A Watch Born from Operational Needs
Before becoming known for wristwatches, Chronofixe was producing onboard instruments and cockpit clocks designed for technical environments. These early tools were built for clarity, precision, and reliability, created to serve a function rather than to exist as decorative objects. This foundation naturally placed the brand in the world of aviation, where time was not an accessory, but a working necessity.
In the years following the Second World War, the French Air Force issued a set of requirements for a pilot’s chronograph. These watches had to be precise, reliable, legible in all conditions, and easy to use while flying. They were not designed as accessories; they were part of the cockpit. This model became known as “Type 20.”
Several manufacturers answered the call, and among them was Chronofixe. At the time, the brand was already known for producing functional instruments connected to technical environments, including onboard timing equipment. The Type 20 naturally became part of that trajectory. It was aligned with what Chronofixe had always done: build instruments meant to be used in real situations, where function mattered more than appearance.
A Model That Shaped the Brand’s Identity
The original Type 20 watches were defined by their purpose. A black dial for maximum contrast. Large numerals and luminous markers for instant readability. A flyback chronograph function that allowed pilots to reset and restart timing with a single push, without losing focus. Every detail had a reason to exist.
For many pilots, it was not just a watch. It was a reference point during flight.
Over time, this model became closely associated with the identity of Chronofixe. It represented the brand’s role in a specific moment of technical history, when watches were tools integrated into professional practice. The Type 20 was not an isolated creation, it was the natural expression of a company that had long been producing instruments connected to aviation, engineering, and precision work.
As decades passed, the world around it changed, aircraft evolved, navigation systems became digital, but the Type 20 remained a strong symbol of that earlier era, when timing, distance, and coordination depended on mechanical instruments and human attention.
The Return of a Foundational Model
When Chronofixe was revived, the Type 20 was the model that made the most sense to bring back first. Not because of nostalgia, but because it reflects what the brand stands for. It connects the present to a period when watches had a direct role in real operations. It carries a form of legitimacy that comes from use, not from storytelling. It reminds us that Chronofixe was never built around decoration, but around function.
Today’s Type 20 stays close to that origin. The visual language remains clear and purposeful. The dial is designed to be read at a glance. The chronograph keeps its central role. The overall balance respects the logic of the original instrument, adapted for modern life but rooted in the same intent.
More than any other model, the Type 20 explains what Chronofixe is.
It shows where the brand comes from.
It shows the environments it was connected to.
And it shows why this watch, above all others, stands as the historical reference point of the collection.