Watches are mostly passive devices: once you’ve set the time, you can sit back, relax and let them do their thing. This is even true in the world of complications — functions in addition to telling the time — in which calendars, moon phase indicators and GMTs all, essentially, count a continually elapsing event. The chronograph, however, is different.
Chronograph means “time writer,” but you can think of it as a stopwatch, activated and stopped at the whim of its user. Its name is derived from one of the earliest versions of the mechanism, which was essentially a box filled with clockwork attached to two inky styluses. These recorded on two rotating discs of paper the difference in time between two horses on a race track. The mechanism was soon miniaturized and added to pocket watches. Then wristwatches.
In short, a modern chronograph tells the time traditionally and, using a distinct mechanical complication, also can record seconds, minutes, and hours (usually) in a stopwatch-style function. Most chronographs today feature dual pushers, which are both useful for starting and stopping the chronograph mechanism and also lend a cool aesthetic aspect to one side of the watch. Because of their extra stopwatch function, chronographs have traditionally been more expensive than time-only watches — though new additions to the chronograph market have added lots of value and affordability to your options.
The Seagull 1963 reissueSeagull 1963The Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical ChronographHamilton
How to Use a Chronograph
To use a typical chronograph, you depress the top (2 o’clock) pusher on the side of the case, engaging the function to get the seconds hand moving. Once the event you want to record is complete, you press that same pusher again, take note of the time, then press the bottom (4 o’clock) pusher and the mechanism resets to zero. Each press of the pusher is a tactile experience directly connected to the movement inside that is otherwise largely missing from watches, and the utility of being able to record the length of events on the fly was certainly not lost on the racers, referees, doctors, pilots and astronauts that used them throughout the 20th century. Chronographs might actually be useful for the modern wearer when timing things in daily life.
Today modern, digital-timing systems have basically rendered the mechanical chronograph obsolete, but their associations with sports, auto racing, aviation and other exciting facets of life are in part why we love chronographs. The other part is, of course, the fact that they’re incredibly complex pieces of machinery in which hundreds of tiny parts must operate in perfect synchrony. As such, they’re generally expensive to acquire. But if you have a love of watches, you’ll be exposed to this essential complication and just might feel the need to add it to your collection.
History of Chronograph Watches
1816: Louis Moinet creates what is considered the first chronograph, a pocket watch design with one pusher. It was only discovered in 2013 to be the first chronograph ever made.
1821: Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec builds his chronograph mechanism, a box filled with clockwork driving two ink styluses recording elapsed time. It was created at the request of King Louis XVIII, who liked to watch horse racing. Previously considered the first chronograph until the discovery of Louis Moinet’s chronograph.
1844: Adolphe Nicole introduces the reset feature, allowing different times to be taken in succession.
1913: Longines produces the 13.33Z, considered to be the very first wrist-worn chronograph watch.
1923: Gaston Breitling produces the first chronograph with two pushers. Up to this point, the stop, start and reset functions were all handled by one pusher, but very quickly, Breitling’s new configuration becomes the standard.
1969: Zenith, Seiko and a consortium of watchmakers (Heuer/Breitling/Hamilton-Buren/Dubois-Depraz) all race to create the first automatic-winding chronograph. The winner is still contested: Zenith was the first to announce the development, the consortium was the first to bring it to market worldwide, and Seiko was the first to sell its watch to the public, though only in Japan.
The 2023 Rolex Daytona in platinum. Zen LoveThe 2023 TAG Heuer Carrrera Chronograph GlassboxZen Love
Terms to Know
Note: The following terms pertain specifically to chronographs. For more definitions on basic timekeeping terminology, reference our comprehensive guide here.
Clutch: Much like the connection between transmission and engine in a car, this is the coupling that connects the chronograph function to the main timekeeping gear train. There are two orientations for the clutch: horizontal and vertical. The former is more common, simpler and slimmer, while the latter — generally a staple in higher-end chronograph movements — provides a more seamless connection between the chronograph and the main clockwork.
Coulisse lever: On many lower-cost mechanical chronographs (notably the ubiquitous Valjoux 775), the Coulisse lever (also called “cam lever”) is the lever-and-cam system that moves to operate the chronograph function when the pusher is activated. It’s a relatively cheap, albeit robust, solution.
