Charriol Gran Celtica SuperSportS

Charriol, a brand enjoying a breath of renewal and modernity this year, is giving its Celtica chronograph a second life. It’s an opportunity to look at how a watch can move upmarket through a facelift—work that touches materials, design and mechanics alike.

The first, most impactful change: the movement. The “high-end” version of the Celtica is fitted with a robust Valjoux 7750 automatic movement (whereas the classic Celtica is powered by a quartz movement), certainly one of the most reliable in its category.

The case gains 2 mm and adopts a more assertive 46 mm diameter. This increase is also felt in the slimmer bezel, offering a better view of the dial which, as we’ll see later, is well worth a look.

The transparent caseback reveals the Valjoux 7750, which has been fitted with a laser-cut oscillating weight that lets the brand’s logo emblem show through.

The pushers have been rounded compared to the quartz version. The finishing plays with an alternation of polished and sandblasted surfaces, to striking effect.

The lug cover has been dropped in favour of visible lugs, hollowed out with air intakes reminiscent of those on muscle cars.

The crisps-shaped crystal is cut on both surfaces to avoid a “magnifying glass” effect depending on the wearer’s viewing angle.

Water resistance increases from 3 to 10 ATM.

The watch comes in two versions. One features a black dial with red Super-LumiNova on the hands; the other a honeycomb guilloché dial with violet Super-LumiNova on the hands as well as behind the turbine at 9 o’clock.

The dial features three sub-dials. At 12 o’clock, the counter takes the shape of a shield, not unlike those used by certain racing-car brands. At 3 o’clock, a double aperture displays the date and day.

At 9 o’clock, a kind of turbine marks the seconds and brings the dial superbly to life.

In terms of price, the Gran Celtica will be available for around €3,200.