Chronoswiss Revisits the Pacific

Whether it’s the economy and a wistful yearning for simpler times or it’s just that artistic zeitgeist that percolates the same idea in several creative venues, brands have released modern versions of their vintage watches. Some examples include the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Aronde 1954, IWC Portofino and Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute to the Deep Sea Alarm and Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931. Chronoswiss also digs into its archives and decided to reissue the sporty Pacific, which was originally launched in the 1990’s.

With the Pacific, Chronoswiss takes inspiration from the largest ocean and the pioneering and innovative spirit of Captain James Cook, who bucked all naysayers and proved that the marine chronometer could determine longitude and therefore keep a boat from wandering off course or into danger’s path.

When Chronoswiss named the Pacific, they took the connotation seriously, imbuing the watch with all the qualities and functionality its namesake implies, such as water resistance to 100m, high legibility and a handy day and date window at 3 o’clock. Back in the 1990’s Chronoswiss issued the Pacific as a trio and following this same model, is introducing the three-handed Pacific, Grand Pacific and a Pacific Chronograph. Additionally, the new Pacific offers a high, slightly domed sapphire crystal, which is ground inside and out, a characteristic found on high quality watches in the 1950’s and 60’s.

While a lot of watches look the same and require a closer look at the dial to identify the company, German-based Chronoswiss set out specific DNA codes and those remain true in the Pacific including the screw-mounted strap bars, vertical polishing on the case and a modern rendering of the onion-style crown. Giving the Pacific an extra stylistic touch the crown can only be identified from the side. Known for their meticulous case construction, Chronoswiss doesn’t cut corners here, this one with a polished finish and constructed of 25 parts.

Dials of all three models have sunburst finishes. The Pacific offers silver plated, galvanized black or brown applied markers, the Grand Pacific silver plated galvanized black, applied markers, while the Pacific Chronograph comes with galvanized black, applied markers. What makes the chronograph really pop are the luminescent green-colored accents on the chronograph, 30-minute and 12-hour chronograph hands, underneath the pump pushers and as an option on the stitching of the black crocodile skin strap.

An ETA 2892-A2 powers the three-hand Pacific and Grand Pacific and for the chronograph Chronoswiss chose the ETA 7750. Through the exhibition back, you can view the high level of finish: the skeletonized and rhodium-plated rotor and bridges with côtes de Genève, polished pallet fork, escape wheel and screws and plates with perlage.

Chronoswiss has created a worthy tribute to the original Pacific, a modern interpretation that is rugged enough to accompany you out in the field yet elegant enough under your suit sleeve (yes it will fit) at the office.

Prices EURO:

CH2883 Pacific (40mm) €2490 on strap, €2850 on steel bracelet

CH2883 B Grand Pacific (43mm) €2790 on strap, €3150 on steel bracelet

CH7583 Pacific Chronograph (43mm) €3590 on strap, €3950 on steel bracelet

Prices GBP:

CH2883 Pacific (40mm) £2320 on strap, £2655 on steel bracelet
CH2883 B  Grand Pacific (43mm) £2595 on strap, £2935 on steel bracelet
CH7583 Pacific Chronograph (43mm) £3340 on strap, £3680 on steel bracelet

Prices USD:

CH2883 Pacific (40mm) - Prices TBC

CH2883 B Grand Pacific (43mm) $3800 + tax on strap, bracelet price TBC

CH7583 Pacific Chronograph (43mm) $4800 + tax on strap, bracelet price TBC

Pictures that tell of our times: Maurice Lacroix, Official Watch Partner of World Press Photo Awards Ceremony

Martin Bachmann, CEO Maurice Lacroix and Michiel Munneke, MD, World Press Photo

Zurich, March 2011: Maurice Lacroix is the official watch partner of the prestigious World Press Photo Awards Ceremony, which this year takes place in Amsterdam on 7th May. Besides the presentation of watches to the first prize winners of each category, the three-year partnership deal also includes the annual “Follow Your Convictions” grant, worth €20,000, initiated by Maurice Lacroix and to be presented during the Awards Ceremony.

