In a world where AI has become more or less a daily part of life, the dreams of science-fiction writers are steadily becoming less and less implausible. Although the one sci-fi sub-genre that hasn’t quite become a reality yet is the space opera. Although if certain billionaires get their way how long will it be until a human colony is established on a distant planet? It’s space opera sci-fi that provides the inspiration for Isotope’s first ever chronograph, the Chronograph Compax Moonshot.
Specifically, the watch is inspired by Isotope founder’s favourite sci-fi graphic novel, The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Jean Giraud. In case you’re not familiar, it’s a grand space opera about a technocratic future where forces fight over the power of the light and the dark. In watchmaking terms, that expresses itself through a cool retro-futuristic design across the case and dial. The shape language in particular feels unique.
Starting with the case, it’s made from a single block of grade 5 titanium shaped with a CNC machine that’s then finished by hand and given a black DLC coating. This monolithic construction gives it an almost uncanny cohesiveness as well as smooth lines and clean facets. One of the most distinctive elements is how the case cuts across horizontally above and below the bezel at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively, making the display into a stadium-like oval shape rather than circular. In terms of size, the Chronograph Compax Moonshot is fairly large with a diameter of 41mm, a thickness of 15mm and a lug-to-lug of 49.5mm.
Zooming in and enhancing in on the bezel (Bladerunner style), it sits beneath the double-domed sapphire crystal glass in the same style as an internal bezel you might find on a compression diver. Although this one doesn’t rotate as it features both a tachymeter and pulsometer scale, allowing you to calculate your speed and pulse rate. Evidently in Isotope’s vision of our sci-fi future we haven’t created cyborgs yet and pulse rate will still be something that needs measuring.
Zooming in and enhancing again, this time on the dial, Isotope has completely reimagined how the compax chronograph display works. While it has three subdials in the traditional arrangement of a tricompax display (which is two subdials flanking the central hands with a third below at 6 o’clock) they’ve done away with the traditional pointer hands on each of the subdials.
Instead, each of the subdials has a disk with circular engraving that sits atop the small seconds, 30-minute timer and 12-hour timer scales respectively. Then, a small, wedge-shaped aperture with an arrow reveals the scale below denoting the relevant indication. They essentially serve as overengineered versions of typical hands, but it has a dramatic impact on the overall aesthetic of the display. Elsewhere the dial has a similar lined engraving to the subdial disk but in a horizontal orientation rather than circular.
The central hands feature semi-skeletonised portions in Isotope’s signature tear drop shape. They point to a peripheral hour scale around the inner section of the bezel. The scale goes without any numeric marking, instead relying on built-up markers at each of the hour positions. It’s technically quite a minimalist dial in terms of information on display but the finishing makes it feel anything but minimalist with a huge amount of fluting and textured surfaces.
As for colours, there are two versions of the Chronograph Compax Moonshot available. The first is the Stealth edition, which as expected is in monochromatic black and white, except for the hour scale and hands, which are coated in Super-LumiNova, giving them a luminous green colour.
Second is the Terra Maris edition, a follow up to 2022’s Terra Maris GMT 0°. This colour scheme was developed in partnership with journalist, author and broadcaster Miguel Seabra and is now being described as a capsule collection, meaning all watches Isotope produce will presumably receive Terra Maris editions. It’s an attractive combination of brown and blue, symbolising land and sea – thematically appropriate for a watch inspired by planetary stories.
Beneath the surface of the Chronograph Compax Moonshot is the Swiss Landeron 73 automatic chronograph movement. It has a power reserve of 42-hours and operates at a 4 Hz frequency, which are pretty solid specs as you’d expect from a well-established microbrand like Isotope. The movement is also visible through the exhibition caseback.
In terms of price and availability, the Chronograph Compax Moonshot is £2,700 with an initial production run of 25-pieces in each colour. The watch is not a limited edition, although each of the pieces is numbered, instead being released in a series of batches ahead of plans for general manufacture next year. I think this is without question one of the most interesting watches Isotope has ever produced and is the perfect example of the types of innovative, exciting and unexpected watch design that microbrands should be engaged in. We don’t want a 49th retro diver reinterpretation, we want daring innovation and Isotope have delivered. They attempted a moonshot and they landed it.
Price and Specs:
More details at Isotope.
