The Chronoace and Caliber 42

In 1969 Orient ended the reign of caliber 49 and the "AAA" moniker that was associated with it, and introduced a new family of watches and movements. The "Chronoace" (also sometimes referred to as Chrono Ace) equipped with caliber 42 ushered in an era of upgraded case designs, materials and colors that would become characteristic of the brand in the 1970s.

The Movement

Caliber 42 movements were mostly exclusive to the Chronoace line, although some were used in certain other models. All caliber 42 variants were automatic with hand winding, and operated at 18,000 BPH. They all shared the main architecture and features, including the day and date discs and (with one exception) the date quick-set button at 2 o'clock.

The main members of the family were:

·         Calibers 42940, 42950, 42960, 42970 with 21, 23, 25 and 27 jewels, respectively, were the common variants used in most Chronoace models.

·         A particular variant of 42950 that did not have the quickset button – presumably to improve water resistance – used in the Orient King Diver "Depth Gauge".

·         Caliber 42925 and 42972 with 17 and 27 jewels, respectively – as far as I know, these were variants not used in "Chronoace" watches, instead running models like the early 1970s "Crystal".

·         Caliber 42990 with 33 jewels, which must have been highly exclusive as I've yet to see photos of one!

Caliber 42 continued the evolution in Orient's movement engineering. For instance, the introduction of a "fine movement" speed adjustment device, the shift to a "star wheel" type switching wheel, and the transition to a "two-story third wheel and pinion system" from the traditional "three-needle system" marked a significant step in improving the movement's efficiency and stability.

Orient Chronoace

Early Chronoace models continued in typical 1960s style of late AAA models. Such were the "College" models – so these too would soon be updated and receive smoother cases and more

Over the next few years, the Chronoace range exploded with new versions and designs, some which were already discussed on the blog, under various topics. The 1969 "Special" model, for instance, whose photo appears at the top of this article, still looks like it has taken just a small step beyond the College. Shortly afterwards, new designs appeared.

Chronoace models took on various case shapes – including oval, round, triangular, and all sorts of more complex designs. This was typical of the era, as the 1960s style morphed into the 1970s.

A significant part of that development happened in the materials department. Besides color taking a much more prominent place in dial design (a trend that already began in the late 1960s), Orient began experimenting with various new materials.

Pretty soon, Chronoace models appeared that made use of stone cases, non-scratch steel and other elements. Some Chronoace dials featured Jaguar Focus paint schemes, and later - Mexican Mother-of-Pearl.

Dive watches were an important segment of Orient's product range, and here too – caliber 42 and the Chronoace name were included.

A number of Chronoace King Diver models were presented between 1969 and 1971. Most had been variations on Orient's familiar internal bezel design. The obvious exception was the King Diver Depth Gauge, a unique watch that probably deserves a separate post.

Honestly, much more can be written about the Chronoace lineage; Indeed much has already been told of these watches in this blog, and probably more mentions will be added in the future. This post, however, should serve as a hub page for the Chronoace models.

 

The picture of the Chronoace Special that appears at the top of this post is copyright of the blog. Other pictures that appear in this post were taken from old Orient catalogs and sale ads.