Angelus Watches

Angelus Watches

Angelus is one of those brands that real vintage collectors already revere — and modern complication fans are just starting to rediscover.

Once a Swiss chronograph powerhouse, Angelus helped define mid-century mechanical watchmaking. Now, it’s back with avant-garde skeletons and high-concept

complications that feel like nothing else on the market. Two lives. One legacy. Still ticking.

A Little History

Founded in 1891 in Le Locle, Angelus was once a top-tier manufacture — producing its own movements, crafting award-winning travel clocks, and creating some of the most

advanced chronographs of the pre-quartz era.

By the 1940s–'60s, Angelus was best known for:

  • The Chronodato (1942) — the first-ever series-produced chronograph with full calendar.

  • The Chrono-Datoluxe — a chronograph with a jumping digital date display.

  • The Eight-Day Movement — used in dashboards, travel clocks, and even some Panerai Radiomir models.

But like many Swiss independents, Angelus didn’t survive the quartz crisis. It faded into obscurity… until its modern resurrection in 2015, under the ownership of

La Joux-Perret (sister company to Arnold & Son and owned by Citizen Group).

Today’s Angelus is a whole different beast — futuristic, skeletonized, high-tech — but with clear links to the brand’s complicated past.

What Collectors Love

You’ve got two sides of Angelus to collect — and both are compelling:

1. Vintage Angelus (1940s–1970s)

  • Chronodato — legendary triple calendar chrono with gorgeous dials and column-wheel movements.

  • Datoluxe — rare and quirky with oversized date display.

  • Eight-Day dash clocks and military-issued timers — often seen in Panerai lore.

  • Mono-pusher and twin-register chronographs — beautifully made, underappreciated.

These watches are beloved by serious collectors — often compared to vintage Universal Genève and Longines, but still priced more accessibly.

2. Modern Angelus (Post-2015)

  • U10 Tourbillon Lumière — a wildly asymmetric flying tourbillon with lateral display.

  • U50 Diver Tourbillon — skeletonized dive watch with titanium case and flying tourbillon.

  • U41 and U53 — ultramodern skeletonized sports watches with in-house calibers.

  • Chronodate Reissue (2023) — modern tribute to the original Chronodato, with contemporary styling and integrated strap.

These modern pieces are wildly technical, often ultra-lightweight, and limited in production — aimed at serious collectors who’ve moved beyond the usual suspects.

Why Angelus Still Deserves Your Attention

Because it’s a rare case where the revival is as serious as the original.

Vintage Angelus represents the best of mid-century Swiss complication design — and the pieces are still undervalued compared to their peers.

The movements are sharp, the dials are beautiful, and the history is real.

The modern brand, meanwhile, is taking risks — pushing materials, layout, and movement architecture in ways that feel fresh, not derivative. It’s not a lazy reboot. It’s a rethink.

What’s Out There Now

You’ll find:

  • Vintage Chronodatos (35mm, Landeron or Angelus cal. chronographs)

  • Eight-Day timers and WWII-era pieces

  • Rare early tourbillons (U10, U21, U40) from the modern Angelus era

  • Current production models like the Chronodate, U41, and U53

Prices range from $1,500–$5,000 for great vintage chronos, up to $30K–$100K+ for modern haute horlogerie models.

Fed’s Take

Angelus is a two-lane brand — and both are worth your time.

The vintage stuff? Criminally underrated. The Chronodato is a grail-tier calendar chrono with real collector credibility. The modern stuff? Absolutely wild.

The U10 feels like a spaceship. And the new Chronodate reissues? One of the better heritage-redesigns I’ve seen.

If you’re a collector who loves history or horological creativity — Angelus is rich with both.

Check Out Our Angelus Inventory

Delray Watch is always on the lookout for unique Angelus watches — especially vintage Chronodato, U-series tourbillons, and modern Chronodate models.

If you have an Angelus watch you’re ready to sell or trade – reach out. We’re always buying.

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