The Baltic Scalegraph x Tour Auto packages racing blues in a new water-resistant case
Buffy Acacia- The Baltic Scalegraph x Tour Auto is the latest link between the French microbrand and the vintage racing connoisseur Patrick Peter.
- As a resurrection of the Tour de France Automobile, the Tour Auto competition gives Baltic a chance to delve back into vintage chronographs.
- A limited edition of 400 pieces, it’s powered by the manually wound Sellita SW510-M.
As a motorsports fan, it’s tough to know which series you should tune into. There’s such a wide array of choices, but if you’re into historical racing, the Tour Auto 2025 is one to watch. Founded by Peter Auto, with whom Baltic has been a frequent collaborator, it’s a spiritual continuation of the Tour de France Automobile, which ran between 1899 and 1986. The modern Tour Auto focuses on the cars between 1951 and 1973, leaving a lot of incredible inspiration for Baltic’s new mechanical chronograph. As a limited edition of 400 pieces, the Baltic Scalegraph is a portrait of perfect detail, and we’re excited to be able to feature it in the Time+Tide Shop.
“Big eye” chronographs are a niche genre of their own, a design that originated in early pilot’s watches so that the minutes counter was easier to read. The line between being a fighter pilot and a racing driver is pretty nominal, so naturally, there’s a crossover of utility there. The Baltic Scalegraph is positively oozing with 1960s charm, reskinning the fan-favourite Tricompax into something that is unambiguously racing-focused. The big eye minutes and running seconds subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock have been given their own polished rims, making them even more legible from a distance and separated from the dial’s colouring. Each has a stamped circular texture for contrast against the dial’s soft grain, and there are shades of blue and red, which tie into the original Tour de France Automobile’s colour theme. Naturally, the blue, white and red touches make it as French as possible.
One of my favourite things about the attention drawn by the two subdials is that it effectively disguises the third subdial, which is simply one single dauphine hand with a printed track at 6 o’clock. This counts the hours that the chronograph has been running, and it can take up a lot more space than it needs to on a three-register dial. This way, the balance of the dial is preserved without losing any functionality. Another gorgeous detail is the use of applied T-bars as hour markers, each linked to its own little dot of lume upon the blue chapter ring. These may be a little distorted through the highly domed sapphire crystal, but that just brings some authenticity to its vintage charm.
As a purveyor of vintage tastes, Baltic is absolutely tuned in to the current trend of smaller, wearable watch cases. The Baltic Scalegraph is actually on the chunkier side compared to some of the French microbrand’s catalogue, but the 39.5mm diameter and 47mm lug-to-lug width should wear nicely on the average wrist. As a chronograph, you should expect some heft, but the 14.1mm thickness is actually pretty good considering the case also has 100m of water resistance. Both the crown and the chronograph pushers are threaded, so you can screw them down and feel secure in the water resistance while swimming. The silhouette of the case is quite strong in ‘60s flavour, thanks to brushed lugs with drilled holes for the spring bars, making it a great candidate for alternative 20mm straps.
Powering the watch is the Sellita SW510-M, which is a manually-wound variant on the long-established Valjoux 7750 architecture. It’s become a popular choice for upmarket microbrands in recent years due to its affordability and availability, but it’s also built up a great reputation for reliability and performance. You won’t get to see it behind the solid steel caseback engraved with the Tour Auto logo and each watch’s limited edition number, but it will provide the Scalegraph with 63 hours of power reserve and a smooth 4Hz sweep.
Baltic Scalegraph x Tour Auto price and availability
The Baltic Scalegraph x Tour Auto is a limited edition of 400 individually numbered pieces and is now available for pre-order from the Time+Tide Shop. Price: €1,750 (excl. VAT), A$3,350
| Brand | Baltic |
| Model | Scalegraph x Tour Auto |
| Case Dimensions | 39.5mm (D) x 14.1mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown and pushers |
| Crystal(s) | Double-domed sapphire |
| Dial | Blues based on original Tour de France Automobile |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Beads of rice or flat link bracelet, folding clasp Additional Alcantara strap, pin buckle |
| Movement | Sellita SW510-M, manual-winding |
| Power Reserve | 63 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, running seconds, chronograph |
| Availability | Limited edition of 400 pieces, available for pre-order |
| Price | €1,750 (excl. VAT) A$3,350 |