Video: Grail Watch Revives the Chronswiss Opus

For the latest Grail Watch project, we delve into the history of Chronoswiss, a brand founded in 1983 by watchmaker turned entrepreneur Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, who refused to capitulate to the onslaught of quartz watch popularity that manifested after the 1970s. He was part of a group of luminaries who recognised the desperate need to preserve mechanical watchmaking, creating the world's first regulator-style wristwatch in 1988 and the first serially-produced self-winding skeletonized chronograph in 1995 called the Opus.

The Opus was groundbreaking during its time for it opened a window into the mechanics of a chronograph, allowing one to witness through the dial the interaction of cams and levers that enable the recording of elapsed time. A watch with such a tactile display would eventually recapture the public's imagination, contributing to the renaissance of an age-old craft that endures to today. Wei and Jeremiah discuss the significance of the Opus in revitalizing mechanical watchmaking and take a look at Grail Watch 5, a recreation of a '90s icon that's fit for the modern day.