Just about a week ago we announced the exciting addition of Damasko’s tough, German-made watches to the shop. A unique brand in the market, Damasko’s mix of modern tool watch aesthetics with proprietary technologies make their watches must-haves for fans of rugged timepieces. Today, we are pleased to announce that we are adding to the shop perhaps their most exciting chronograph to date: the DC 80.
In the world of chronographs, there is a rarely seen variation that has historically been a favorite of enthusiasts, the central-minute chronograph. Rather than the typical, small sub-dial that counts to 30-minutes, central-minute chronographs have an additional hand on the main dial, counting the full 60-minute rotation. This allows for easier at-a-glance reading of the elapsed minutes, and an overall better experience. Unfortunately, none of the major movement manufacturers currently create central-minute chronographs, making them few and far between, as well as typically very expensive.
Given their knack for ingenuity, Damasko created the C51-1 automatic central-minutes chronograph caliber to add this elusive complication to their catalog. Based on the Valjoux 7750, but heavily rebuilt with in-house components, the C51-1 is a 27-jewel movement with a frequency of 28,800 bph. In this version, it simply has central elapsed minutes and seconds counters, plus the minutes and hours hands for the time.
The DC 80 is the first watch to feature this fantastic caliber. A thoroughly modern design with an aggressive pilot’s watch attitude, the DC 80 mixes a bold non-numerical dial with a sleek 42mm case. The overall look is technical and tactical, with a perfectly symmetrical dial that lacks the tell-tale sub-dials of a chronograph. The result is a very clean design without distractions, putting emphasis on the central-minute counter.
The case of the DC 80 features several of Damasko’s technologies, such as ice-hardened steel, anti-magnetic shielding, their patented crown system, bezel with in-house ceramic bearings and more. The model we’re stocking initially is also accented with DAMEST® coated crown, pushers and bezel edge, adding another layer of protection to those parts (particularly useful on the bezel) as well as a cool, contrasting detail.
Between Damasko’s patented technologies and the new C51-1 movement, the DC 80 is a force to be reckoned and a great addition to the Windup Watch Shop. The DC 80 is available now for $2,665 or as low as $124/month with Affirm, check it out here.
