The Graham Chronofighter 1695 – Well Behaved, Subtle

New for 2012 is the Graham Chronofighter 1695.  Fans of the brand, feel free to do a double-take then re-check the branding on the dial. That silvery-dialed and rather debonair timepiece before your eyes is definitely a Graham, but it is surely the most genteel watch produced by the brand since it was revived by the British Masters SA.

Of course, the Chronofighter chunky-ness is still evident in the trigger-style thumb lever mechanism, but everything else is refined – the slender hour markers, the classically styled appliqué numbers 9 and 3, even the out-size Graham number 12 is positively well behaved – and just look at the itsy-bitsy date window at 3 o’clock.

This is a very vintage piece, and with good reason – it has been styled to pay tribute not only to George Graham, said to be the inventor of the chronograph, but also to the sporty timekeepers of the 1930′s.  There are subtle retro details – the domed dial and crystal, the rail track-enclosed 30-minutes counter and the uncluttered abundance of dial space.

On the caseback is an engraving of the Greenwich Observatory, for which George Graham built the Master Clock, and also an aperture allowing a look-see through to the balance and the escapement.

The Graham Chronofighter 1695 measures 42mm across and this one is constructed from 18K pink gold, although a stainless steel edition will also be available.  Inside is the Caliber G1745 automatic chronograph with a power reserve of 48 hours, according to the watches press.