CODE41 NB24 Chronograph: New Terrain, Same High-End Approach

By Montredo in News
February 1, 2021
CODE41 NB24 Chronograph: New Terrain, Same High-End Approach

The minds behind the young Swiss brand Code41 have long played with the idea of developing a chronograph. Although the X41, Anomaly and Day41 model series are anything but off-the-peg, a chronograph complication has not yet made it into the current range. This is changing with the NB24, which is not only dedicated to an outstanding athlete, but also technically most sophisticated.

Pre-orders start now under the following link.

NB24: Nigel Bailly and the Le Mans 24-hour race

Behind “NB” are the initials of Nigel Bailly, a young Belgian racing driver. At the age of only 14, he suffered paraplegia as a result of an accident, but his will remained unbroken: to one day participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

As the first CODE41 ambassador, he achieved the almost impossible, because in June 2021 he will turn his dream into reality. The NB24 project is therefore a very personal dedication by the brand to a great sportsman.

Perfect symmetry and discs instead of hands

CODE41 NB24

The 42mm case features a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the front and back. Despite the chronograph complication, the watch only measures 13.7 mm in height, which results in an exceptionally high wearing comfort, especially in combination with the materials used (more on that in a moment).

The time display on the dial is another interesting feature we would like to highlight. A closer look reveals that CODE41 relies on discs instead of hands for the subdials: The dial features a disc for the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, as well as a disc for the running seconds of the watch at 9 o’clock. The date, on the other hand, is housed at 6 o’clock, which perfectly maintains the symmetry of the dial. The perforated leather strap with a lug width of 24 mm can also be easily changed in a matter of seconds thanks to a quick-change system.

CODE41 Watch with a leather strap and a blue, skeleton dial.

Take a Valjoux 7750 and change everything

Even though the original idea was a chrono wristwatch with a standard movement, this was quickly over board at the very beginning of the project. The community, a fundamental part of the CODE41 brand, wanted a watch that wasn not just equipped with a run-of-the-mill movement –  a decision that we believe is more in line with CODE41’s brand DNA anyway.

CODE41 NB24

With Concepto, Code41 has found an extremely accomplished partner who can perfectly implement the brand’s demands. Although only founded in 2006 and thus a newcomer to the Swiss caliber market, Concepto has grown rapidly. Today, the company already employs over 120 people, while the complication level includes everything from tourbillons to chronographs to skeletonized movements.

It is the combination of skeletonization and chronograph that is used in the NB24. Strictly speaking, the basic caliber is an ETA/Valjoux 7750, but it was modified to such an extent that basically nothing is left of it – except for the 48h power reserve and the 4Hz frequency.

Rear view of CODE 41 model. With a display back showing the mechanics of the timepiece.

The rotor is peripherally beared, which is not only a feature of the X41 collection, but also really unusual considering the called price. Unlike the X41 models (or the majority of all mechanical watches for that matter), the rotor can be seen on the front, which is a rarity on today’s watch market.

Carbon fiber from the aerospace industry

The case diameter is 42mm, but when it comes to the case, buyers have a choice of two materials, namely titanium and AeroCarbon. Titanium should be familiar to most by now, while AeroCarbon is a less common material in the watch industry. This is produced for CODE41 in a special factory in France and consists of 300 fine layers that are compressed in an autoclave oven. The result is a composite material that is 2.5 times harder than steel while being 4 times lighter. Perfect, then, for a watch with a chronograph complication to compensate for the extra weight.

CODE41 NB24

Prices & Availability

The pre-order period for the new NB24 watches, which are available in a wide array of colors variations, has officially begun and will continue until February 25 this year. The expected delivery date is in October/November 2021 and prices start at € 3,480.

Click here to visit the CODE41 website.


This is a sponsored article by Montredo for CODE41.


Previous comments (2)

  1. This watch is absolutely brilliant!!! I love it from front and from the back.

    February 1, 2021
  2. Interesting, this is the first time I hear about code 41.
    I do love the peripheral rotor and overall approach, but I also think a non-skeletonized dial would look great. I get that this is kinda “their thing”, but it’s not for everyone, especially not people in their 60s like me haha.

    February 18, 2021

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