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MICRO MONDAYS: The Brellum Pilot Power Gauge Chronometer – a COSC-certified classic pilot’s chronograph with a modern edge MICRO MONDAYS: The Brellum Pilot Power Gauge Chronometer – a COSC-certified classic pilot’s chronograph with a modern edge

MICRO MONDAYS: The Brellum Pilot Power Gauge Chronometer – a COSC-certified classic pilot’s chronograph with a modern edge

Thor Svaboe

Brellum has just released a resolutely modern, yet classic take on a pilot’s chronograph, with the sharpest of details – and shows how much colour and texture transforms the aviator personality of the Brellum Pilot Power Gauge Chronometer.

Brellum PILOT Power Gauge Chronometer

This is another strong reference from Brellum that will follow your lead, be it battle-ready flight instrument under a leather jacket sleeve, or as a sharp sports chronograph on a bracelet. From the monochrome bulletproof image of the black dial version, to the delicate silver sunburst dial on a classic steel bracelet bringing a modern formality to the table.

micro monday

If we start on the classic end of the scale, the strong monochrome dial with a vintage-inspired hand-sewn brown strap is familiar and emphasises the proportions and legibility of the Brellum design language. The brushed 41.8mm case has curved lugs, with the broad stroke of a polished bevel that widens towards the lug tips, accentuating the broad-shouldered look. The purposeful image is underlined in a slim polished bezel, and the retro-perfect domed sapphire crystal creates charming hints of distortion on the edges of the dial. The pushers for the chronograph are a solid pump design, balanced nicely by the big crown typical of a pilot genre, and with its symmetrical Brellum logo one of my favourite case details.

Brellum

There is a crisp legibility to the minute and seconds track on the rehaut, while satin-finished applied indices are perfectly matched to the distinctive Brellum hands. This is where we get the first touch of sharp modernity that Brellum brings to the table. The broad sword hands are intricately brushed, seeming to pinch a wide centre section of applied Super-LumiNova, ending in twin points. The register pointers echo this strong shape creating a distinct identity that sets Brellum apart, culminating in a recessed power reserve at 3, outside the clean date window. There is a small red warning section echoing the pop of red on the seconds hand. Pure pilot’s watch, but with the galvanic sunburst black dial and satinated, rhodium-coated numerals, it’s infused with a sharper, dressier twist.

Brellum

The dressier personality is even more visible in the fresh shade of sunburst blue or classic silver. These two make up an image of tool watch with a distinctively modern cut. We still have the classic details and highly legible dials, yet somehow more mature with a touch of formality. Brellum’s new brushed bracelet accentuates the dressy side of the Power Gauge Chronometer, with a comfortable drape around the wrist. View the silver version on the bracelet, next to the vintage vibe of the black dial on brown calf leather, and you fully appreciate the chameleonic nature of the new Brellum, with beauty being more than skin deep.

Brellum

This reference is powered by a COSC-certified Valjoux 7750-derived movement, the BRELLUM BR-750-PR calibre, one of the purest chronometer movements still in production. Through the numbered caseback we are given a panorama view of the decorated movement, with a solid 46 hours of power reserve. The rotor is skeletonised with an architectural symmetry that draws you in to discover the silhouette of a fighter plane, familiar through the inspiration of the Turn co-ordinator flight instrument. The little details are what sets Brellum apart as a small-scale manufacturer, something made obvious through perlage and Côtes de Genève on a movement that includes the reliable touches of a Glucydur balance and a Nivarox alloy Anachron hairspring. Whether this is a welcome pilot’s watch being added to your collection, or a personal choice of The First Good Watch, this chronograph is mission-ready and packed with functionality.

Brellum Pilot Power Gauge Chronometer price and availability:

The Brellum Pilot Power Gauge Chronometer is CHF 2890 on a leather strap, and 2990 on steel bracelet. It is available from Brellum right here.