Column wheel: Like the cam lever, the column wheel activates the chronograph but takes on the look of a little turret-like wheel that progresses forward when the pusher is depressed. The action is much smoother than a cam lever, and the part requires more precision to make, thus making it more desirable in the eyes of many collectors.
Flyback: A type of chronograph that can be reset without stopping the chronograph function (which is necessary in a normal chronograph) — this allows the user to take multiple times in quick succession.
Pusher: A button on a chronograph watch that starts, stops and resets the chronograph mechanism. The majority of chronographs have two pushers — one for starting and stopping the mechanism, and another for resetting (though these functions are sometimes combined on watches with one pusher, called monopushers.)
Sub-dial: A smaller dial within the main watch dial. Most chronographs have either two (called a bi-compax layout) or three (a tri-compax layout) of these. Generally, they record the running seconds for the main time function, the minutes for the chronograph function and the hours for the chronograph function.
Tachymeter: A scale around the dial of a watch used to calculate speed. The wearer simply needs to take note of how many seconds elapse to travel a mile and reference the scale to know their speed. Tachymeter scales are often a staple on racing chronographs and can be found either on the outside of the dial or the bezel.
Valjoux 7750: An automatic chronograph movement designed in 1973 by Valjoux (now produced by ETA) that has become a ubiquitous caliber in the industry. If you’re buying a lower-cost chronograph watch that doesn’t have an in-house developed movement, it very likely has some form of the 7750 inside it.
The Best Chronograph Watches
Not all chronograph watches fit neatly into a category, but many have an intended use. Unlike with, say, dive watches, there aren’t set criteria that define an “aviation” chronograph or a “motoring” chronograph. Historically, though, there are a few common design elements that have shown up on watches based on their purpose. These are features we kept our eyes on when formulating these lists, and you’ll see more detail for each below in the categories of Aviation, Racing, Diving and Dress, as well a selection of the great chronograph icons.
Aviation
Though pilots were strapping clocks to their wrists as early as 1904, chronograph wristwatches as standard issue for aviators didn’t come into vogue until much later. Archetypal aviation chronographs include the Gallet Flying Officer, commissioned for the U.S. Air Force in 1939 and the Type 20, a specification issued by the French government in 1954. Both of these watches are characterized by legible dials with large, luminous numerals, as well as rotating bezels that can be used to calculate elapsed time. Wristwatches aren’t the necessary cockpit tools they once were, but there are still plenty of examples you can buy that borrow heavily from that winning formula.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a mechanical chronograph at a better price than the Seagull 1963, and you likely won’t find one with the same kind of history behind it. Made by China’s biggest watch manufacturer, the 1963 uses the Seagull ST19, a movement originally developed as a recreation of the Venus 175 movement back in the early ’60s for use in a pilot’s chronograph for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
Helmut Sinn’s eponymous watch brand got its start building aviation chronographs and servicing Heuer chronographs for the German Air Force. The Sinn 103 is a direct descendant of that history. Normally, Sinn’s watches are packed with its nutso overengineering, but this timepiece is decidedly simple. It features an old-school acrylic dial, a rotating countdown bezel (chunky enough to be used with gloves) and a plain dial with big, lumed Arabic numerals.
Inspired by British pilot’s watches from the 1970s, Hamilton’s Khaki Aviation has all the rugged style you’d like out of a chronograph. Even its hand-wound movement with a 60-hour power reserve feels retro in all the right ways, but it includes the very modern feature of a silicon hairspring. Note that the nicely sized 40mm case is asymmetrical, just like its historical progenitors, giving it a bit of a unique character.
Longines has a long and important history in chronographs, and those meant for aviation, in particular. The Spirit Flyback is the brand’s first flyback chronograph (meaning the chronograph can be restarted without having to first stop and reset it) in modern times, and it uses an exclusive movement developed with sister brand ETA. It looks absolutely killer and recalls the brand’s past with a complication that’s often considered exotic and associated with higher-end watches today.
Reminiscent of both IWC’s iconic Mark series pilot’s watches and a series of chronographs the brand made during the ’90s, the IWC Pilot’s Chronograph fits right in the brand’s aviation lineup. The dial has the unmistakable “Fliger” design of its forebears and a healthy smattering of lume on the hands and numerals. The watch comes powered by an IWC in-house 69385 automatic movement featuring a column wheel for smooth chronograph articulation.
