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Chronofighter Oversize vs. Silverstone Mercedes GP

written by A.Morgan - 19th Aug 2011

If you’ve been following the Formula 1, you will more than likely have heard of Ross Brawn. He was that endearing team boss who gathered together the remnants of the disbanded Honda team and took it to victory in 2009 for its only year in F1. The car started the season as a blank canvas, almost completely devoid of sponsors, gathering them together throughout the year as quickly as they gathered championship points.

The evolution from obscure back of the pack Honda to race-winning Brawn is almost identical to the journey being made by the sponsor that appeared nestling on the back of the Brawn’s tiny mirrors in October 2009. The confusingly titled Swiss brand ‘Graham London,’ has not occupied the desires of as many watch enthusiasts as perhaps they could, their bold and sometimes brash designs appealing mainly to those whose tastes bordered on the unconventional. But there has been a change in the wind for Graham, and, much like it was for Brawn, it’s looking good.

The Chronofighter Oversize GMT may sound like a character from a Transformers movie, but it is in fact a model of watch that has been made by Graham since 2001. The first thing you – or anyone within a fifty metre radius – will notice, is the large, black lever that pivots down across the crown, taken from an early aviation design that would allow pilots to easily operate the chronograph function. It gives the otherwise quite normal looking watch a certain hand-grenade-y-ish look, one that would be too difficult to ignore if it didn’t quite float your boat.

If you don’t fall into the ‘like’ category when it comes to Chronofighter, don’t worry, because all is not lost. If you take your thumb, hold it over the lever and have a look at the rest of the watch for a moment, you’ll see what I mean. The crocodile strap is chunky and comfortable, the dial tidy and well-made, and the case quite a classic looking, shapely thing. If only it were possible to remove your thumb to find that the crown had magically transformed into a normal one. Well now it can.

As Dr. Jekyll is to Mr. Hyde, as is the Silverstone to the Chronofighter. It’s no delicate dress watch – of that you can be certain – but its design is far more restrained. This Mercedes GP edition (the purchasers of Brawn GP) features a carbon fibre dial, two recessed chronograph sub-dials and a tyre-tread rubber strap. And it all looks quite… normal. The excellent quality remains the same and power still comes from a modified Valjoux movement, but you can wear this one at airports without attracting the attention of the MP5-laden security guards like you would with the Chronofighter strapped to your wrist.

Not having the unnecessary distractions of the Chronofighter on the Silverstone really lets you open your eyes to truly see its details in all their impressive glory – the knurled, concave pushers for example, fit perfectly against the end of a finger, and the carbon fibre dial shimmers with an almost holographic three dimensionality. And here’s the killer blow – the Chronofighter in this GMT spec is £7000 RRP, whilst the Silverstone is just £4500. That’s a not insubstantial £2500 difference; enough money to experience the track it borrows its name from in VIP luxury on a raceday soiree.

Don’t get me wrong – if you like the Chronofighter, you like the Chronofighter, but now it is possible for everyone else to enjoy all of its plus points in a more conservative package. Graham have always been a brand that takes attention to detail and build quality seriously, so this welcome breath of fresh air allows people who prefer a more traditional watch to take their designs seriously in return. And who knows – maybe this style refresh will be just what Graham needs to make a lasting impression on the watch world. Just as Ross Brawn demonstrated, anything is possible.