Graham - The Man
George Graham may not be a household name to many, but he is one of the most important English watch and clockmakers of all time. Being of British descent in 1673 he worked with other greats such as Thomas Tompion and his works have been owned by many great men through the ages.
He is known as the “father of the chronograph” as he was the first to invent such a mechanism that could time the duration of something.
The Brand As We Know It
The brand today was launched by two Swiss men born in a small Swiss town. There names are Eric Loth and Pierre-André Finazzi and in 1995 they together launched Graham the brand, which was inspired by the great man himself.
Today the company make mainly chronographs so as to pay homage to the great man himself who was known as ‘father of the chronograph’.
The watches themselves are instantly recognizable due to their oversize nature. The chronograph movements all feature automatic winding. These watches aren’t adorned with diamond bezels and diamond dials, they are functional tool watches designed with astronomical and aeronautical applications in mind.
Today their line up of watches also features a range known as Geo.Graham which is a selection of tourbillons and a moon-phase complication.
The lineup consists of Geo.Graham, Chronofighter and Silverstone. Previous models in the line-up include the Swordfish range, but they are no longer available to sell new and can only be purchased on the pre-owned market through watch and jewelry stores.
The Oversize Chronofighter
The oversize Chronofighter is perhaps the most recognizable in the range. This model is oversize and features a unique start/stop leader on the left side of the case. The lever is pressed to ensure the timing function is toggled on and off with ease and runs through the center of the crown where it connects with the movement. This is a feature used on pilots watches of the 1940s. The chronofighter offerings are only supplied in steel and offered on bracelets or straps. The Prodive model of the Chronofighter range is a limited edition model, limited to only 200 pieces.
Geo.Graham - The Limited Edition
The Geo.Graham is the true high end collection in the brand. Whilst they may look more like a jewelry piece than other line-ups, they are far from being only jewelry, as their technical complications are where these models shine. These models highlight a level of refinement and innovation that is in keeping with the brand's history. The collection showcases three tourbillon complications. The Orrery Tourbillon also features a mechanical solar system model which makes its way around the face via a system of rings and a diamond set in the center of the dial. the Moon model is equipped with a phases of the moon complication. All these models are offered exclusively in gold. They come in white gold and pink gold with all being limited in edition which makes them extremely collectable to buy and sell in the new and pre-owned markets.
These tourbillon models are only available on leather straps.
Silverstone
The Silverstone range is inspired by motor racing and all feature automatic chronograph movements and come in a variety of colour options. The straps are designed to resemble the tire of a motor car.