BA111OD Chapter 5.1 Chrono Magma

BA111OD just turned three, and it’s not slowing down. Launched in October 2019 by Thomas Baillod as a one-man experiment challenging the conventions of watch distribution, the brand has evolved into one of the most intriguing disruptors in Swiss watchmaking. It weathered the COVID storm, introduced the world’s first tourbillon with a connected sapphire crystal at an unheard-of price, and now, on its third anniversary, BA111OD enters a new chapter with its first chronograph: the Chapter 5.1 Chrono Magma.

The Chrono Magma is a bold debut for the brand’s fifth chapter, and it doesn’t shy away from making a statement. Designed in collaboration with Senior Designer Liliane Murenzi, the watch mixes red and black in all the right ways: red for passion and energy, black for control and focus. Housed in a 44mm stainless steel case with a ceramic bezel and red “111” tachymeter detail, it plays with textures and depth across a four-level dial. There’s a smoked-glass Baillod family crest at center stage, partially revealing the calendar mechanism beneath, and a subdial at 9 o’clock with a rotating disk in place of a traditional seconds hand. Around back, a red-tinted transparent caseback evokes molten lava, underscoring the watch’s volcanic energy.

Inside ticks a dependable Valjoux 7750 automatic movement, with 48 hours of power reserve and all the reliability you’d expect from a proper Swiss chrono. And in true BA111OD fashion, the strap includes two NFC chips, one for sharing your digital business card, the other to connect with the brand’s unique we-commerce ecosystem. For a company that started in a garage, Chapter 5.1 feels like both a celebration and a flex: the complication fans asked for, executed with style, substance, and plenty of fire.