Introducing the Guinand Duograph-Chrono RPanda, the Latest from the Value-Driven German Brand

Nearly one year ago, we wrote about the return of Guinand, the brand once owned by the inimitable Helmut Sinn. As I wrote in that article, Guinand is one of Germany’s best-kept secrets, prized by those in the know for its commitment to producing reasonably-priced tool watches.

When Guinand returned under the tutelage of Matthias Klueh–Guinand’s current owner–the goal was a quiet, yet significant, revamp. First came a new a website (prior to that you could only order a Guinand watch via fax, snail mail, bank transfer, or in person at the company’s showroom). Then, over the course of 2016, Mr. Klueh and his team updated the catalog, condensing some lines while growing others and introducing small improvements to the overall designs of the watches. As a fan of the firm, it has been exciting to keep an eye on its growth.

For 2017, Guinand is starting the year off strong with a chronograph that pulls from the brand’s archives—introducing the Duograph-Chrono RPanda.

The Duograph-Chrono RPanda pulls inspiration from the Chronosport 351 chronograph (to better understand the connection between Chronosport and Guinand, check out the above-mentioned write-up). The RPanda is a reverse-panda chronograph (white sub-dials against a black base) powered by a Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement. The dial has two large totalizers vertically arranged at 12 and six (30-minutes and 12-hours, respectively); the running seconds at nine is omitted and in its place is the brand logo, balancing the matching day/date at three and maintaining the symmetry of the dial. The hands are straight white swords, with a red needle as the running chronograph hand.

The polished stainless steel case measures 40.6mm, 15.2mm thick, with a lug width of 20mm. Some of that thickness comes from the domed sapphire glass sitting on top of the case (an exhibition case back also has a sapphire cover). Two protected pushers flank a screw down, double O-ring sealed crown, adding to the 20 bar pressure resistance of the case. A black pilot bezel rotates in both directions.

The new Guinand Duograph-Chrono RPanda sells for 1,454 EUR with VAT and 1,217.75 without (roughly $1,314 for those of us in the States). Overall, the Duograph-Chrono RPanda is an incredibly attractive watch–one that feels very much like an honest contemporary interpretation of a vintage classic. And given Guinands’s aggressive direct-to-consumer pricing, there’s a lot of value in this package.

To learn more or to get yours, visit Guinand.