Albishorn Debuts with the Maxigraph
A new brand from some familiar names.
Amongst the brands making their debut this summer is Albishorn, which has teamed up with Massena LAB for the Maxigraph, a vintage-inspired regatta timer with a proprietary movement.
The Maxigraph is the first watch from Albishorn, a new brand founded by Sébastien Chaulmontet. A lawyer by training, Dr Chaulmontet pivoted to build a career in the watch industry, designing movements at La Joux-Perret and most recently, Sellita.
Initial thoughts
The Maxigraph is an impressive debut from Dr Chaulmontet. Though arguably similar in concept to other Massena LAB projects, the Maxigraph feels more original since it’s not anchored to any particular historical brand. The bright red chronograph pusher at nine o’clock, for example, is not something you’d see in a vintage catalogue.
The polychromatic sector dial and bi-directional rotating bezel are attractive and legible, while the semi-circular countdown register and running indicator add a pleasing degree of asymmetry to the design. The asymmetry continues at night, with an unusual pattern and the use of both green and blue Super-LumiNova for the hour and minute hands, respectively.
One of the most appealing characteristics of the Maxigraph is its case, which calls to mind oversized tool watches like the Longines ref. 5824 military chronograph. But unlike that 47 mm beast, the Maxigraph is a manageable 41 mm at the bezel (sloping inwards to just 39 mm at the case middle). The case thickness of 13 mm is typical for this type of complication; it’s neither too thick nor notably thin.
Priced at just under US$5,000, the Maxigraph offers the right mix of technicality and charm; the pricing feels right. Though not a limited edition per se, the Maxigraph will likely be produced in low enough numbers (batches of just 25 watches) to keep things interesting.
Imaginary vintage
For the past decade or so, the watch industry has become addicted to ‘vintage inspired’ reissues of historical watches. From Omega and Tudor to Longines and Seiko, brands have increasingly looked back to their greatest hits to find inspiration and squeeze out that little bit of incremental revenue.
But as a new brand, Albishorn does not have a back catalogue to mine for hidden gems. Instead, the brand is answering the hypothetical question: “How might a modern tool watch have looked in the 1930s?” This “imaginary vintage” approach coined by Dr Chaulmontet gives the firm a mandate to mix vintage and contemporary aesthetics in a way that feels surprisingly fresh.
The design itself is the work of Fabien Collioud, a longtime colleague of Dr Chaulmontet who was the chief designer at Angelus until 2017, and later moved to Sellita. Dr Chaulmontet and Mr Collioud also work together at Atiles Design, doing design work, prototyping, and production for other watch brands.
Case
Though its dimensions seem ordinary on paper, the case offers a number of intriguing details. First among these is the large bi-directional rotating bezel, which is slightly concave. The bezel slopes down towards the box-shaped sapphire crystal.
Contrasting with this vintage sensibility, the large crown and chronograph pusher in red-anodised aluminium, ideally located at the nine o’clock position, present a more contemporary aesthetic. Viewed in profile, the Maxigraph looks thinner than it is thanks to its slim case band and bulbous case back. The case is rated to a depth of 100 m, meaning it should easily tolerate a day out on the water.
If the case has any shortcomings, it’s the case back. For a value-oriented watch like the Maxigraph this is hardly a criticism; the designers simply prioritised more important things.
In this context, I might have preferred an even simpler plain case back, but as it is it features an engraving of the Ylliam IV, a six-meter yacht that won the inaugural 1939 Bol d’Or, the famous regatta held on Geneva’s Lac Léman.
A proprietary caliber
The Maxigraph is powered by a proprietary automatic, monopusher chronograph caliber that features a 10-minute regatta countdown timer, as well as a running indicator.
In general, regatta timers represent a fun, quirky alternative to ordinary chronographs, and the Maxigraph takes this a step further. While most regatta timers continue to run until stopped by the user, endlessly counting down over and over, the Maxigraph stops promptly at the 10-minute mark to avoid any ambiguity in reading the elapsed time.
Despite the founder’s day job as Head of Innovation and Marketing at Sellita, the movement is not sourced from the Sellita catalog. Instead, it’s a proprietary caliber designed by Dr Chaulmontet that utilizes components from both Sellita and third-party suppliers.
The movement shares some of the basic architecture of the classic Valjoux 7750, but features several refinements. For example, the tolerances have been reduced and the pinions have been shortened, resulting in a movement that is 16% slimmer than a stock cal. 7750 (while offering a 33% longer power reserve). These refinements mean that the Maxigraph movement cannot be produced in the same industrial manner as a typical cal. 7750 or Sellita SW500.
The architecture of the chronograph pusher has also been revised for smoother operation, but this has yet to be confirmed with a hands-on review. Overall, the Maxigraph offers an usual degree of technical differentiation for this price range.
Key facts and price
Albishorn x Massena LAB Maxigraph
Diameter: 41 mm
Height: 13 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m
Movement: Maxigraph
Features: Hours, minutes, regatta timer, and chronograph running indicator
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 64 hours
Strap: Rubber strap
Limited edition: No
Availability:Available at Massenalab.com beginning September 12 at 10:00 am EDT
Price: US$4,995
For more, visit Albishorn-watches.ch.
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