Martin Bachmann, CEO Maurice Lacroix, says of this new collaboration, “The partnership with World Press Photo, which has been the world’s most prestigious photo contest since 1955, perfectly encapsulates the message behind our ‘Follow your convictions’ philosophy. Photographs tell authentic stories, capture true events or evoke contemporary themes. And the unifying factor in all this is the ability of photographers around the world to follow their convictions. It is their work alone that allows such an emotionally charged record of the times we live in to emerge.”

Michiel Munneke, Managing Director of World Press Photo, says “I am excited about our cooperation. We share common values like excellence and authenticity. Maurice Lacroix creates a range of watches all characterized by designs reflecting the personalities of the designers. They push the boundaries of conventional design. Taking risks simply because they believe in it. The concept of ‘following your convictions’ perfectly applies to photojournalists. Commitment, dedication and staying true to what you really believe in, is what makes them cover the world for us. I am very pleased Maurice Lacroix is joining us in celebrating excellence in photojournalism by supporting our annual Awards Ceremony and enabling one award-winning photographer to following his or her convictions with a grant.”

The awards ceremony is preceded by a two-day programme of lectures, discussions and screenings of photography. The exhibition of prize-winning photography will be shown at the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam from 22 April to 19 June and will subsequently visit over 100 locations around the world.

About World Press Photo

World Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organisation committed to supporting and advancing high standards in photojournalism and documentary photography worldwide. It strives to generate wide public interest and appreciation for the work of photographers and for the free exchange of information. From its office in Amsterdam it organises an annual contest, exhibitions, educational programs and a variety of publications. Since 1955, more then 2100 World Press Photo exhibitions have taken place in 450 cities in 115 countries around the globe.

About Maurice Lacroix



Since the launch of its first watch model in 1975, Maurice Lacroix has become a much sought-after brand. With its own workshops producing complex components for mechanical calibres, Maurice Lacroix joined the exclusive league of Swiss Watch Manufactures at the end of 2006. Thanks to continued innovative development in both technical fields and design, Maurice Lacroix has registered several patents and trademarks. Maurice Lacroix is one of the few independent watchmakers and employs more than 200 people worldwide, the majority of whom are based at the international head office in Zurich and the production facilities in Saignelégier and Montfaucon in Switzerland.

World Press Photo Awards: Some winning photographs

Many of the winning photographs for 2010 are from the work of travelling reporters and photographers brilliantly capturing in a single moment the hustle, bustle, unrest, strife and sheer trauma of life in war torn and disaster prone countries within the developing world. The winning picture by South African photographer Jodi Bieber shows exactly why the struggle to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban must continue.

Daily Life singles, first prize:
Omar Feisal from Somalia shows us a man carrying a shark through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, 23 September 2010

Daily Life stories, first prize:
Martin Roemers from the Netherlands won with his series Metropolis, about life in megacities

General News singles, first prize:
Riccardo Venturi from Italy shows us Old Iron Market burning in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on 18 January 2010

Spot News stories, second prize:
Corentin Fohlen, a Fedephoto photographer based in France, won the category with this picture of anti-government riots in Bangkok, Thailand in May 2010

People in the News stories, first prize:
Daniel Berehulak won with his series in Pakistan. Flood victims scramble for food from a Pakistan army helicopter during relief operations in Dadu, Pakistan as they battle the downwash on 13 September 2010

World Press Photo Awards Picture of the Year 2010

The winning photograph this year will be seared on your memory for its graphic, disturbing imagery. Jodi Bieber, a South African photographer for Time magazine, won with this picture taken of Bibi Aisha, an 18-year-old woman from Oruzgan province in Afghanistan. Aisha's story began when she fled back to her family after complaining of violent treatment from her husband. The Taliban arrived one night demanding that she face justice and Aisha's brother-in-law held her down while her husband sliced off her ears and then cut off her nose. Aisha was abandoned, but later rescued by aid workers and the US military. After time in a women's refuge in Kabul, she was taken to the US, where she now lives.

Jury chair David Burnett said about the photo: 'This could become one of those pictures – and we have maybe just 10 in our lifetime – where if somebody says "you know, that picture of a girl" you know exactly which one they're talking about'