The most emblematic appearance of the Easy Graham brand is that the Chronofighter watch is almost similar to a wrist grenade due to its unique chronograph “trigger”. This year, this design is 15 years old, and that birthday brought us this Graham Chronofighter Vintage watch. We saw it with our own eyes at Baselworld 2016. In the past 15 years, Chronofighters have sometimes become very big and crazy, but the relatively soft Graham Chronofighter Vintage has captured the fashion trend of retro style and remake, while maintaining the undoubtedly modern Graham.
The whole idea here is to refer to the era and timepieces that inspired the original Graham Chronofighter in style. Yes, this wild-looking design actually has a historical analogy: a stopwatch with a trigger button similar to that used by Air Force bomber crews in World War II. Therefore it is legal. In fact, it is legal because it is ergonomic and satisfactory to use, and Graham’s excellent execution quality is obvious.
Despite the potentially intimidating appearance and rough but bold case protrusions, we found the Graham Chronofighter Vintage to be very durable, comfortable and beautiful. After all, compared with the other Chronofighter we also like to wear, it has a smaller size and a more understated shape. This version is “only” 44 mm wide (previously Chronofighters was bigger) and seems to have been almost completely redesigned-they do not stop at the anniversary dial and “aging” luminous. The steel case has been polished and is more rounded than many previous Chronofighter cases. What’s more noteworthy is the onion-shaped crown and curved trigger structure. They may be reminiscent of a plain but now-looking machine gun in World War I and World War II.
The thin fonts and baton hour markers are also to evoke the World War II era. I think the layout and design of this dial are well balanced. The deep-grain dial texture is very suitable and attractive. Although we mainly photographed the reference 2CVAS.B03A version with red accents you see here, the new series contains four models. Three of the versions have the same grained dial, each with different colors and highlights, and two of them are in beige lume colors. The fourth version is lovely blue (ref.2CVAS.U01A). Each watch is equipped with a leather strap that matches its dial.
The features here are not much different from other Graham Chronofighter chronograph watches, but the layout has changed slightly, and some of the unique Graham looks and functions are worth reiterating. The Swiss ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement (4 Hz, 48-hour power reserve) is called Graham G1747 in this modified incarnation and is displayed through the back cover. How did Graham modify it? Consider the most common dial layout in watches powered by 7750: 30-minute chronograph subdial at 12 o’clock; 12-hour subdial at 6 o’clock; seconds at 9 o’clock; day and date at 3 o’clock Location; the crown and buttons on the right side of the case.
Obviously, all this is completely reversed here, and the chronograph 12-hour subdial is also abandoned. This is mainly a matter of orientation, and make sure your day and date dials are printed on the right. However, integrating the chronograph start/stop button into the crown may require more technical fixes. The protruding direction of all the cases on the left side is generally considered to be a “left-handed” watch worn on the right wrist by a left-handed person. However, if you use this to do this, it may be more difficult to operate an ergonomically designed chronograph-except on your wrist.
The idea is to use your thumb to start and stop the chronograph, while grasping the case at 2 o’clock with your index finger-this is the opposite of how you operate standard timekeeping-and it is very intuitive. The chronograph reset button is located at 10 o’clock and is presented in the form of a plunger. The trigger chronograph button does seem to be designed for regular use. If you find that your industry often uses mechanical stopwatches on your wrists, then these may be worth your consideration-as long as the work does not lead to the possibility of your watch being jammed by certain machinery or equipment.
Although the old lume stuff often annoys me, I must admit that the color palette, exquisite design execution, and the juxtaposition of retro themes with modern and industrial elements have somewhat weakened my prejudice. This mix of vintage and industrial almost makes me want to classify it as steampunk-at least, it won’t look untimely decorated with steampunk clothing. Graham recommends matching with a bomber jacket. It’s hard not to notice that someone has such a luxury fake watches on their wrist, but this Graham Chronofighter Vintage seems to be even very stylish and versatile.