Less than one year since its debut, Albishorn is back with its third chronograph. The Thundergraph continues the brand’s theme of “imaginary vintage,” this time taking inspiration from mountaineering, specifically the Swiss expeditions to Everest in 1952.

With a focus on legibility, the Thundergraph features an unusual “California ghost” dial in petrol blue. Available in a limited run of 99 pieces that will be produced over a period of three years, the Thundergraph features a new iteration of the brand’s proprietary manually wound chronograph movement, developed by founder Sébastien Chaulmontet.

Initial thoughts

I’ve been following Albishorn since its launch, and have become more impressed with each new release. The Thundergraph is my favourite to-date, retaining the best elements of its stablemates while introducing an appealingly bold take on the California dial.

The stainless steel case of the Thundergraph largely mirrors that of the earlier Type 10 and Maxigraph, and retains the appealing asymmetric form and red anodised aluminium chronograph monopusher. The case is actually just 39 mm at the case band, but wears larger due to its 42.7 mm bezel.

Where the Thundergraph differs most from its siblings is its dial, which offers a sunburst finish in petroleum blue, which pairs perfectly with the rose gold-plated hands and dial markers. The so-called “California ghost” dial features Roman numerals on the top half of the dial, but rather than Arabic numerals on the bottom half, the dial features two large sub-dials, for running seconds and elapsed minutes, respectively.

The movement inside the Thundergraph is a continuation of Albishorn’s ever-expanding lineup of proprietary movements. Ticking at 4 Hz for up to 65 hours, the ALB03 M is a COSC-certified manually wound chronograph movement just 5.70 mm thick.

At CHF3,650 before taxes, the Thundergraph offers an attractive value proposition, especially since retail prices for the more traditional, iconic chronographs from Omega, TAG Heuer, and Breitling have moved increasingly up-market in recent years. Considering its slim, proprietary caliber, thoughtful design and construction, and 99-piece limitation, the Thundergraph is a lot of watch for the money.

The signature case

The Thundergraph is close in concept and construction to the earlier Type 10, differing primarily in the dial design. The now-signature red anodized aluminum monopusher at 9:30 is retained, as is the rest of the case save the bezel, which is brushed rather than DLC-coated.

The watch also keeps the bronze crown from the Type 10 Sihlwald edition, but it actually works better with the mountaineering theme of the Thundergraph because the engraved Albishorn logo resembles a snow-capped peak.

The mountaineering theme continues on the case back, which features an engraving of a Swiss cross and a rope, a period-correct callback to the emblem of the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research. I criticised the Maxigraph for its case back engraving, which looked too modern, and praised the Type 10’s more vintage-leaning sterile case back, but I think this engraving really works and adds meaningfully to the design.

California ghost

With so much in common with its predecessors, the unique character of the Thundergraph is found on its dial, which was inspired by the so-called “error-proof” dials of the 1940s. Now more commonly known as California dials, they feature Roman numerals on the top half of the dial and Arabic numerals on the lower half. The dial features a sunburst finish in petroleum blue, which contrasts nicely with the rose gold-plated hands and dial markers.

Albishorn has termed the Thundergraph dial a “California ghost” dial because the Arabic numerals that would normally be found on the lower half of the dial have been replaced by the running seconds and chronograph minutes counters (though it must be said these sub-dials do feature Arabic numerals).

The mountaineering theme is expressed through the emphasis on legibility, which is enhanced by a great deal of Super-Luminova, including on all five hands. Speaking of the hands, they are colour-matched to their associated functions. For example, the hours, minutes, and running seconds hands are rose-gold plated, while the elapsed seconds and minutes hands are painted red.

Slim and trim

Albishorn’s ace up its sleeve, and the reason it’s been able to launch a distinct caliber in each of its first three models, is Dr Chaulmontet, the brand’s founder who happens to be a prolific and well-connected movement designer.

At the heart of the Thundergraph is the ALB03 M, which is essentially a variant of the Type 10’s ALB02 M that omits the chronograph operating indicator.

The movement shares its DNA with the Valjoux 7750, but the architecture has been redeveloped by Dr Chaulmontet to be 16% slimmer. This enables Albishorn to get cal. 7750-level performance from a smaller package, but requires more careful hand-assembly than a typical, off-the-shelf industrial chronograph movement would normally need.

Overall, the ALB03 M is just 5.7 mm thick, but retains the characteristics of precision and durability that made the cal. 7750 so dominant. The movement is also chronometer certified by COSC, which is uncommon for unusual calibers from startup brands.

Key facts and price

Albishorn Thundergraph

Diameter: 42.7 mm
Height: 12 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: ALB03 M
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, and chronograph
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Manual
Power reserve: 65 hours

Strap: Leather strap with pin buckle

Limited edition: 99
Availability: Available directly from Albishorn
Price: CHF3,650 before taxes

For more, visit Albishorn-watches.ch.