Baltic Scalegraph Transat Café L’Or

A Mouthful On Your Wrist

Let’s start with the name: Baltic Scalegraph Transat Café L’Or. It sounds like something you order in Saint-Tropez after too much rosé—part espresso, part yacht fuel. But beneath the frothy branding, this 200-piece limited edition from Baltic is a well-thought-out little chronograph that’s equal parts vintage daydream and nautical cosplay.

At 39.5mm, the stainless-steel case hits that sweet spot between “retro gentleman racer” and “I actually wear my watches.” The 14.1mm thickness isn’t svelte but considering there’s a Sellita SW511 BH a ticking away inside—complete with a manual wind and a 63-hour power reserve, so you can forgive it the extra millimeter of ambition. It’s the kind of case that looks perfect on a wrist tanned from the deck of a 40-footer or, more realistically, from the patio of the yacht club bar. The dial is a metallic champagne tone that feels straight out of a 1960s regatta photo, complemented by off-white azurage subdials and a hit of bright orange on the hands, because apparently, no one at Baltic believes in subtlety before noon. Super-Luminova BGW9 ensures you’ll still be able to admire it after sunset, when you’re checking if your dinner reservation at Le Club 55 is running late.

Beads Of Rice Bracelet

This isn’t your standard tachymeter. The bezel has been reworked in aluminium and calibrated to knots—yes, as in nautical miles per hour. You can now calculate the average speed of your sailing boat over one-tenth of a nautical mile. Of course, if your “boat” is a borrowed Boston Whaler, you’ll still look appropriately dashing fidgeting with your bezel. Even better, the subdial at 3 o’clock is now a 15-minute countdown timer, doubling as a regatta-start timer. It’s the perfect way to look like you know what you’re doing while someone else hoists the mainsail.

The watch ships on a stainless-steel beads-of-rice bracelet which is classically elegant, with a side of Riviera charm and includes a black rubber strap for when things get splashy. Water resistance is rated at a very healthy 100 meters, which is frankly 95 meters more than most of its owners will ever test. At close to $2,000 it’s not cheap but compared to what passes for “affordable” in the chronograph world these days, it’s practically generous. The Transat Café L’Or is Baltic at its best: stylish, slightly pretentious, and utterly charming. All Aboard!