When a watch stands the test of time without losing any of its uniqueness, it means it was ahead of its time. The Digitrend was visionary in 1976, and it remains relevant in 2024. In this Open Sapphire version, it has become essential: radical, transparent, different—everything we love about Chronopassion.
AMIDA Digitrend Open Sapphire: the retro-futuristic icon is reborn in complete transparency
An independent Swiss watch that brings together a visionary past and a bold future
In 1976, Swiss watchmaker Amida launched a watchmaking UFO: the Digitrend, the first mechanical watch with a sideways display and digital readout via a sapphire prism. This timepiece, a true design statement inspired by the space age, became a cult symbol of 1970s watchmaking. But with the quartz crisis, the brand faded away, leaving its dream suspended in time.
Nearly half a century later, Amida is back with the Digitrend Open Sapphire, a spectacular reinterpretation that combines mechanical transparency, avant-garde design, and Swiss watchmaking expertise.
A sapphire case that reveals the mechanical soul
The Digitrend Open Sapphire stands out with its sapphire case cut using the Kyropoulos process, distortion-free and polished for 20 hours to achieve a clarity worthy of precision optics. Two-thirds of the watch is completely transparent, revealing the jumping hour complication and polycarbonate reading discs in a mechanical ballet visible from every angle.
Thanks to its patented 1973 prism display, this watch offers a unique vertical digital readout inspired by the operation of submarine periscopes. The mechanical module operates flat, but the time is projected onto the edge of the case for a unique reading experience.
Swiss finishing excellence in full view
Transparency is not just aesthetic – it is also a celebration of Swiss watchmaking expertise. Beneath the display discs, the jumping display module features Côtes de Genève, mirror-polished beveling and meticulous pearling on the plate. All of this reveals the craftsmanship for which independent Swiss watchmaking is renowned.
A robust and precise automatic movement
At the heart of the Digitrend Open Sapphire beats the Soprod Newton automatic caliber, oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a power reserve of 44 hours. Its jumping hour complication, designed in-house with only nine components, combines mechanical efficiency and technical elegance, all at an extremely competitive price for this level of craftsmanship.
A limited edition of 150 pieces
AMIDA: 100 years of history, a reactivated future
Founded in 1925 in Granges (Switzerland) by Joseph Zwahlen, Amida made history in 1976 with the Digitrend, an icon of 1970s watch design. After falling dormant during the quartz era, the brand has now been reinvented in Geneva, in a new workshop located in Meyrin. True to its DNA, Amida designs innovative Swiss watches at the crossroads of retro-futurism and mechanical technology, for those who want to see time differently.
MOVEMENT
Soprod NEWTON P092 caliber,
Swiss automatic, mechanical winding
Mechanical module Internally developed jumping hour disc with 9 components and 6 screws
23 jewels
Frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve 44 hours
Movement height: 4.6 mm
Additional module: 2 mm
Finishes Geneva stripes, pearling,
sandblasting and brushing
Skeletonized oscillating weight
Rhodium-plated finishes
Materials Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, 316L stainless steel,
brushed and polished
LRD sapphire crystal prism
Dimensions Width: 39.6 mm / Length: 39 mm / Thickness: 16 mm
Water resistance 5 ATM, 50 meters (~150 feet)
Width between lugs 22 mm
Hours and minutes using two display discs (light-reflecting display)
Anthracite Alcantara strap and buckle with orange calfskin lining
18 mm stainless steel buckle
Metal bracelet available as an option (€450)
Weight 110 g (version with stainless band)
