Video: Talking Grail Watch 5: Chronoswiss Opus Blue with CEO Oliver Ebstein

Wei visits Chronoswiss' HQ in Lucerne to meet Owner and CEO, Oliver Ebstein to talk about the fifth iteration of Grail Watch - a recreation of the brand's iconic Opus from 1995; the world's first serially-produced skeletonized automatic chronograph. Ebstein, who prior to taking over as owner and CEO of the brand more than a decade ago, was always a keen collector of Chronoswiss watches himself, and has since injected a shot of youthful energy into the existing classically-styled collections. He has a clear vision of modernizing the brand's design language all the while retaining the use of traditional savoir-faire such as hand guilloché to create highly evocative timepieces.

Refreshing the Opus as Grail Watch 5 was truly a collaborative effort and the final design indicative of Ebstein's vision for the brand. The case has been upsized to 41mm from the original's 38mm and is now rendered in ultra-light grade 5 titanium. The electric blue colorway that highlights the contrasting polished and brushed finishing of the case comes from a modern CVD-treatment and the pièce de résistance is the dial's luminous signature that allows this chronograph to light up like a torch in the dark. It is truly an honor for us to collaborate with Oliver Ebstein and the rest of the team at Chronoswiss to revive this '90s icon that was instrumental in the revival of mechanical watchmaking.