In Depth · Chronoswiss

The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur makes pastel colours mechanical

Rose, Mint and Sky editions put jumping hours and sweeping discs into a slim rectangular steel case, with 99 of each colour.

Hen & Mills Editorial · 4 min read · 11 September 2026

• Rose, Mint and Sky use separate mechanical windows for jumping hours, sweeping minutes and sweeping seconds.
• The hand-wound C.85757 runs at 3Hz with a proprietary display module and approximately 48 hours of reserve.
• Each colour is limited to 99 pieces, listed for delivery from September 2026 at CHF 11,500 internationally.

Chronoswiss now lists three pastel versions of its Neo Digiteur for delivery from September 2026. Rose, Mint and Sky each use the same 48mm by 30mm rectangular steel case and hand-wound C.85757 calibre, but put a different lacquered colour behind the watch's three mechanical digital displays. Each reference is limited to 99 pieces and the international product pages currently list CHF 11,500.

Can a watch without hands still be intuitive?

The Neo Digiteur answers that question by separating time into three windows. A jumping-hour disc sits at 12 o'clock, sweeping minutes occupy the broad central aperture and sweeping seconds run through a horizontal window at six. There are no conventional hands, yet the layout still follows the familiar order of largest unit at the top and fastest-changing unit at the bottom.

This is mechanical digital time rather than an electronic display. Printed discs rotate behind the dial, and the hour changes instantaneously when the minute display completes its cycle. The central minute scale is curved, so the active number remains near the centre of the window as the disc moves. The seconds aperture below provides the visual confirmation that the movement is running.

Chronoswiss calls the construction a regulator because hours, minutes and seconds receive separate displays. That is mechanically accurate, even though the result looks closer to an early digital clock than a traditional regulator wristwatch. The approach traces back to the original Digiteur introduced by company founder Gerd-Rüdiger Lang in 2005.

Pastel colour softens a sharp case

The three references differ at the dial. CH-1373.2-LR is Rose, CH-1373.2-LG is Mint and CH-1373.2-LB is Sky. Chronoswiss sandblasts each brass dial before applying lacquer, creating a matte surface that keeps the pastel colours from appearing glossy or toy-like. The display discs are matte white with deep-blue printing across all three versions.

The case provides the hard edge that the colours need. It measures 48mm long, 30mm wide and 9.7mm thick, with a 48mm lug-to-lug span and 20mm attachment width. Stainless steel is satin brushed across the main surfaces, polished at the edges and sandblasted along a horizontal side section. The shaped rectangular outline remains substantial on paper, but the 30mm width and sub-10mm thickness should make it wear differently from a 48mm round watch.

A double anti-reflective sapphire crystal covers the dial, and another sapphire window is fitted to the screw-down caseback. The onion-style crown is flattened underneath to sit more cleanly against the case. Water resistance is 5 bar, enough for ordinary daily exposure but not a reason to treat the textile-strapped watch as a swimming instrument.

C.85757 controls the jump

The hand-wound C.85757 runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour, or 3Hz, with 19 jewels and about 48 hours of power reserve. Its base movement is paired with a proprietary Chronoswiss module developed in Lucerne to manage the energy required by the jumping hour while continuing to drive the minute and seconds discs.

Chronoswiss describes the module as managing the energy demands of the jumping-hour system while continuing to drive the minute and seconds discs. All three Pastel Code references receive the same movement and display specification, so the colour choice does not change the stated 48-hour reserve.

Chronoswiss lists the base movement at 2.5mm high, plus another 2.5mm for the in-house module. The shaped sapphire window in the caseback preserves a view of the mechanics used to drive the three discs, while the pastel colour remains concentrated on the dial.

Three editions, 297 watches

Chronoswiss limits each colour to 99 pieces, making 297 watches across the Pastel Code trio. A grey or black premium textile strap closes with a steel pin buckle. The brand's staged sales system begins with a reservation ticket, then moves to allocation and final delivery. Buyers should distinguish those deposits from the complete purchase price.

The product pages currently state delivery from September 2026 and list a final international price of CHF 11,500 for each version. Regional pricing can differ, and Australian pricing is not published. The Rose, Mint and Sky models share every mechanical specification, so colour and availability are the only meaningful differences between them.

Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Pastel Code price and availability

The Neo Digiteur Rose CH-1373.2-LR, Mint CH-1373.2-LG and Sky CH-1373.2-LB are limited to 99 pieces each. Chronoswiss lists delivery from September 2026 and a current international price of CHF 11,500 per watch. The reservation and allocation payments shown during the brand's staged launch are deposits towards that amount, not alternative retail prices. Australian pricing and allocation have not been announced.