Albishorn debuts with the Maxigraph, a Massena LAB collaboration in regatta regalia
Buffy Acacia- Massena LAB is aiding the introduction of a new independent watch brand called Albishorn with a limited collaboration.
- Albishorn has been founded by Sébastien Chaulmontet, who has major experience in some of the best modern Swiss ébauche makers.
- The proprietary movement features a patented, retrograde 10-minute regatta timer.
Geneva Watch Days is always a great event for introducing new watches, but this time, it’s also a chance to introduce a new brand. Starting out with a Massena LAB collaboration, Albishorn is the new independent effort from the mind of Sébastien Chaulmontet, who has helped lead industry giants like La Joux-Perret, Sellita, and Arnold & Son. He literally wrote the book on chronographs, that book being Chronographs For Collectors, and now he’s turned to making his own. The Albishorn x Massena LAB Maxigraph plays a little game of “what if?”, where the winning crew of 1939’s Bol d’Or Mirabaud regatta could have received a watch with 21st century quality.
Regatta timers as a watch genre are pretty entertaining, not just because of their relatively niche utility, but because of the colourful, preppy appearance that is associated with sailing in general. Some do take themselves quite seriously, but bright dials, clinical details, and popping highlights are almost always included as elements. Massena LAB has a history of designing impactful and distinctive looks without overcrowding dials, so Albishorn has chosen a fantastic collaborator for its first-ever release. Despite being fairly busy with printed lines, the sectored nature of the Maxigraph’s dial is actually quite helpful for its legibility. The outer ring in blue over silver displays the minutes, the middle ring in black over brushed silver boldly shows the hours, while the inner ring in red over the cream dial centre duplicates the hours in 24-hour format.
The centre of the dial also houses the bright red chronograph seconds hand, blued hour and minute hands in diamond shapes with exaggerated tips, and the thing that really makes this watch unique. Rather than having a traditional chronograph minutes counter with a marker at 10 minutes, the Maxigraph has a retrograde display that counts down from 10 minutes. This leaves no room for ambiguity for the start of a regatta, as the boat is supposed to maintain its position at an invisible start line for 10 minutes before setting off. After the 10 minutes is up it automatically resets to 0, but the seconds continue uninterrupted. The red and blue aperture near 4 o’clock replaces a running seconds display, and just serves to let you know the watch is working.
Albishorn hasn’t given us too much information on the movement other than the fact that it’s proprietary, and that the 10-minute retrograde timer is patented. It’s Swiss-made, winds automatically, and has a power reserve of 64 hours with a beat rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour. Given that Chaulmontet has a background with Swiss ébauche manufacturing and the brand has avoided using the term “in-house”, it’s probably safe to assume it’s modified from a base movement. Judging by the position of the crown and chronograph pusher, our best guess is that this is a reworked Sellita SW500 MP, the monopusher variant of the popular Sellita calibre.
The caseback is solid with blueprint engravings of the Ylliam IV, which was the winner of the 1939 Bol d’Or on Lake Geneva. All of this is packaged in a 39mm stainless steel case, with an overhanging 41mm diameter bezel. It’s 13mm thick and water-resistant to 100 metres. It’s also technically a left-handed watch thanks to the 10 o’clock crown position, however the 9 o’clock chronograph pusher is designed to be pressed with precision by a thumb.
Albishorn x Massena LAB Maxigraph price and availability
The Albishorn x Massena LAB Maxigraph will be produced in multiple batches of 25 pieces, the first of which will be available from September 12th, 2024. Price: US$4,995
| Brand | Albishorn x Massena LAB |
| Model | Maxigraph |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 13mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Cream and silver |
| Strap | Red Tropic style or white leather, steel pin buckle |
| Movement | Proprietary Swiss movement with patented flyback mechanism, likely a modified Sellita SW500 MP |
| Power Reserve | 64 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, running indicator, monopusher chronograph, regatta timer |
| Availability | 25 pieces per batch, September 2024 |
| Price | CHF 38,000 |