Singer Track 1 Geneva Edition In Yellow Gold (SIHH 2018)

When launched in mid-2017, the Singer Track 1 has been one real surprise, praised by many. Not only the story behind was cool (the link with the custom-built Porsches), not only the people behind are great, but the watch itself, its movement, its design and its display are just fresh. Prior to the SIHH 2018, Singer Reimagined unveils a new and sexy version of its Track1 chronograph. Meet the Singer Track 1 Geneva Edition, the racing chronograph clad in yellow gold and black.

Singer Reimagined’s Track 1 has been one of the most eye-arresting and sensational revelations of the past few months. The project was born following an encounter between Marco Borraccino, an Italian watch designer, and Rob Dickinson, the founder and creative director of Singer. As a former rock musician and the frontman of Catherine Wheel, the California-based Brit is known for reimagining the most iconic German car, the Porsche 911.

Driven by a shared passion for a golden era of mechanical watch design – notably iconic chronographs of the 1960s and 70s, and by the connection between automotive and horological worlds – the two men embarked on a project of reimagining the sports chronograph. The duo was soon joined by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, one of the most creative independent watchmakers and the founder of Agenhor. Wiederrecht would provide the revolutionary chronograph movement, the Agengraph, to give birth to the embodiment of their unique perspectives.

With Track 1, Singer Reimagined’s first watch, form follows function, and the chronograph takes center stage. If the legibility of most traditional chronographs is relatively poor due to their small counters, here, the hours, minutes and seconds of the chronograph are coaxially mounted in the center of the dial, allowing the elapsed time to be read at a glance. It is all the more legible as the hours and minutes are jumping instantaneously. The time is indicated on the two peripheral rotating discs in a small indicator at 6 o’clock.

The Agengraph is a radical re-engineering of the chronograph with an innovative center chronograph mechanism allowing for the centralized indication of functions. A novel clutch, the Agenclutch ensures smooth operations. Measuring 34.40mm in diameter, this automatic twin-barrel movement beats at 3 Hz for a healthy power reserve of more than 60 hours. The rotor has been placed on the dial side to enable an unimpeded view of the intricacies of the movement made of no fewer than 477 components finished to ambitious standards (equivalent to the Geneva Seal). For more insight about the groundbreaking Agengraph and the Singer Reimagined project, read our introductory article and video.

Since the official presentation of the brand and of the launch edition of Track 1 in June 2017, Singer Reimagined was awarded both the ‘Watch of the Year’ and ‘Innovation in Watchmaking’ prizes at the WOTY awards organized by our friends of Chronos24.pl. Track 1 was also selected among the finalists in the chronograph category at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) 2017.

The roadmap for the Singer Reimagined is now to present several special editions over the next few years, which will be launched in a dedicated location in cooperation with local partners. The first one is the Geneva Edition, a sexy version of the chronograph presented in contrasting black and yellow gold. Singer Reimagined opted for a rare and classy 1N shade of yellow gold, unlike most watchmakers who use the more intense shade of 3N yellow gold. The luscious barrel-shaped case features alternating brushed and polished surfaces. The design cues clearly hark from the 1970s but feel modern at the same time. Reminiscent of dashboard stopwatches, the ergonomic and user-friendly pushers are located on either side of the case. The crown is integrated into the case band for enhanced comfort and operations.

The dial features a new layout with a unique large chronograph counter. All indications have been moved to the periphery enhancing readability and freeing space for the captions ‘Singer’ and ‘Automatic Chronograph Track 1’.  The time of the day (hours and minutes), tachymeter scale and 3×60 (hours, minutes and seconds) chronograph indications are therefore indicated concentrically. Contrasting orange hands allow for optimal legibility.

The Singer Track1 is presented with a khaki calfskin leather strap with alligator lining, and gold riveted eyelets matching the color of the case. The strap is secured to the wrist by a new folding buckle engraved with the logo of the brand. A quick release spring bar system allows you to change the watch band easily. For more information on Singer, please visit www.singerreimagined.com.