It’s taken over two years—and, in truth, a working lifetime immersed in horology—to create the new Helicon Professional Chronograph. As the months and years have passed, it’s easy to forget just how much hard-earned experience and knowledge have shaped this project. Our understanding of the chronograph isn’t purely theoretical—it’s built on decades of hands-on involvement, conversations, and collaboration with some of the most respected names in watchmaking.
Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of working with chronograph luminaries such as Sinn in Frankfurt, where we had the pleasure of meeting Helmut Sinnhimself during his retirement—a man whose pursuit of functional precision remains a constant inspiration.
We’ve also spent time with Fortis in Grenchen, the home of the Cosmonauts Chronograph, and long admired one of Britain’s most influential independent watchmakers Peter Roberts, whose remarkable Concentrique Chronograph features five centrally mounted hands—indicating hours, minutes, seconds, date, and a second time zone. It’s a masterpiece of design and horological ingenuity, and one that continues to inspire what we do at Helicon.
In our own library sit many treasured references, but one we returned to time and again during this project was Gerd R. Lang’s wonderful book To Stop Time—a chronicle of the chronograph’s evolution from a complex, expensive scientific instrument to an indispensable wrist-worn companion. That historical arc—precision, purpose, and accessibility—defined our mission.
Choosing the Right Heartbeat
Our challenge was clear: to create an affordable, practical, and legible chronograph that embodies the same integrity and design thinking as the greats. A watch for daily use—not confined to a display cabinet—but designed to be worn, used, and enjoyed.
Through our long-standing relationships with partners in Japan, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with Seiko, whose engineering expertise and commitment to reliability we greatly respect. Their Meca-Quartz Chronograph movement offered the perfect foundation—combining the tactile, mechanical feel of a traditional chronograph with the precision and dependability of quartz accuracy. It’s a modern, tough, and proven solution for a watch that needs to perform every day.
But we didn’t stop there.
We chose the more rare and elusive VK61 variant of the Meca-Quartz family. This movement features a clean and intuitive duo-chronograph layout: a centrally mounted “jet” hand that measures elapsed seconds, an upper sub-dial tracking up to 60 minutes, and a lower sub-dial for continuous running seconds. To our eyes—and in practical terms—this is the epitome of a well-considered, highly legible chronograph. It’s a layout that strips away unnecessary clutter in favour of instant readability and ease of use.
This is the kind of design you can rely on whether you’re timing a flight segment, a dive interval, or just your morning coffee. In short, it’s the true professional’s tool—precise, usable, and engineered with purpose.
The Helicon Way
Every detail, from the pushers’ resistance to the sub-dial arrangement, has been considered and tested. The result is a chronograph that honours the past while embracing the engineering of the present—built for those who value both form and function.
The Helicon Professional Chronograph represents not just another release, but a culmination of decades of shared knowledge, respect, and passion for horology. It’s a timepiece we’re proud to put our name on—and one we hope you’ll be equally proud to wear.
Now Open for Pre-Order
Limited to 50 pieces per colour, designed, assembled, and tested in the UK.
Delivery scheduled for early 2026.