Anonimo Militare Chrono WRC
The Anonimo Militare Chrono WRC is a special edition watch, produced to celebrate the luxury brand’s role as official timekeeper of the FIA World Rally Championship. With its combination of stealthy black tones and vivid green hues, this bi-compax chronograph certainly stands out from the crowd.
The luxury brand, Anonimo was established in 1997. While many watch companies craft watches in Geneva or the Jura mountains, early Anonimo watches were crafted in Florence, a city synonymous with renaissance art and breathtaking architecture.
The company’s inaugural models were divers’ watches, a genre of timepiece often described as utilitarian. However, from the very outset Anonimo watches were different. They brimmed with style and could only be described as handsome. Indeed, it seemed that Anonimo’s beautiful surroundings provided a positive influence on the brand’s designs.
Anonimo has not always followed the well-trodden path of others. Its earlier models often had winding crowns which were positioned out of the way at 4 o’clock, a feature which remains on some of the brand’s models today. Throughout its history the watch firm has always embraced innovative materials. For example, in 2006, Anonimo released a bronze diving watch, the first company to do so.
In 2013, Anonimo was taken over and relocated its operations to Switzerland. While the luxury marque is now based in Le Locle and all of its watches feature Swiss movements, the brand still upholds the artistic flair synonymous with its spiritual home, Florence.
Anonimo, the official timekeeper of the FIA World Rally Championship
Like many watch brands, Anonimo has looked to motorsport as a means of building brand awareness. Often those individuals with a passion for motorsport also appreciate the engineering excellence intrinsic to a fine watch. Moreover, precision and skill are equally important in the domains of both horology and motorsport.
Image – WRC, Sardinia (June 2018)
Anonimo branding has adorned the racing overalls of WTCR drivers as well as Moto3 riders. In 2018, Anonimo became the official timekeeper of the FIA World Rally Championship, heightening brand awareness, especially among ‘petrolheads’.
The 2019 World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar comprises of 14 rallies, scattered around the globe. The season began in Monte-Carlo (24.1.2019 – 27.1.2019) and will conclude with the Kennards Hire Rally, Australia (14.11.2019 – 17.11.2019).
Recently, the World Rally Championship moved to British shores (3.10.2019 – 6.10.2019). I was kindly invited by Anonimo to join them on this occasion. Furthermore, the brand sent a press sample beforehand for a period of evaluation.
The Anonimo Militare Chrono WRC, a special edition watch, encompasses the FIA World Rally Championship colour scheme, combining black and green hues to spectacular effect. However, its talents surpass its eye-popping ‘paint job’.
Image – Angus Davies (L), Heidi Davies (Editor in Chief) and Elfyn Evans (M-Sport Ford World Rally Team)
Image – Left to Right: Sébastien Ogier, Ott Tänak, Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans
The dial
The silvery landscape of the dial incorporates a vertical satin-brushed finish. Two subdials populate the central region of the dial. They are presented in black and introduce an agreeable dose of symmetry. A small seconds display is positioned at 3 o’clock, while a 30-minute chronograph register is located opposite. This latter indication is suffused with a vivid shade of green, replicating one of the hues used by the WRC.
The hour and minute hands circumvent traditional styles, embracing a distinctive aesthetic all of their own. They are bold, generously proportioned and incorporate a liberal application of white Super-LumiNova.
On several Anonimo watches, the indexes are intended to resemble the letter ‘A’, the first character of the brand’s nomen. Indeed, the Arabic numerals at 4, 8 and 12 o’clock are said to depict a triangle. The remaining hours are represented with black baton-style indexes.
A green central chronograph seconds hand engages with a matching chemin de fer. Despite this tone-on-tone arrangement, readability remains excellent. Near the fulcrum of the dial, the WRC logo is shown in black.
The case
The Anonimo Militare Chrono WRC features a cushion-shaped steel case. A combination of DLC and PVD treatments suffuse the exterior of this model with stealthy tones. The case measures 43.4mm in diameter, but appears smaller. I suspect one reason for this optical illusion is the absence of a crown at the customary 3 o’clock position.
On this watch, the crown sits above noon, similar to a traditional pocket watch, but nestles between the lugs. In order to operate the crown, the strap attachment pivots, allowing access. The system proves user-friendly and contributes to the model’s exalted levels of wearer comfort.
Two pushers grace the right flank of the case. Adjacent 2 o’clock, a green pusher starts and stops the chronograph, while a second pusher at 4 o’clock, this time in black, resets the stopwatch function. Both pushers feature a prominent lined grip on their vertical plane.
The Florentine-Swiss Maison has repeatedly infused the Anonimo Militare Chrono WRC with octane-rich influences. The strap is made from ‘Cordura effect fabric and fireproofed as per the drivers’ race suits, with leather inserted pieces’. Prominent green stitching features on the strap, while the green keeper contrasts wonderfully with the anthracite toned strap. The titanium Anonimo-branded pin buckle is beautifully detailed and completes the cosseting ensemble.
The dorsal plane of the watch features a smoked sapphire crystal, embellished with white WRC branding.
The movement
At the heart of the Anonimo Militare Chrono WRC is a self-winding modular movement. The base is a Sellita SW300, while the chronograph module is a Dubois Dépraz 2035M ‘made exclusively for Anonimo’.
Dubois Dépraz is based in Le Lieu in the Vallée du Joux, a region synonymous with watchmaking and, more specifically, movements. The firm, founded in 1901, is held in high esteem, having crafted chronograph modules for a variety of companies, including some of the most prestigious practitioners of haute horlogerie.
Purists may argue that integrated chronographs are superior and they would be correct. However, this latter genre of chronograph usually attracts a price premium, potentially depriving some would-be buyers of potential ownership delight.
The balance has a frequency of 28,800 VpH (4Hz) and the movement contains 49 jewels. The power reserve is 42 hours.
In terms of finishing, the smoked sapphire crystal makes appraisal difficult. The oscillating weight is embellished with Côtes de Genève, but beyond this I was unable to see much more of the movement.
Closing remarks
The dial of the Anonimo Militare Chrono WRC is eminently readable, beautifully balanced and attractively styled. I always favour bi-compax dials and this watch sates this horological foible. The prominent Arabic numerals on the dial may not be to everyone’s taste but I think they imbue the watch with an extraordinary amount of style.
Personally, I loved the shades employed by the luxury marque as they provide a welcome departure from the ‘safe’ colours used by many brands. Indeed, Anonimo has produced a striking watch, courtesy of the silver dial, green detail and black tones of the case, which is bold, eye-catching and supremely stylish. Moreover, this watch is infused with the sounds, smells and excitement that is synonymous with the octane-rich world of the World Rally Championship.
With its Swiss movement, keen pricing and quality construction, the Anonimo Militare Chrono WRC makes a compelling case for acquisition. But most of all, this watch perpetuates the aesthetic prowess of the brand’s early models, crafted in the midst of its spiritual home, Florence.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Anonimo Militare Chrono WRC
- Case: Steel treated with DLC & PVD; diameter 43.4mm; height 14.5mm; water resistance 12ATM (120 metres) sapphire crystals to the front and back
- Functions: Hours; minutes; small seconds; chronograph
- Movement: Sellita SW300 base with a Dubois Dépraz 2035M module; automatic movement; frequency 28,800 VpH (4Hz); contains 49 jewels; power reserve 42 hours
- Strap: ‘Cordura effect fabric and fireproofed as per the drivers’ race suits, with leather inserted pieces’ paired with a titanium pin buckle
- Price: £4,590 (RRP as at 7.10.2019)