For most brands releasing a timepiece in steel isn’t news. It’s the standard material for any watch case, the baseline that no watchmaker would dare fall below. But then, Ateliers deMonaco isn’t ‘most brands.’ From their height, the baseline is so far below it’s barely in sight.
Steel isn’t normally in Ateliers deMonaco’s repertoire of materials; their watches are almost exclusively in various hues of gold, the precious metals reflecting their own outlook on watchmaking. In some ways it would be like hanging an original Picasso in a frame made of Lego.
That said, seeing a Picasso in a Lego frame would also be pretty cool so we’re not too down on Ateliers deMonaco opting for steel, provided they don’t make a habit of it. Indeed, like Patek Philippe showed with their record-breaking Only Watch, when steel’s a rarity it becomes a treasure.
That’s exactly how we feel about the Ateliers deMonaco Admiral Chronographe Flyback Armure. Unlike Patek, there’s also more than rarity at play in the decision to go for steel in the new watch. Who would make medieval armour out of anything else?
That of course is the inspiration behind the Armure. The case material is inspired by the very armour worn by the knight bearing the seal of Monaco, back when the city-state was an actual power in the region. The name Armure is also the process in which this particular steel goes through to make it five times more scratch resistant than normal steel.
It’s an impressive suit of armour around the in-house dMc-760 flyback chronograph calibre, a movement entirely developed, built and assembled at Ateliers deMonaco’s Swiss manufacture. The finishing touch is a 22K gold rotor and engraved with Monaco’s Coat of Arms visible through the case back.
The Admiral Chronographe Flyback Armure is both a departure for Ateliers deMonaco and a homage to their watchmaking. After all, what better way to protect their excellent movements than with its very own suit of armour?
Connoisseur’s Corner
- First version of the Admiral Chronographe in Steel
- Case available in raw Armure treated steel or with a black DLC coating
- Armure treated steel five times harder than its non-treated counterpart
- Movement visible through the sapphire dial
- In-house flyback chronograph movement
- Price: DMC-CHR-SPH-S (£10’700) & DMC-CHR-SPH-SB (£12’100)
For more information: ateliers-demonaco.com
