The Chronograph
The chronograph is, without doubt, one of the most complex complications in watchmaking and also one of the most popular. CODE41, being CODE41, took on the challenge. However, rather than going with a simple standard movement, they decided to create a movement with a peripheral weight integrated into the dial side.
The chronograph complication allows the user to measure relatively short time intervals. It is started and stopped using a button on the right side of the case. The second button resets the count to zero. The central hand measures the time elapsed and the small seconds hand the regular seconds. Most chronographs feature two counters, one for minutes and one for seconds.
For the NB24 Chronograph, CODE41 called on one of the most qualified specialists in the field, The Concepto factory. Founded in 2006 and based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Concepto now counts over 115 employees who take care of all watchmaking expertise in-house.
CODE 41 NB24 – The Realization of a Dream
The NB24 tells the story of its ambassador, Nigel Bailly, and his dream of taking part in Le Mans’ 24 Hours. Nigel, a young paraplegic driver, shared his passion with CODE41 in 2017, who immediately signed up to help him fulfill his goals. After three years of hard work, Nigel will take part in Le Mans’ 24 Hours in June 2021. This watch is dedicated to him.
The CODE41 NB24 Versions
The NB24 Chronograph is available in four Grade 5 Titanium versions and four Aerocrabon versions. The case is 42 mm in diameter with a sapphire glass on both the dial and the case back, allowing an uninterrupted view of the movement. Each model is available with a wide choice of 20 interchangeable straps. The NB24 has a power reserve of 48 hours when not in use and is water-resistant to 100 meters (10ATM).
The CODE41 NB24 Ti5 – Grade 5 Titanium
Grade 5 Titanium is 43% lighter than steel, making it that much more comfortable to wear. For their NB24 chronograph, CODE41 chose Grade 5 titanium, which is more expensive than Grade 2, but it offers twice the durability and detail in the finishing.
The CODE41 NB24 AeroCarbon – Aeronautical carbon fiber
Extremely tough, the CODE41 NB24 AeroCarbon case is in high-density aeronautical carbon fiber. Produced for CODE41 in France, the blocks are composed of over 300 layers, each placed at 90° to the previous and then compacted under 10 bars of pressure in an autoclave oven. This process guarantees an exceptional composite 2.5 times more resistant to bending than steel and two times lighter.
The Exclusive Peripheral Oscillating Weight
In an automatic mechanical movement, an oscillating weight swings from left to right, recharging the watch through your wrist movement. The weight rewinds the mainspring, which stores the energy required for the mechanism to function correctly.
CODE41 integrated their first oscillating weight in the X41 and took it one step further with the NB24, which features the weight on the dial side instead of the case back. It is a defining feature found on few timepieces at this price range.
What makes the CODE41 NB24 so exceptional?
- Exclusive movement
- A movement made and assembled in Switzerland
- Short production runs
- Dial side peripheral oscillating weight
- Good value for money
- Finished and assembled by hand
More than just Swiss-made
For a watch to be considered Swiss-made, a minimum of 60% of its value has to come from Switzerland; its movement must be Swiss and be assembled in Switzerland. The NB24 project is at almost 85%, comfortably exceeding Swiss-made requirements.
CODE41 does not use the Swiss-made label, instead opting for its own TTO label (Total Transparency on Origin). They are entirely transparent concerning production costs and the mark-ups needed for the project to be profitable.
The CODE41 project – Pricing
An unbeatable value for money, direct distribution, reasonable mark-ups, and communication of costs are just some of the reasons that CODE41 can offer the NB24 chronograph at such an attractive price point.
“The price is not the result of market positioning, but a direct reflection of the cost of production,” says CODE41-ClaudioD’Amore, Founder and CEO.
Pre-orders account for about 80% of CODE41’s turnover, which means that they only start production once they have received the needed number of orders. Therefore, they optimize their cash flow while significantly reducing the risk of unsold stock or money tied up in inventory.
The CODE41 NB24 in Summary
- Pre-Orders open on the 27th of January, 2021, at 3 pm (Zurich Time)
- Pre-orders close on the 25th of February 2021
- Price: from $3,480
- 500 pieces available
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