The Albishorn Marinagraph is a new watch from Swiss indie manufacturer Albishorn, which “invents vintage” – it designs watches as if they were made in the past, but no one made them at the time. It combines the cleanliness of a diver’s skin with a very useful regatta countdown and tide bezel. Translated from horological to everyday language: the watch measures the time until the start of a sailing regatta and also helps to understand when the tide is changing. Price: CHF 3,950, limited to 99 pieces per color.
Albishorn builds its reputation on the concept Imaginary Vintage®: mechanical watches as “missing links” – they look like they belong in historical catalogues, but they were never printed there. The Albishorn Marinagraph goes back to 1958, when America's Cup returned to the competitive rhythm after twenty years and is a sailing boat Columbia easily overtook the British ScepterAlbishorn imagines that the crew members at the time would have worn this very watch. The idea is fun, and the story holds up surprisingly well.
A regatta countdown that stops at zero (and that's the point)
The main Albishorn Marinagraph trick is 10‑minute retrograde (arc-like) countdown at 7 o'clock. When it reaches zero, the hand does not jump back and start again - it remains frozen at 0. Why? Because there is less confusion at the start of a regatta: everyone on board can immediately see that the countdown is over, while the chronograph seconds hand can continue to measure the first leg of the race. This is unusual for regatta watches and is patented.
Tidal Bezel: 24 hours white and red
Instead of a dive counter, the Albishorn has a Marinagraph tidal insert. The bidirectional aluminum bezel is divided into 24 hours: white they mark the first 12 hours after high tide, red for the next 12 hours. This allows you to quickly assess what stage the water is in and how high it will be approximately – which on the coast can often mean the difference between a stylish arrival and a comedy with muddy shoes.
Readability: no “cut off” indices
Chronographs often suffer from crowded dials. Not here. Retrograde arc at 7 o'clock and a small operation indicator (disk) on 3 o'clock They do not overlap the hour markers, making the watch readable as a three-hand watch. It is visually thoughtful and functionally reassuring.
Dimensions for every day, presence for the weekend
Stainless steel case custom 39 mm in diameter and 13 mm in height (with a faceted sapphire). “Arms-to-arms” is 47.7mmThe bezel is a little wider, 42.7mm, so the watch feels more solid on the wrist, but remains comfortable. Water resistance is 100 m – enough for sea salt, rain and mooring lines.
Mechanics: a slim monopusher with a brain
Inside the ticking of the Albishorns caliber ALB01 A: automatic monopusher (all chronograph functions are controlled by a single button), COSC chronometer, 64 hours reserves and surprisingly low height, 6.6mm. The red aluminum pusher is on 9 o'clock (ideal for the thumb), and the crown on 10 o'clock – so-called dessert a layout that makes sense when you're actually holding the handlebars or rope.
Note for the curious: several expert sources state that ALB01 A is a deeply modified 7750/Sellita type architecture – i.e. proprietary a design that uses a familiar technical family as a starting point, but with a new baseplate, redesigned mechanics and a special retrograde module. The result is a thinner profile and a unique layout.
Two versions: classic and tropically bold
- Classic Racing: black sunray dial with red and blue accents; in the set black and red tropic rubber strap.
- Paraíba Racing: colorful green-turquoise dial and matching bezel; included black and white tropic strap.
Both versions are limited to 99 pieces (unnumbered), production spread over three years.
Specifications (briefly): Albishorn Marinagraph
- Model: Albishorn Marinagraph (Classic Racing / Paraíba Racing)
- Housing: 316L steel, 39mm; 47.7mm lug-to-lug; 13 mm height; bezel 42.7 mm
- Glass: faceted sapphire with AR coating
- Bezel: two-way, aluminum, 24-hour tide display (white/red)
- Waterproof: 100 m
- Mechanism: ALB01 A, automatic, monopusher, COSC, 6.6mm; 4 Hz; 64 hours reserves; patented 10-minute retrograde race countdown, running indicator at 3 o'clock
- Straps: two tropic rubbers (Classic: black + red; Paraíba: black + white)
- Limitation: 99 pieces per color
- Price: CHF 3,950 (excluding taxes and shipping)
Final thought: retro imagination, real-world utility
Marinagraph works like a found sketch from the archives of a Swiss engineer who loved the sea. It has a story, but also a function: a clear start of the regatta, simple tidal compass and legible chronograph in a wearable 39mm package. If you’re looking for a watch with a witty idea but without the over-theatrics, this is one of the most interesting interpretations of “what if” in recent times. The next logical step: compare the Marinagraph with classic regatta icons (Heuer Skipper, Yema Yachtingraf) and see how much “imaginary vintage” we still need in real life.
