Introducing: The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand And Granit — Two Homage “Montres Sans Aiguilles” In Steel

In 2005, the Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA (Montre Sans Aiguilles) was a modern homage to the jump-hour watches of the 1920s and 1930s; today, it’s a reinterpretation of that 21st-century homage. The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand and Granit are watches without hands, featuring an updated look in stainless steel — the original Digiteurs were all made of precious metals. The reinvented model debuts with confidence due to its stronger and sharper-than-ever shapes.

The 2005 rectangular Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA perfectly embodied Gerd-Rüdiger Lang’s love for traditional craftsmanship and watchmaking. The founder of Chronoswiss undoubtedly had original, creative ideas and pursued his visions with admirable stubbornness, a trait that characterizes people with a burning passion for something. The original Digiteur utilized the tonneau-shaped, modified, and refined caliber 130 from Fabrique d’Ebauches de Fleurier (FEF), the movement-blank specialist founded by Jules Jéquier and David-Louis Petitpierre in the Swiss town of Fleurier, Val-de-Travers, in 1882. The movement sat within a rectangular yellow gold, pink gold, white gold, or platinum case with swooping curves. Chronoswiss produced six limited-edition references, and due to the limited supply of movements, only 999 of these Digiteurs ever saw the light of day. The new Neo Digiteur Sand and Granit are available in runs of 99 pieces each.

Two versions of the original Digiteur

Introducing the Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand and Granit

Two limited editions of the Neo Digiteur debut are available. The Neo Digiteur Granit features an anthracite dial with vertical brushing and timekeeping disks with minimalist, deep blue glossy numerals. The Neo Digiteur Sand features a 4N-gold-plated sandblasted dial and elegant numerals, also in glossy deep blue. The price of the watches is the same — CHF 12,500 / €13,800 / US$15,200.

The Neo Digiteur is undoubtedly a descendant of the original watch, but it’s also clearly a modernized update. Its 30 × 48 × 9.7mm case shows a bold, architectural, and tailored rectangular form. The Chronoswiss design team has completely reimagined the swooping silhouette.

The watch has a more assertive look and a distinct profile. However, the sculptural qualities should not compromise comfort. An interesting detail is the sandblasted horizontal segment along the case side. It introduces lightness and contrast to the structured geometry, while polished edges add visual refinement. The redesigned crown features an onion shape, typical of Chronoswiss creations, but with a wider, flattened underside for improved ergonomics. A nice touch is the historically correct lug design with screws to hold the strap.

A regulator done differently

A crown that feels good in the fingers is necessary because the Neo Digiteur is equipped with the new Chronoswiss C.85757, a hand-winding movement featuring a 48-hour power reserve. Every two days, you will have to wind the watch. If you don’t and end up waiting too long, the fun might be even greater because then you will see the digital indications on the different discs move.

At the heart of the Neo Digiteur lies a rare mechanical concept — a jump-hour regulator without hands. You read the time by first looking at the jumping hour at 12 o’clock. Then, the eye goes to the digital minutes at the center, and finally, you arrive at the running seconds in a horizontal window at 6 o’clock. Together, they create a mechanical digital regulator that feels futuristic and looks profoundly analog.

As mentioned, the C.85757 movement — a caliber with a name reminiscent of the brand’s original postal code from 1983 — makes the digital magic happen. The movement operates at a 3Hz frequency and incorporates a proprietary in-house module. This module manages the energy-hungry jump-hour mechanism while maintaining the smooth motion of the minute and seconds discs.

Artisanal details

The movement is a visually appealing representation of artisanal watchmaking, as is evident when flipping the Neo Digiteur over. Its bridges and wheels feature partial hand-guilloché finishing, crafted in-house at the brand’s atelier in Lucerne.

In a nod to the historic FEF calibers, the sapphire part of the case back is shaped like the old movements. Is it a shame that the new caliber C.85757 is not shaped like the old FEF 130? Perhaps, but it does help keep the price at an attractive level because it saves on high R&D costs associated with a movement that has to be developed from scratch.

Leaving you with this

Let’s not beat around the bush: the Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur looks better than any of the recently introduced Cartier Tank à Guichets models. Apart from being much more affordable than those gold or platinum watches from Cartier, Chronoswiss’s take on a watch without hands looks more alive. Thanks to the dial’s more open and pronounced apertures, it is easier to read. Also, the case has a more interesting and dynamic shape. And with that bombshell, it’s time for me to say goodbye. Leave your remarks in the comments section below.