The Titoni Heritage 83019

Titoni is an independent family-owned watch brand founded in 1919 by Fritz Schluep in Grenchen, Switzerland. Titoni’s Heritage collection capitalises on the vogue for vintage-style watches and turns to its historic archives for inspiration. The Heritage 83019, inspired by a 1948 model, captures the post-war trend for streamlined cases and simple, clean layouts.

Background

For those of you who are not familiar with the brand, Titoni is now in the hands of Daniel Schluep, the grandson of founder Fritz Schluep. Specialising in classic, mostly mechanical watches in the accessible luxury segment, Titoni has long-standing ties with China and is perhaps better known in the Far East than in Europe. The brand’s logo since 1952 is the plum blossom (meihua), a flower that is intimately associated with Chinese traditions and culture. Highlights in the brand’s history include an order from the US Army in 1945 for 30,000 watches and becoming the official timepiece for bus drivers of the Nairn Transport Company providing an Overland Desert Mail Service linking Damascus with Baghdad in the late 1950s. To celebrate its 100^th anniversary, Titoni produced its first in-house automatic calibre, the T10. In 2020, Titoni introduced the Seascoper 600, a COSC-certified chronometer fitted with Titoni’s manufacture movement and a depth rating of 600 metres.  With nine watch collections for men, the Heritage collection caters to the ongoing trend for retro-style watches.

Retro Mood

The stainless steel case has a diameter of 39mm and a height of 11.85mm and displays alternating brushed and polished surfaces. Viewed from above, the pronounced domed sapphire crystal asserts the retro spirit of the Heritage. You can appreciate the intricate case construction with its curvaceous middle case and pronounced dip of the lugs when viewed from the side. The hollowed-out areas along the case middle and lugs underscore the watch’s fluid, streamlined style. In fact, on the reverse side of the case is a medallion with the profile of a car, similar to the lines of a sleek and voluptuous1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 Jonckheere Coupe. The sealed caseback ensures the 50m water-resistance.

The attractive two-tone dial features a matte black chapter ring with the hours and minutes track and an interior vertical brushed taupe-coloured area. Along with the domed sapphire crystal and curved dial, the distortions created on the perimeter of the dial add personality to the watch. The typeface used on the Arabic numerals corresponds to a font used in the early 1950s, and the numbers are filled with retro-style beige Super-LumiNova. The syringe-style hour and minute hands are also filled with beige luminescent material. The red central seconds hand with its curved tip that reaches the outer minutes/seconds track provides a bright pop of colour.

Although Titoni produced its first in-house automatic movement in 2019, this Heritage model is equipped with an automatic Sellita SW200-1. With a frequency of 28,800vph, the movement offers a 40-hour power reserve. Although the sealed caseback hides it, the gold-plated rotor has a diamond-cut pattern and the brand name engraved.

Availability & Price

A brown leather strap with beige stitching with a foldover steel clasp adds a casual touch to the watch.  The Titoni Heritage 83019 retails for EUR 930 (incl. VAT and shipping costs) and is available to order on the brand’s webpage. In a nutshell, the Heritage is a handsome vintage-style watch with a dynamic and well-designed case at a reasonable price.

More information at Titoni.