Titoni Heritage Chronograph
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that retro is running wild when it comes to watches, and many brands are doing retro or heritage brands. Enter the Titoni Heritage Chronograph, with this particular version based on a 1950s Felca Chronograph, which just happens to be the original brand name of Titoni. There are a few versions of this chronograph, but the one that most closely resembles the original is the one I have here and is using a Sellita movement based on the Valjoux 7750, with a bi-compax retro cream-colored dial with blued hands and just a great overall look. These new models start at $2400 though, which isn’t cheap, so this review will go over everything you need to know.
Specifications:
41mm Stainless Steel Case
15.2mm Thick
48 mm Lug to Lud
20mm Lug Width
107 Grams
Double Curved Sapphire Crystal
Movement-Automatic Sellita SW510BHa
58 Hour Power Reserve
5 ATM WR
Leather Strap Or Bracelet
Price $2400 (As Shown)
Titoni Website: https://www.titoni.ch/en/collection/gents-watches/heritage.html
The Titoni Heritage Chronograph ( a lot of brands naming their lineups heritage these days aren’t they?) is a throwback to a 1950s Felca Chronograph, specifically this model, which you can see on Titonis website, but I will put a picture down below. The version I have in hand is the closest to that model, as there are two other models available, but they are listed as “modern retro” and have panda dials and completely different dials actually, so if this copy of the 50s model doesn’t do it for you but you still would like a bi-compax chronograph, you’ll want to check out Titoni’s website for the two other versions. When you do, you will notice the other versions are available with bracelets, but this one is not. I will talk about that a little more when we get to the strap section.
I looked online and tried to do as much research as I could, but I could not find the exact size of the original Felca, most chronographs like this from that time period were in the 38-39mm range, and I imagine this was the same. Titoni modernized this heritage model and bumped up the size to 41mm, which is not a large watch at all, but I can understand if some vintage watch enthusiasts were hoping for something smaller in size. These days, small watches are in, but I can understand a brand wanting to appeal to as many customers as possible and I am sure it is always a hard decision as to what case size to go with, especially with these vintage interpretations in the modern world. Personally, I think the size is perfect, and while the crown and pushers do give some extra width, it never felt like I was wearing a very large watch, and with a 48mm lug to lug, the proportions are still on the smaller side.
The entire case of the Titoni Heritage Chronograph is beautifully high polished, but with this case finish comes a lot of fingerprint smudges and dust, but that is the price you pay for a finish like this. I am not a big fan of a polished case, but even I cannot deny that it works for this style of watch, and with the facets on the lugs, it really shows off the simple but beautiful lines of the case, and also allows this watch to double as a dress watch if one was so inclined (though I think these days you can probably wear any watch when dressed up as most seem to wear their Apple Watch with suits, that’s a rant for another day). The push-pull crown is larger and more bulbous than its vintage counterpart, which makes it easier to grip, but very similar pump-style pushers are present and with that, it is simple to use the chronograph and keeps it close to the original. Look close and you will see Plum Blossom, Titoni’s trademark symbol, beautifully etched onto the crown.
Before we get to the case back and movement, we should probably discuss this dial, which many find to be the main selling point of this retro model, myself included. This dial is as retro as it gets, and Titoni did a great job replicating the original model, though I think they could have gone with a slightly darker cream color, as most of the time this dial does look more white than cream, especially with how the light hits it and of course, the view through the curved sapphire crystal. Beyond that though, my only other gripe would be how the numbers get cut off from the subdials, but again, this was the same on the vintage model, and Titoni is far from the only brand to do this, and it apparently doesn’t bother as many people as I think.
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