Vintage movements with a special finish.

Many try their hand at giving the world's watchmaking heritage a new meaning, but the results are always different. This summer, the Massena LAB x Revolution Uni-Racer 1949 model inspired by Patek Philippe's Ref. 130 equipped with a Sellita movement received very mixed reviews, while the new AdC17 chronograph by Atelier de Chronométrie received an extremely positive response. The latter piece also happens to be inspired by the vintage style of the 1940s. But everything's different here.

The niche Spanish brand Atelier de Chronométrie delighted watchmaking history buffs by using a movement from the past. It's worth highlighting that all the watches created at this workshop are bespoke pieces, custom-made according to the client's wishes.

The niche Spanish brand Atelier de Chronométrie delighted watchmaking history buffs by using a movement from the past. It's worth highlighting that all the watches created at this workshop are bespoke pieces, custom-made according to the client's wishes.

Not only are these watches given a new lease on life in the hands of the masters at AdC, they also undergo a noticeable transformation. AdC17 is the second split-seconds chronograph in the brand's portfolio (the first was AdC8 in 2020), equipped with a Venus 179 ébauche (the movement in AdC8 was based on its successor, Venus 185).

Venus 179, which entered production in 1947, has been noticeably improved upon, and is up to the standards of haute horlogerie. For example, the manually wound movement with a 49-hour power reserve was given a balance wheel made of beryllium copper with six gold masselottes (weights) for fine tuning, a titanium wheel for the split-seconds function, and bridges made of a copper, nickel and zinc ARCAP alloy with exceptional anti-magnetic properties.

The movement's components have been finished by hand, so the AdC17 looks no less dramatic on the caseback side. The salmon dial made of rose gold is encircled by a tachymeter scale which is surprisingly calibrated in knots instead of kilometers per second. In accordance with the client's wishes, the number 52 has been highlighted in blue, although the reason why this number is special hasn't been disclosed.

The dial is framed by a case measuring 39 mm × 13.3 mm. Its gray-gold case material is paired with pushers made of rose gold.