CRONUS Prototype 1

Ever wondered what would happen if you took the blunt instrument that is the Russian made Zlatoust 191-ChS Diver – redesigned it to look even cooler, hand-crafted it in Germany, bunged a Swiss mechanical movement inside it and added some patented-technology into the mix?



This is what dive watch obsessives do instead of counting sheep at night; the only difference is, most of us lack the vast technological know-how or have the required skill-set to execute such a project.



Thankfully there are those that do, such as the Cronus Watch Manufactory in Germany who have done exactly that – that is to say, they have reinvented the 191-ChS into something very special indeed.



The first hand drawn sketches and technical drawings of the Cronus dive watch were produced in 2010 working off of the 1960s 191-ChS. The goal was to maintain the watch’s characteristics such as its massive protruding crown, while finding a way of stabilizing its closure.



From the very outset; the goal was also to create a robust dive watch that could withstand extreme loads and external influences while ensuring a good degree of water-tightness. And so phase two implemented a 3D technical construction with the Prototype 1 being developed the following year.



This is the Cronus Prototype 1 which is powered by an ETA Unitas 6497, 17 jewel movement. I want one badly - sadly it is not available.

However its development directly lead to the creation of the Cronus PROTOTYPE 2, a more evolved diver which is available.