If you ever visit Switzerland and take a trip on their famously well-run public train service, you might just recognise the watch brand Mondaine. That’s because they produce the Official Swiss Railway Watch inspired by the official clock designed by Hans Hilfiker in 1944, which you will find in train stations across the country. It’s also a brand I have a personal connection to because my colleague Sam Kessler gifted me the Mondaine Classic Day Date 36mm when I was promoted to Digital Editor. Which is relevant today because Mondaine have just launched the Classic Day Date 40mm, introducing the Classic Day Date in a larger size for the first time.
While I haven’t been hands-on with the new 40mm edition, I feel well placed to essentially review the watch having had the previous model in my collection for a few years now. Starting with the design of the case, it’s very minimalist in keeping with the style of the dial. The bezel is flat with a high sheen polish leading into equally polished vertical sides. The lugs are as straight as a railway track, though angled slightly downward so that the strap naturally follows the contour of the wrist.
I do find the 36mm version I’m familiar with to be a touch on the small side, especially as I have recently been favouring tool watches in both the dive and pilot’s watch veins. Also, at that size the crown is incredibly small, making it a little difficult to manipulate when setting the day-date function. Increase the diameter to 40mm and scale up the crown accordingly and instantly those complaints would disappear, which is exactly what the new watch does.
For the dial, there’s not a huge amount of flexibility in what Mondaine can do. When you’re tied so closely to a heritage design you have to stick to it. Which means the Classic Day Date 40mm has the signature black hour and minute hands joined by the lollipop seconds hand in red while the hour and minute track remain black against a white background. The day-date sits in its usual position at 3 o’clock. It’s one of those designs that you can instantly recognise across the bar and in fact I have done just that when I saw one in the wild on a stranger’s wrist.
Mondaine predominantly produce quartz watch though they have made a handful of automatics over the years. The entire Classic collection is quartz though so the new edition is no different. I don’t hate the use of quartz here though because the deadbeat motion really accentuates that feature seconds hand. It also makes the watches very accessible, with the Classic Day Date 40mm at just £239.
Price and Specs:
More details at Mondaine.