Zenith’s Pilot collection got totally revamped for 2o23, and one of the standout models is the Big Date Flyback chronograph. Its name says a lot about what it does, and it looks cool in and of itself — but we got to try its functions in person at its debut during Watches & Wonders, and the way its chronograph pushers function and the action of adjusting the date is some of the most smooth and solid we’ve ever experienced. In addition to a great modern pilot’s watch, you just get a lot of impressive engineering.
Gear Patrol editors chose the Blancpain Air Command among their top ten favorite products of 2019. It’s an aspirational choice, as at around $20,000, this is no casual purchase for the average consumer. However, its combination of history, looks and the high level of design, technical execution and refinement expected of Blancpain make it irresistible and special. Based on a pilot watch from the 1950s, the Air Command is a modern reinterpretation of a midcentury masterpiece executed in the best possible way.
One of the chronograph’s earliest uses was timing horse races, so naturally, the complication evolved when horses made way for horsepower. Early races were mostly timed by stopwatches mounted to car dashboards, but as the complication was shrunk, they were more often seen on wrists, especially in the F1 and endurance racing heyday between the ’50s and ’70s.
While race cars and chronographs share a long history now, there’s no real formula for what constitutes a “racing chronograph.” Ideally, a tachymeter scale on the bezel (used for calculating average speeds) should be present, and stylistically, it should have elements of color to aid in legibility — and if it matches your sponsor’s logo, all the better.
With its classic vintage looks, reverse-panda dial, 39mm size and solid specs, the French brand Yema’s Speedgraf presents an attractive package. Further, it features an interesting movement from Seiko that isn’t all that common outside of watches from the Japanese brand itself. (It even has the column wheel and vertical clutch that enthusiasts tend to value.) On top of it all, little touches like applied indices and a box-style domed sapphire crystal lend it a refined feel.
Racing watches can come in many forms and take inspiration from different eras, but the motorsport chronographs of the 1970s have a charisma all their own. Tissot captures it well in this bold and sporty beast with a 43mm tonneau case, tachymeter scale and pops of color that make it feel built for the speedway. Another cue that emphasizes its automotive intentions? That perforated leather strap, which is a type of “rally strap” that stands out visually, provides some breathability and simultaneously seems to echo brake pads or the way some cars would reduce weight by strategically removing metal.
Tudor’s Black Bay line is on fire with collectors. That includes the Black Bay Chrono, which is every bit as lean, mean, and clean as any other chronograph on the market. It has several variations, including a flashy champagne colorway — but for us, the Panda version on a steel bracelet might be the perfect watch.
Heuer’s chronographs are some of the most recognizable timepieces in motorsport. And while the Carrera initially designed in 1963 had a clean design with a slightly dressier appeal, it’s often evolved to include brash and sporty iterations. Now decades since its debut, TAG has once again returned to the mature and balanced Carrera that charmed its many fans to begin with. The modern generation watches aren’t quite remakes of vintage models (mostly), but they convincingly capture the original Carrera spirit.
Porsche Design is indeed connected to the famous automaker but is a separate entity in many ways. The brand’s watches today in many ways feel like direct descendants of its debut product and the world’s first watch with a black coating, designed by the same man who created the 911 sports car, F.A. Porsche. Although you can also now get a reissue of that famous watch, the 1919 collection offers a sleek presence that feels like nothing less than Porsche engineering and design in wristwatch form. With a titanium case, it also features a flyback feature for timing multiple consecutive events without the need to stop and reset the chronograph.
Grand Seiko’s Tentagraph introduces a completely new design language for the brand — and a much more traditional one which should please a lot of fans. It also introduces a new movement, and the brand’s first automatic mechanical (as opposed to Spring Drive). It operates at what’s considered “high-beat” with a frequency of 5Hz (whereas most modern watches are 4Hz). We love the look and impressive horology, but would also like to see it in smaller dimensions in the future.
When you add the stopwatch functionality to dive watches‘ set of features, the watch is affected in a few ways. Most importantly, the pushers are additional points on the watch where water ingress is a concern, meaning further engineering challenges in developing such a watch. It’s a good idea to check with the manufacturer that it’s safe to use the chronograph pushers underwater before doing so. Further, dive watches tend to be chunky anyway, and typically thick chronograph movements only add to a case’s dimensions. The end result? Some of the most badass tool watches on the planet.
