Angelus is introducing a new collection; La Fabrique is a separate category created specifically for tribute editions. Massena LAB is cutting the ribbon with the 99 pieces of the Chronographe Médical
Angelus is launching its new La Fabrique collection by resuscitating its legacy medical chronograph. Angelus heads back in time and takes the pulse of its heritage with the La Fabrique collection, which will incorporate very limited editions of iconic Angelus models. Re-released at the instigation of Massena LAB, this Chronographe Médical is reminiscent of the functional watchmaking and chronograph legacy of Angelus watches. In fact, this chronograph is one of the watches designed specifically for a profession and its requirements.
In the 1960s, Angelus launched its “doctor’s watch” – a wrist-worn hand-wound chronograph with a unique dial. It presented a dual scale for reading the vital signs doctors need during patient examinations: a pulsometer – to measure the patient’s pulse – and an asthmometer – to record their respiratory rate. This rare piece, which follows the 1950s and 1960s trend of specialising chronographs to meet specific functional or professional requirements, has been brought up to date by Angelus to appeal to modern tastes.
The chronograph is therefore a re-edition, distinguished from the original by several small details. The A5000 movement is an Angelus calibre with manual winding and integrated chronograph. The case is made from 316L steel, the surgical kind, befitting a doctor’s watch. The case diameter has been increased to 39mm to make the pulsometer scale more legible.
The pulsometer function indicates a patient’s heart rate without the need for calculations. On this chronograph, the pulsometer scale between 1 and 3 o’clock is based on 10 beats. As soon as the chronograph is started, simply count 10 beats, then stop the mechanism. When compared against the pulsometer scale, the chronograph hand will then indicate the number of beats per minute. The asthmometer displays the respiratory rate per minute. The Chronographe Médical works on the basis of five breaths. After starting the chronograph, count five breaths before pressing the pusher again. The chronograph hand will indicate the number of breaths per minute on the inner scale graduated from 40 to 10.
The new timepiece incorporates a bespoke A5000 calibre. It displays the small seconds at 9 o’clock and only the chronograph seconds hand – the only one needed to use the medical scales. With no 30-minute counter, this calibre is dedicated to diagnosis. This version is presented with a single mushroom-shaped pusher at 2 o’clock. Operating at a rate of 3 Hz, it incorporates a column wheel and a horizontal clutch. Its manual winding is a reference to the early days of the brand, right at the heart of the mechanism.
