Graham Fortress Monopusher Limited Edition

Graham fake (named after famed British watchmaker Georges Graham) began producing watches in 1990 and is known for its bold, retro-style oversized pilot chronographs, most of which can be started and stopped via a chronograph trigger to identify. On the left side of the case, the brand’s characteristic design elements. This 2021 Graham introduces a new limited edition of the Fortress Monopusher, a model still based on some of the brand’s design cues but with a slightly less aggressive look. Still retro and military style, this new limited edition Graham Fortress Monopusher is still left-handed, but doesn’t have the trigger.

When people think of Graham, they probably think of the Chronofighter, a watch that was born in the early 2000s and was inspired by military chronographs. The Cronofighter is a radical and bold watch, a statement of intent. This watch has been the basis of an entire chronograph line, equipped with so-called flip-flops, whether it be a retro-styled model or a more modern racing watch. Today, with this new Fortress, the brand is showing its intentions to break the mold, removing one of the most iconic elements of its design, the trigger itself.

The brand’s name is reminiscent of the flying fortresses of the 1930s, making it clear that this new watch is bold and durable. In fact, this new model has a pronounced 47mm diameter stainless steel case with a thickness of around 15mm. Part brushed and part polished, the case has large lugs and a sapphire crystal on both sides, and is water resistant to 100 meters (not bad for a pilot’s chronograph). The most distinctive element of the design is undoubtedly the onion crown placed on the left side of the case, above which the single pusher of the chronograph is placed. So it makes the Graham Fortress Monopusher less aggressive than the Chronofighter model, even though the look is far from traditional.

The dial of this new Graham Fortress Monopusher is typical of the brand, with large applied Arabic numerals reminiscent of vintage aircraft dashboards. Available in grainy black or gradient blue, all elements are oversized for optimal contrast and filled with beige Super-LumiNova for a retro feel by day and legible by night. Due to the left-handed construction, the layout of the elements on the dial is quite unusual, with the small seconds at 3 o’clock, the 30-minute counter at 6 o’clock and the date at 9 o’clock.

Behind the sapphire caseback is the G1750 movement, based on a modified Valjoux 7750. This tried-and-true cam-driven automatic chronograph features a single-button construction that beats at 4 Hz and offers a 48-hour power reserve. The decor is classic with pearl pattern, Côtes de Genève and custom rotors.

Graham Fortress Monopusher Limited Edition 2FOAS.B01A and 2FOAS.U01A Technical Data

function
Chronograph (seconds, 30-minute counter)
Large date aperture at 9 o’clock
Minutes and seconds

move
Calibre G1750, Automatic Chronograph – Single Push Button, 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz), Incabloc damper
25 gems
Power reserve: 48 hours
Chronofiable® movement certification (improved shock absorption)

cashier
47mm steel
Single push-button start/stop/reset and crown on left side of case, activated with thumb
satin steel bezel
Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on the bottom
Transparent sapphire crystal case back with limited edition serial number

air tightness
330 ft/100 m/10 bar

field
Grained black dial with beige Super-LumiNova numerals (font inspired by vintage aircraft). Numbers applied by hand
Round sunray brushed sub-dial
Rhodium-plated hour hands with beige Super-LumiNova coating
Rhodium-plated minute, second and counter hands

tape
Hand-stitched black calfskin strap with beige stitching
steel buckle