Reading
n a world where watches are equal
parts technical and emotional purchases, I often find it hard to settle on
watches to add to my collection that aren’t exactly grails – meaning watches
that stick with me after I initially find them cool or unique. Maybe it’s the
nature of the beast, and the sheer amount of watches I get to see and evaluate
as a blogger in the industry. But, I often see watches that I find technically
interesting that rarely circle back to the point where I consider actually
owning them. That wasn’t the case with the FUGUE Chronostase Automatic, a watch
I was both immediately intrigued by, excited about, and unable to shake.
Let’s start with what the watch
is, and why it was so appealing to me. French microbrand FUGUE’s (pronounced
“Fyg” and meaning “Escape” in French) main gig with its freshman release is that
it’s literally modular. Straps, cases, and even the watch itself can be easily
interchanged and swapped out at the drop of a hat via a cool and unique
“drop-in” style design – meaning there are ball bearings at 3 and 9 o’clock
that slide and lock the watch into the case. I can’t quite put my finger on it,
but perhaps it appealed to my inner-child that remembered playing with LEGOs
and K’NEX all day long that made this an exciting prospect. I found the concept
to be endlessly entertaining; like LEGOs for adults with a bit of an expendable
income, a penchant for watches, and a little nostalgia.
So what do you get with the FUGUE
Chronostase? FUGUE offers a decent value proposition considering what the watch
includes. When you buy a watch from them, you get to choose a dial and case
combination and also add a second case and strap to it. So, you’re effectively
getting two looks that utilize the same watch body. I went with the Ocean White
model because I felt it would easily show the different combinations, but there
is some pretty neat utilization of dial colors, including a brushed steel
version with yellow accents that I went back and forth on for awhile. They all
come with an interchangeable steel case and your choice of a NATO-style leather
strap. From there you can select a second case in either gold or black PVD, and
an extra Perlon strap in an array of colors. I chose a blue Perlon strap and a
gold case.
The brushed 316L stainless steel
case has well-polished edges (that ended up being scratch magnets) and measures
in at 40mm wide; but it feels much smaller than that. In fact, when I read the
size, I actually went and measured it to make sure that it was accurate, and it
was. I think this is largely due to the relatively small size of the watch
itself, the flare of the NATO-style straps, and the wider nature of the case
attachment. However, it’s important to note that the lugs are a bit extended
and I can’t help but be reminded of watches from ’60s with curved lugs that
tended to be longer in nature. Mind you, this is a modern look that channels
some of the shape and wearability of a vintage watch, but less of a direct nod
to any watch off the top of my head. All that being said, this watch has a very
retro feel in almost every combination I used.
It’s less boxy than ’60s watches
tended to be, but still would be remarkably thin if it wasn’t for the highly
raised domed sapphire crystal – due to the fact that the actual watch module
itself is bezel-less, and wouldn’t really allow for the ability to change things
up if it wasn’t. My only issue with the height of the dome, is that the case
sits recessed from the curve, and that doesn’t provide any protection for the
corner edge of the crystal, and I can totally see this getting shattered
against a door frame if the wearer isn’t careful. Luckily I haven’t had any
issues with that, but I’m always conscious of where my wrist is when I’m
wearing this watch.
The dial looks very modern, but
still gives a nod to watches of the past. The applied Arabic numerals are broken
up by applied indicators that give the dial a less cluttered space. The
numerals are in a 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 layout, and I found this visually appealing
over some of the more traditional approaches to the “bi-index” design (think
Montblanc TimeWalker). My only gripe is that with all the applied aspects of
the dial, the logo is embossed, and perhaps there was a missed opportunity for
a stand-out 12 o’clock indicator – though I suppose it’s largely a matter of
taste, and many may prefer the minimal, contemporary vibes of a uniform dial. I
can’t help but give props to the brand for including a circular, matching date
window above 6 o’clock without cutting off the marker; something that happens
far too often, and always bothers me when plenty of space is available on the
dial.
