The Souscription (aka subscription) purchase model is a classic in the watch industry, particularly when it comes to high end independent brands like Philippe Dufour and F. P. Journe. It’s essentially a variation of ‘made-to-order’ where the buyer provides a deposit that is used to fund the creation of the watch and then when the watch is built, they pay for the rest of it. It’s also the model that watch platform Monochrome have been using for their collaborations and they’re now presenting their fifth, in partnership with Angelus. It’s the Monochrome Montre de Souscription 5 Angelus Chronographe Tachymetrè.
It’s based on the Angelus Chronographe Télémètre model, a 37mm monopusher chronograph with bicompax display and peripheral telemeter scale. Telemeter scales are a somewhat niche chronograph scale typically associated with the military rather than the more common motorsport themed tachymeter scale. A telemeter measures the distance to something you can see by measuring the time between when the event occurs and when you hear it – such as the explosion of an artillery shell and its subsequent boom, or perhaps a lightning strike. A tachymeter measures speed over a known distance, such as a race track. So, Monochrome have given the Angelus Chronographe more of a racing edge by swapping the design to a tachymeter.
More than that though, they’ve also tweaked the design of the scale itself. Instead of the normal, single ring around the edge of the dial, they’ve opted for a snailed scale, where it spirals in on itself. Historically this style of snailing is used when the scale is presented in the centre of the dial rather than around the edge, with the most prominent modern example being the Omega Chronoscope – although there is a slight difference in that the Chronoscope is cramming multiple types of scale anywhere they’ll fit.
For the dial, they initially considered salmon coloured, but that’s a bit too close to the rose-bronze telemeter model that already exists so they decided to have a look through the Angelus archives for inspiration. The answer they found was a pale gold dial from a heritage timepiece and that formed the basis for the Montre de Souscription 5 Angelus Chronographe Tachymetrè. A layer of 2N pale gold is coated on the dial, providing a fun vintage look while providing clarity in combination with the black markings.
Inside the watch is the Calibre A5000, which is the modern version of a famous historical chronograph produced for Angelus by La Joux-Perret. The calibre in question is the 045MC, designed by THA, a company founded by F. P. Journe, Denis Flagollet and Vianney Halter. The rights to the calibre were subsequently sold to LJP when THA closed. It’s a manual, monopusher chronograph movement featuring a 42-hour power reserve and lovely architecture, as seen through the exhibition caseback.
It’s available to purchase via the souscription program starting from 29 January, 2pm, for a limited period of 10 days or until 20 watches have been ordered, whichever comes first. It has an initial deposit of €5,000 (approx. £4,350) and a total price of €18,500 excl. tax (approx. £16,000). That’s very much in the same ballpark as the telemeter models, so no surprises here.
Price and Specs:
More details at Monochrome.
