Introducing the Archimede Outdoor Chronograph

Archimede is a German brand with an expertise in precision engineered tool watches that deliver a ton of value without compromising on design or function. Because of the type of watches that are directly in their wheelhouse, they might not get the credit they deserve for subtle detail when it comes to pure aesthetics. When your bread and butter is a simple pilot’s watch, for example, there’s just no need to break the mold or take big style risks. That said, with their Outdoor line, the brand has, dare I say it, introduced just a bit of funk into their design. The Outdoor Chronograph joins the 39 Protect (a classic field watch that can do anything) and the 41 Antimagnetic (the same idea, but with a soft iron cage) as a watch that expands the stylistic palette of the brand just a bit, seemingly without making compromises to utility and function.

Archimede Outdoor Chronograph

• Case Material: Stainless steel 
• Dial: Black 
• Dimensions: 41 x 13.8mm
• Crystal: Sapphire  
• Water Resistance: 20 ATM 
• Crown: Screw down   
• Movement: ETA 7750
• Strap/bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet 
• Price: $1400 (approximate)
• Reference Number: n/a 
• Expected Release: Available now

The Outdoor Chronograph has what is in essence a cushion case design, but with prominent dimples dipping into the top and bottom of the case, creating a series of flowing lines that you just don’t typically see on a tool watch. At 41mm and just shy of 14mm thick, I’m guessing the scalloped effect on the case is meant to help keep the bulk manageable. It creates a far more streamlined look than if you were to be looking at, or wearing, a solid block of cushion shaped steel. While it’s not exactly avant-garde watchmaking, it’s a nice looking design touch that also serves a legitimate purpose in making the case more approachable, and perhaps more versatile. 

The chronograph layout features a central sweeping seconds hand, a 30 minute register at 12:00 and a 24 hour scale at 6:00. Unique square hour markers surround the perimeter of the watch, each matched with its corresponding Arabic numeral, in a bold, modern typeface. There’s a lot of white on black happening here, making the whole dial easy to read. Unlike the case, the dial features can be characterized as fairly nondescript, relentlessly simple, and almost completely without flair of any kind.

Archimede is part of the Ickler family of brands, and the historic producer of incredibly well made watch cases has fashioned a hardened, scratch resistant case for the Outdoor. Special attention has been paid to the chronograph pushers and the crown. The screw down crown has been engineered to catch on the stem’s threads more easily, and the pushers are oversized and rectangular, making them easy to operate and less prone to catching on impediments than a typical pump pusher.

One of the things Archimede does really well is offering time-tested, proven designs, made incredibly well, at a fair price. After currency conversion, the Outdoor Chronograph comes in at a little over $1,400, which is a great value proposition for an Ickler cased chrono with a design that will look good for years to come. The Archimede Outdoor is available now on Archimede’s website. Archimede