Fortis Novonaut Halo: the whole dial lights up

Fortis · Novonaut N-42 TR Halo Black

The model in detail

Meet the watch

In Novonaut Halo, the base dial itself glows. Fortis uses a solid Lumicast X1 construction made from Super-LumiNova X1, leaving the counters black. Daylight produces a familiar panda look; in darkness, the background becomes the main element. It is an interesting way to change a chronograph’s character while preserving the arrangement of its displays.

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The appearance is tied to reading the time. Contrast distinguishes the counters, the hands also carry luminous material, and weekday and date sit on the right. Official glow photographs should be separated from results on your own wrist: brightness depends on prior exposure to light. The page used here provides no comparable independent test of glow duration, so promising equal brightness all night would be wrong.

The automatic Werk 17 TR is the next version of the Novonaut movement. Reserve rises from 60 to 70 hours, almost three days without further winding from a full wind. For a collection, that is more useful than an abstract promise of a new calibre: the watch can spend several days off the wrist. A column wheel manages the chronograph’s sequence of operations.

Details and limitations

Another change is a variable-inertia balance. Rate is adjusted with screws on the balance itself, and its bridge is secured at two points. Fortis connects this architecture to stability under vibration. The brand also refers to testing of the underlying movement family with the Swedish Space Corporation. That describes its development and background, rather than proving that every watch sold has visited space.

The recycled stainless-steel case is 42 mm across, 15 mm thick and 51 mm lug-to-lug. Consider the last two dimensions when trying it on: this chronograph is noticeably bulkier than a simple three-hand model. Specifications include 200 m water resistance, sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides and a luminous bidirectional ceramic bezel. The hybrid strap combines textile on top with FKM rubber underneath.

Halo Black on the hybrid strap, reference F2040021, costs CHF 5,450 in the official Swiss catalogue as checked on October 14, 2026. I like the combination of a luminous background and a substantive Werk 17 TR update. It suits someone who likes expressive chronographs and accepts a 15 mm case height. Delivery and final pricing in Uzbekistan need separate confirmation.