Chronoswiss Hits a High Note with the Opus Purple Rain

Chronoswiss founder Gerd-Rüdiger Lang is one of the GOATs and his lasting influence cannot be overstated. Back in the noughties, I remember hearing his technically accomplished chronometers and chronographs dismissed as “mid-tier,” not because of their quality, but because Lang was German, not Swiss.

Unflustered, he continued championing his brand of innovative complications and aesthetics, and wrote prolifically about chronographs, which was the complication that he specialized in, until his passing in 2023.

Today, it feels natural to celebrate the achievements of watchmakers from Germany, France, the UK, and Japan alongside their Swiss counterparts, but this broader acceptance owes much to Lang’s persistence.

Chronoswiss, now based in Lucerne, was originally founded by Lang in Munich in 1983. At a time when the quartz boom seemed unstoppable, Lang charted a contrarian course, convinced that hyperconsumerism would never displace traditional chronometry.

Drawing upon experience gained at Heuer, he named his fledgling company Chronoswiss to avoid confusion with another brand named Lang, and introduced signature elements like the coin-edge bezel and onion crown that became hallmarks of the brand.

In 1988, Chronoswiss unveiled a groundbreaking creation called the Régulateur, setting the stage for timeless classics like the Kairos (1991), which was an automatic chronograph in the Régulateur style, and the Opus (1995), which was the first skeletonized automatic chronograph with integrated date subdial.

In 2012, Lang entrusted the brand to Oliver and Eva Ebstein, yet remained a guiding force of the brand and the wider industry. His legacy, marked by bold dial architectures and colorful complications, resonates in every modern Chronoswiss creation.

Enter the Opus Purple Rain, which Chronoswiss just unveiled in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Opus. This limited-edition marvel crowns the lineage with a 41 mm Grade 5 titanium case, richly coated in deep purple via CVD—a Régulateur-inspired expression that is both audacious and undeniably Chronoswiss.

Its dial and case feature curved sapphire crystals with double anti-reflective treatment, offering an unobstructed view of the fully skeletonized movement beneath. The purple chronograph subdials remain unmistakably Opus—smartly paired with galvanic black bridges for high-contrast legibility.

Peek between Breguet-Losange hands to enjoy the intricate finishing of the caliber C.741S, an improved iteration of the ETA Valjoux 7750, and its rotor adorned with Côtes de Genève. It delivers a 46-hour power reserve, and features a Glucydur balance, Nivarox I hairspring, and Incabloc shock protection.

The watch’s final flourish lies in its strap: a white leather band that comes alive in sunlight—reacting to UV and transforming into rich purple.

Available only in a run of 30 pieces, the Opus Purple Rain carries a price of USD 17,700. More than an homage, it’s a statement piece brimming with detail and exuberance, fully alive with the spirit of its founder.