Angelus Chronographe Médical x Massena LAB

Angelus is launching its newLa Fabrique collection by resuscitating its legacy medical chronograph. Angelus heads back in time and takes the pulse of its heritage with the La Fabriquecollection, which will incorporate every limited editions of iconic Angelus models.

Re-released at the instigation of Massena LAB, this Chronographe Médical limited to 99 pieces is universally reminiscent of the functional, watchmaking and chronograph legacy of Angelus watches. In fact, this chronograph is one of the watches designed specifically for a profession and its requirements.

Its dual pulsometer and asthmometer scales make it a true tool chronograph.Angelus is introducing a new collection to its catalogue. La Fabriqueis a separate category created specifically for tribute editions. Massena LAB is cuttingt he ribbon with the 99 pieces of the Chronographe Médical.

First Inoculation

In the 1960s, Angelus launched its “doctor’s watch”: a wrist-worn hand-wound chronograph with a unique dial.

It presented a dual scale for reading the vital signs doctors need during patient examinations: a pulsometer–tomeasure the patient’s pulse–and an asthmometer–to record their respiratory rate. This rare piece, which follows the 1950s and 1960s trend of specialising chronographs to meet specific functional or professional requirements, has been brought up to date by Angelus to appeal to modern tastes—without any side effects.

A Medical Pioneer

In consultation with William Massena, founder of Massena LAB, Angelus is releasing a limited edition of 99 pieces of the Chronographe Médical x Massena LAB. “When talking to Bertrand Savary (President ofthe brand),we discussed Angelus’ spectacular heritage,” explains William Massena.

“We hit on the idea of creating a capsule collection that would revive one of the most perfect tool chronographs of the 1960s.”

The 99 pieces willbe available through the network of authorised Angelus retailers. The watch will also be available directly fromMassenaLAB.com.

A Textbook Case

The Chronographe Médicalx Massena LABis therefore a re-edition, distinguished from the original by several small details. The A5000 movement is an Angelus calibre with manual winding and integrated chronograph. The case is made from 316L steel, the surgical kind, asis naturally befitting a doctor’s watch. Lastly, the case diameter has been increased to 39mm to make the pulsometer scale more legible.

Measuring Device

The pulsometer function indicates a patient’s heart rate without the need for calculations. On the Angelus Chronographe Médical, the pulsometer scale between 1and3o’clock is based on 10 beats. As soon as thechronograph is started, simply count 10 beats, then stop the mechanism. When compared against thepulsometer scale, the chronograph hand will then indicate the number ofbeats per minute. The asthmometer displays the respiratory rate per minute.

The Chronographe Médical works on the basis of five breaths. After starting the chronograph, count five breaths before pressing thepusheragain. The chronograph hand willindicate the number of breaths per minute on the inner scale graduated from 40 to 10.

Dosage

These functions, and how they are presented on the dial, remain unrivalled. Not only has the combination of pulsometer and asthmometer remained unique, but its display is also one of a kind. First and foremost, the pulsometer has a very specific colour code: green,black, or red, corresponding to the severity of the reading obtained during the examination. By contrast, the respiratory scale is red and is nestled inside the minute circle.

These two scales are positioned so as to make them as legible and clear as possible. Before each scale, the requirement for taking vital signs is listed (base 10 pulsations and base 5 respirations).

The font used isparticularly wide, contrasting and impossible to miss. Two large arrows accentuate these scales, one of which,curved and crossing the minute circle, is completely unique. Lastly, the silvered opaline dial and Dauphinehands with luminescent lines are identical to the model that inspired this timepiece.

Motor Skills

Inside the Chronographe Médicalx Massena LAB, Angelus has incorporated a very specific version of its A5000 calibre. It displays the small seconds at 9 o’clock and only the chronograph seconds hand–the only one needed to use the medical scales. With no 30-minute counter, this calibre is dedicated to diagnosis. This version ispresented with a single mushroom-shapedpusherat 2o’clock. Operating at a rate of 3Hz, it incorporates a column wheel and a horizontal clutch. Its manual winding is a reference to the earlydays of the brand, right atthe heart of the mechanism

Technical specifications