Some watches tell a story. Others evoke a landscape. With the Opus Dakar Sundown, Chronoswiss manages to do both. The independent Swiss manufacture presents a new interpretation of its emblematic Opus Dakar, drawing its inspiration from one of nature’s most fascinating spectacles: that suspended moment when the sun slips behind the dunes and sets the desert ablaze with golden, coppery and amber hues.
More than a simple aesthetic evolution, this edition embodies the meeting of the spirit of adventure and fine watchmaking. True to its DNA, Chronoswiss combines spectacular mechanics with meticulous work on materials to give rise to a chronograph as expressive as it is sophisticated.
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When the desert becomes a source of watchmaking inspiration
The desert has always fascinated. Its vastness, its silence and its shifting light offer a unique palette of colours, especially at the moment when the sun goes down. It is precisely this atmosphere that Chronoswiss set out to capture with the Opus Dakar Sundown.
The 41 mm case pairs stainless steel with 18-carat red gold in an elegant bicolour construction. This combination is anything but trivial. The steel evokes the sturdiness needed for any adventure, while the red gold recalls the warm reflections that envelop the dunes during the golden hour.
The famous partly-fluted bezel, a historic Chronoswiss signature, takes on red gold here, as do the onion crown and the chronograph pushers. These elements bring a warm visual presence without ever sacrificing the balance of the whole.
The sand-coloured nubuck leather strap completes this evocation of the desert. Its soft texture and natural tone extend the mineral world that inspires this creation.
A chronograph that reveals all of its mechanics
For more than forty years, Chronoswiss has cultivated a singular approach to mechanical watchmaking. The brand has done much to popularise skeletonised dials, allowing enthusiasts to observe the inner workings of a movement.
The Opus Dakar Sundown fits fully within this tradition.
Its in-house calibre C.741S, fully skeletonised, takes centre stage. Here, the mechanics do not hide behind a solid dial: they become the watch’s main setting.
The automatic movement drives a full chronograph comprising a central seconds hand, a 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock and a small seconds at 9 o’clock. At 3 o’clock, an analogue date display discreetly rounds out the functions.
This open architecture lets you admire the openworked bridges, the wheels, the black surface treatments and the traditional finishes carried out by the manufacture. Every activation of the chronograph becomes a genuine mechanical spectacle.
An architecture faithful to the Chronoswiss DNA
Far from fleeting trends, Chronoswiss continues to champion the aesthetic codes that have shaped its identity.
The complex case, made of 23 components, reflects the manufacture’s level of demand. The alternation of satin-brushed and polished surfaces highlights the volumes, while the transparent case back reveals the gold-plated skeleton rotor, decorated with Côtes de Genève and mounted on ball bearings.
Inside, the calibre C.741S beats at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of about 46 hours. The movement benefits from a Glucydur balance, a Nivarox I hairspring and Incabloc shock protection, all components renowned for their reliability and precision.
The whole reflects Chronoswiss’s wish to offer a watch where technical virtuosity naturally accompanies aesthetic expression.
A watch designed for lovers of character
The Opus Dakar Sundown does not seek to charm through discretion. Its skeletonised architecture, its contrast between steel and red gold and its palette inspired by desert landscapes give it an instantly recognisable personality.
It is aimed above all at collectors who are drawn to creations with a genuine identity and who enjoy watching a mechanical movement come to life day after day.
Through this new variation, Chronoswiss also demonstrates its ability to renew an emblematic collection without betraying its spirit. The Opus retains its calling as a spectacular chronograph while adopting a warmer, more emotional aesthetic.
A contemporary interpretation of adventure
With the Opus Dakar Sundown, Chronoswiss does not only celebrate the beauty of a desert sunset. The manufacture pays tribute to the very idea of the journey, to that universal fascination with wide open spaces and to the emotions they stir.
Between watchmaking craftsmanship, mechanical architecture and natural inspiration, this new creation is a reminder that some watches can tell far more than the passing of time. They capture a moment, a light, a feeling.
In this Sundown version, the Opus Dakar thus continues its evolution with elegance, while confirming what has made Chronoswiss singular for more than three decades: expressive, technical and deeply alive watchmaking.
Frequently asked questions
It is a new interpretation of Chronoswiss’s emblematic Opus Dakar, created by the independent Swiss manufacture and inspired by desert sunsets. It is a skeletonised bicolour chronograph combining stainless steel and 18-carat red gold in warm, golden tones.
A 41 mm bicolour case pairing stainless steel with 18-carat red gold. The signature partly-fluted bezel, the onion crown and the chronograph pushers are in red gold, and the watch is fitted with a sand-coloured nubuck leather strap. The complex case is made of 23 components.
The in-house, fully skeletonised calibre C.741S, an automatic chronograph running at 28,800 vibrations per hour with about 46 hours of power reserve. It features a Glucydur balance, a Nivarox I hairspring and Incabloc shock protection, and its gold-plated skeleton rotor is decorated with Côtes de Genève.
A central seconds hand, a 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, a small seconds at 9 o’clock and an analogue date at 3 o’clock — all visible through the open, skeletonised architecture.
Collectors who appreciate watches with a strong, instantly recognisable identity and who enjoy watching a mechanical movement come to life on the wrist. It renews an emblematic Chronoswiss collection with a warmer, more emotional aesthetic without betraying its spirit.
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