Introducing the Wyler Vetta Jumbostar Chronograph watches

Introduction

Wyler Vetta might rank as the “Comeback of the year” brand; founded in 1896, it prides itself on an array of technical achievements paired with brilliant ad campaigns.

While Paul Wyler, the founder, was the brainchild behind breakthrough innovations like the Incaflex shockproof balance wheel, Innocente Binda – the entrepreneur who marketed its watches across Italy under the name Vetta (during the 30s you were not allowed to sell any foreign brand in Italy), introduced clever, very effective ad campaigns to promote the brand.

After WW2, Wyler Vetta watches took the most out of the economic growth in Europe, soon becoming highly sought-after among jet-setters and Italian actors.

The brand’s staggering success deserves a separate chapter; today, Wyler Vetta is a 100% Italian-owned watchmaking company, part of the Binda Group’s portfolio since 1993. Wyler Vetta is the premium offering and is quickly turning into an independent, fully verticalized brand, aiming to hold a place among the most wanted Swiss Made brands by merging product ingenuity and marketing, which has proved successful for over a century.

The Wyler Vetta Jumbostar Chronograph is the relaunch-campaign product.

Marketing gurus love anniversaries, even more so in watchmaking. 2021 was the turning point; the brand celebrated its 125th anniversary (and ninety years since an Incaflex-operated wristwatch was launched from the Eiffel Tower to prove its sturdiness). Let’s consider 2021 as the new brand’s introduction kick-off. To this date, Wyler Vetta is a luxury Swiss Made brand wholly owned by an Italian Group whose mission is the watch business.

The contemporary Jumbostar Chronograph measures 43 mm across, contrasting with the 1968 reference 1502/6’s 40 mm case. It’s a choice which apparently disappointed part of the community at first sight, yet, the brand soon unveiled a smaller 40 mm edition as a range extender. A no-date display layout ensures a closer link with the original Wyler Incaflex, thus closing the gap from an aesthetic point of view.

The relaunch campaign began with a 125-piece commemorative model carrying the 125th-anniversary logo on the dial; covered by a mineral glass on a black dial, it sold out in a blink of an eye—proof positive of the global community’s love for the brand, whose base of supporters is vast.

The designer crafted a nicely proportioned timepiece whose best outcome is with the matte blue dial. Considering the case’s overall thickness – around 17 mm – this is a watch for a big wrist guy, and at least 19 mm in circumference despite the 54 mm lug-to-lug gap (and the bracelet) helping taper it around many wrists.

Among the 43 mm models on offer, you can opt for two steel models with a polished case (the second one has a silver dial) and two additions in a black or grey PVD-treated case and bracelet (they’re all pictured in the top image); blackened-out cases are not my cup of tea, unless opting for materials like ceramic or carbon fibre. The designers did an excellent job engineering a well-executed, very comfy bracelet.

Whether you go for a 43 or a 40 mm edition, you’ll get a domed sapphire crystal slightly tapered on the sides. It is a primary part of the Jumbostar’s identity, halfway between modern and vintage, along with the inner rotating bezel if you’re willing to use it as a diving watch (the case is waterproof to 100 metres).

The Jumbostar Chronograph houses a Landeron 72 calibre.

The Landeron 72 self-winding movement is out of the radar to most enthusiasts; the Swiss manufacturer has a remarkable history as a producer of mechanical movements throughout the twentieth century for a large group of Swiss-made brands. The Depa Swiss Movements took over Landeron and is producing several calibres, including the Landeron 72 movement mimicking a Valjoux 7750 layout; it is therefore sturdy, reliable and easy to service despite not being as refined as the original Valjoux 23.

Final thoughts

The Anniversary collection’s sale performance proves Wyler Vetta has excellent potential and has extended the collection to a three-hander Jumbostar. All watches have a lovely case and bracelet execution and house a sturdy mechanical movement inspired by a pillar of Swiss watchmaking since the end of the quartz era.

The technical package helps stop the retail price at 2,300 Euros for the 43 and 40 mm, in the benchmark for most chronographs in this market category. From a product and development perspective, the Jumbostar is an original chronograph with a clear product identity that the brand – we hope- will keep fostering by equipping the watch with a hand-wound column-wheel movement like on the 1968 edition.

(Photo credit: Wyler Vetta)

Editorial Team @Horbiter®