Like so many things horological, Graham’s trigger-fired Chronofighter is no longer a functional necessity. Unless you’re a bomber pilot flying high above Europe, you don’t need the added grip that the trigger gives you for starting your chronograph with freezing fingers. But it’s still damn cool.
The latest version of the Chronofighter is surprisingly understated—at least compared with the rest of the line-up. This is a mashup of the Chronofighter Vintage released last summer and the Chronofighter GMT. It trades the bright color palate and sharp font of the GMT for the more subdued look introduced on the Vintage. Its stainless case is also scaled down from the GMT’s 47 mm to the same 44 mm as the non-GMT Vintage. The white lume on the Vintage GMT is a nice modern gloss on the Vintage’s faux-aged lume.
GMT, Vintage GMT, Vintage
Functionally, it matches the regular GMT with a big date at 12:00, subregisters at 3 and 9, and the ordinary GMT trimmings (fourth hand and rotating 24-hour bezel). That big date takes the space filled by an Arabic “12” on the Vintage, so the designers did the old switcharoo and gave us the numeral at 6:00 instead. It’s a neat nod to the Vintage without losing the functionality of the GMT’s big date. The in-house G1733 (a customized ETA Valjoux 7750) again provides the timekeeping, with 28 jewels fighting friction and 48 hours in the tank.
Vintage GMT lineup
The essential feature of the Chronofighter line is the big start/stop trigger activating the pushbutton in the co-axial crown. Here, it’s the same onion crown and swooping trigger worn by the Vintage. The Chronofighter line is inspired by actual military timepieces and the Vintage range really captures those historical roots. The green sunbrushed dial and matching leather strap also call up that military lineage, but you can have it in more civilian colors, too. The blue, black, and brown versions also match strap to dial. Whichever color you pick it will set you back 6,950CHF (~$6,887USD), so choose carefully. graham1695.com
Graham Chronofighter Vintage GMT
- Price? 6,950CHF (~$6,887USD)
- Who’s it for? Quirky timezone hoppers with cash to spare, or bomber pilots.
- Would I buy it? The vintage style works here and I like the GMT complication.
- What I’d change? A GMT hand without the 24-hour bezel would light me up.
- Standout feature? Triggered timing in three time zones.
Tech specs from Graham: PDF
