Specialising in affordable, “imaginary vintage” chronographs, Albishorn has added a twist to its military-inspired Type 10. At a distance, the Type X-Graph resembles yet another pilot’s chronograph with a black, textured dial, but up close it reveals a translucent polycarbonate dial that provides a peek at the skeletonised base plate of the movement.
Inspired by 1930s acrylic-covered timepieces, the polycarbonate dial is in a gradient-grey tint, giving it a darker finish towards the edges. While the movement is mechanically identical to its predecessor, the calibre has been skeletonised to maximise the “X-ray” effect.
Initial thoughts
At first glance, the X-Graph appears little different from its predecessors, but up close it is noticeably more interesting. It’s essentially a twist on a skeleton watch – it’s clearly a no-frills, military-style watch, but with a see-through dial that reveals the open-worked movement.
The X-Ray is still “imaginary vintage”, but with more imagination, underlining Albishorn founder Sebastien Chaulmontet’s unique take on watches that combines a historical perspective and unusual twists. This is born from his keen interest in vintage chronographs – he wrote a book on the subject – while also being head of research and development at Sellita (Albishorn is a side project, akin to a hobby).
The brand’s catalogue now encompasses many variations of the single-button chronograph, but the X-Graph stands out as one of the most interesting, both visually and conceptually. More broadly, the X-Graph costs a little more than Albishorn’s more basic offerings, but still remains reasonably priced and competitive in its segment.
X-ray dial
A variant of Albishorn’s trademark single-button chronograph, the X-Graph is a fairly literal concept: the dial is like an X-Ray, revealing the movement below in black, white, and grey. The dial is clear polycarbonate that is textured on the front and tinted grey on the back for a fumé finish. The dial markings are printed in white, while the numerals and hands are filled with Super-Luminova, creating even greater contrast on the face.
Beyond the dial, the X-Graph adopts the same format as prior versions of the model. The steel case is a compact 39 mm in diameter and 12 mm high – part of the height is a domed sapphire crystal – with an oversized bidirectional bezel that gives the watch a slightly larger footprint.
The concave bezel is coated in dark grey, while the red chronograph pusher is anodised in red, a combination that evokes vintage military watches.
Inside the X-Graph is the ALB04 M, which is a variant of the calibre found across the Albishorn catalogue. Derived from the architecture of the Valjoux 7750 but entirely reworked, the movement is substantially thinner thanks to shorter pinions. This results in watches with slimmer cases, but requires a more labour intensive process of assembly according to Mr Chaulmontet.
While technically unchanged, the ALB04 M is open worked on the front, with multiple apertures milled into the base plate to show off the moving parts, including the mainspring, going train, escape wheel, and balance. Look hard enough through the dial and these parts can be discerned while the watch is on the wrist.
The movement also incorporates a novel chronograph function indicator in a circular window under 12 o’clock: it shows red while the chronograph is running and white otherwise.
As with Albishorn’s other models, the X-Graph is available on a steel bracelet for a little extra. It looks good in this configuration, making the bracelet a worthwhile upgrade.
Key facts and price
Albishorn Type X-Graph
Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 12 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m
Movement: ALB04 M
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, and chronograph
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Manual
Power reserve: 65 hours
Strap: Leather strap with pin buckle (optional stainless steel bracelet)
Limited edition: 99
Availability: Direct from Albishorn
Price: CHF4,250 on strap, and CHF4,700 on bracelet; before taxes
For more, visit Albishorn-watches.ch.