits a custom 18K gold-plated rotor with the Titoni name carved out. This handsome mechanism is fully visible through the sapphire glass on the polished case back. It has a 44-hour power reserve, and Titoni has ensured its accuracy in-house in five positions.

Clous de Paris chic

Front of house, Titoni has endowed the Impetus 83751 S-626R with a sophisticated dial in anthracite featuring fine Clous de Paris engraving. This textured motif sets the backdrop for the Titoni logo and copper-tone slender detailing on this elegant piece. While diminutive, printed Roman numerals sit on the narrow minute track sandwiched between applied baton indexes, two larger, applied diamond-cut indexes sit at 6 and 12 o’clock. The slim hour and minute hands have a touch of lume, and a framed date aperture sits at 3 o’clock. Titoni rounds off the refined aesthetics with a double-ring grooved bezel and a sapphire glass with an anti-reflective coating. The grooved crown mimics the bezel and features Titoni’s trademark symbol, the five-petal plum flower.

It’s a class act

The Impetus’s streamlined styling owes its finesse to the brushed steel case, which, according to Titoni, has been “ergonomically designed”. Its contour is ever so neatly defined by polished bevels, and the lean body smoothly integrates with a single-link bracelet with a butterfly clasp. The links are robust and crafted to conceal connecting pins from the wrist-top view. It’s the kind of attention to detail exemplified by Titoni’s motto. Although I wonder how breathable a single-link bracelet would be in hotter climes, it’s certainly a non-issue for the European market where Titoni is taking root.

Closing thoughts

Titoni is proud of its impeccable-value offerings. I can imagine some movement buffs may like to see a Titoni in-house caliber in the Impetus series too. To be fair, for a mechanical dress watch that’s this easy to like, it makes better business sense to appeal to a broader audience who cares more about the exceptional value proposition in this stylish package. We can see that reflected in the price, and that will, in turn, help get the Titoni name out.

Alongside this Impetus 83751 S-626R, Titoni also offers a blue-dial variant with silver accents. Each retails for €1,155 inclusive of VAT. For more information, visit the Titoni website.

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