Swiss brand Albishorn is known for their rather daring mission of recreating vintage watches that never existed; a goal that seems confusing until you see their wide swathe of “imaginary vintage” offerings, each of which draws from iconic timepieces of the past while forging their own new identities. It’s an exercise in parallel history with an added touch of impossibility, and it’s what makes Albishorn watches a category of their own. Carrying on that hypothetical tradition is the new Type X-Graph, which borrows elements from the legendary Type 20 design, while adding features that were simply not possible in the era that Type 20 pieces were being built.
Rather than taking a Type 20 silhouette and cramming new features in, Albishorn has taken to imagining what a predecessor “Type 10” may have looked like instead. Calling it a “missing link” in the history of the Type 20, the Type X-Graph is, of course, a pilot chronograph, with stylings from the late 1940s to pre-date the Type 20’s 1950s introduction. A monopusher military chronograph design, the Type X-Graph measures in at 39mm (a first hint of the modern innovations that remind us that it’s of an imagined history) in case diameter, and 20mm in case thickness. The lug width is a democratic 20mm, with the final lug-to-lug measurement coming in at a wearable 47.7mm, and kept slim by the 12mm thickness. But that’s just the boring stuff; the visuals and functionality of the X-Graph are what make it stand out from other vintage-inspired pieces.
First, taking cues from 1930s acrylic materials like Plexiglas and Lucite (Albishorn does their research, if you couldn’t already tell), the dial of the X-Graph is translucent anthracite polycarbonate with a fume finish that replicates the original metal dial while revealing the skeletonized movement beneath. It’s an almost dizzying effect and requires a double-take to fully understand what’s at play aesthetically; in some angles of light, the movement is barely visible, while in others, it looms distinctly beneath the numerals and subdials, almost like a sunken ship beneath a layer of ice. And speaking of that movement, it comes in the form of a patented proprietary chronograph caliber ALB04M with COSC-certified chronometer functionality. It offers running seconds at 4:30, a 30-minute counter at 7:30, and a patented chronograph operating indicator at 12 o’clock. A power reserve of 65 hours is good for the category, and all of it is, of course, visible through the transparent dial. A red aluminum monopusher at 9:30 on the outside of the bezel controls the chronograph, with the bronze crown just above it at 10. The satin-finished gunmetal rotating bezel itself hosts engraved and lacquered figures and Super-LumiNova indexes on a 60-unit scale, giving it a subtly chunky gravitas when paired with the stainless steel case.
Further lume is provided on the dial, with all hands painted white and filled with Super-LumiNova. Capping off the design are black and taupe leather strap options, both of which come with an Albishorn buckle, while a steel bracelet with a quick-release system, two concealed extensions, and a double-folding clasp is an optional extra.
Not many watch brands play in the world of fiction, and Albishorn is in a category of its own with their inventive but historically-tinged pieces. The new Type X-Graph continues that legacy, and ups the stakes design-wise, and should push further innovation both within the brand, and the industry as a whole.
The Albishorn Type X-Graph is limited to 99 pieces produced over the course of three years, and will be available exclusively at www.albishorn-watches.ch from Friday, May 29th 2026. Each X-Graph retails for CHF 4,250, or approximately $5,409, while the additional bracelet option raises that price to $5,981.