A Doxa dive watch is unmistakable and noticeable, not least for tending to be bright orange. There’s also that distinctive bezel and un-shy size. Reprising a model that must have seemed huge when it came out in 1969, the Sub 200 T.Graph maintains the original 43mm width and barrel-shaped case. The beads-of-rice bracelet adds to its throwback charm. Interestingly, it’s powered by a new-old-stock manually wound Valjoux 7734 movement, which makes it feel a little more special and unique.
The full name of Nivada’s “CASD” vintage reissue is Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver. As that name suggests, it’s meant to do anything from function as a pilot’s watch to a dive watch. While it’s rated to only 100m of water resistance, it’s no hardcore diver but is reasonably robust and gets a place on this list because it offers something other chronograph divers don’t: supremely wearable dimensions at 38.3mm and reasonably thin. In multiple variations based on actual models from back in the day (the 1960s), this is one of the easiest wearing and most handsome chronos on this list.
In 1957, Breitling launched its first diver, the Superocean. It was not just one of the first dive watches ever made but also one of the first to sport a chronograph function and the first-known “reverse-panda” color scheme, according to Hodinkee. Breitling’s new Superocean reissue comes loaded with the brand’s in-house, column-wheel chronograph and sports the same high-contrast design.
The Speedmaster gets all the love in Omega’s chronograph lineup, but the Seamaster has long been a vehicle for the stopwatch function. Its Planet Ocean may be the most technically impressive, though, boasting a 600-meter depth rating that’s more than you’ll (hopefully) ever need, a helium escape valve and a co-axial movement that’s accurate to chronometer specification. This special edition even has a black ceramic dial with white gold hands and indexes.
The most incredible thing about the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback is not its 300-meter water resistance. Nor is it the ceramic case or its impressively long and French name. No, it’s the in-house developed movement, which in addition to having a flyback function, a column-wheel and a vertical clutch, ticks away at a very-quick 36,000 bph, a rarity in watches in general — let alone in chronographs — and Blancpain makes generally excellent movements.
Chronographs — with their bezels, scales and sub-dials — are often regarded as too complex for formal duty by diehards who believe the dress watch should be as clean and simple as possible. But really, there’s no reason a chronograph should be precluded from formal wear. There are plenty of chronographs out there that retain their stopwatch function but shed the tool-driven look in favor of simple and refined design.
An offshoot of the brilliantly simple Junghans Max Bill, the Chronoscope retains the original sleek, pared-down charm imparted on the standard Max Bill by its eponymous creator. The bezel is incredibly thin, while the sub-dials are merely comprised of thin dashes, giving way to a balanced, minimal dial.
At $2,400, Seiko’s Presage chronograph represents one of the greatest values in watchmaking. For starters, it features an in-house chronograph movement with a column wheel and vertical clutch, something not even seen on many watches that cost twice the Seiko’s asking price. The best part, though, is the dial: it’s made from fired enamel, an incredibly difficult-to-master feature that’s otherwise only seen on watches from Switzerland’s most vaunted manufacturers.
At around (under, that is) five grand, an in-house Swiss chronograph movement doesn’t sound bad — especially when it’s in as attractive a package as that presented here by Swiss brand Frederique Constant. However, add the complicated flyback function to the chronograph and there’s nothing to even compare it to at its price. With a subtly retro appeal and just a touch of sportiness (particularly in its reverse panda dial version), the Flyback Manufacture offers a ton of value in a watch that makes for versatile daily or dressy wear.
The Portugieser Chronograph has been a hot seller in IWC’s lineup since its introduction in the 1990s. Why? Because its design is so utterly cohesive. It’s just one round, simple dial, two sub-dials stacked vertically and classy propeller-like hands. The newest models include IWC’s in-house 69000 family movements, and this particular reference has a beautiful silver-plated dial with blue applied numerals and hands for strong legibility.
What’s clever and cool about the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Chronograph? A lot. But perhaps cheekiest of all is that at first glance at its case design and dial layout don’t reveal that it’s a chronograph at all, or even any different from the familiar non-chrono version (though it’s got more generous measurements). It’s like a secret pleasure for its owner and those in the know — as are its other complicated details such as centrally mounted seconds and minute hands (differentiated by color) and even a way to use the chronograph pushers to adjust the date. It can do dress duty but also easily transition to casual.
Simply put, these chronographs have become benchmarks. When they debuted in the mid-20th century, they set the mold for what a chronograph should look like and how it should function. Their supremacy made them stalwarts of racing, aviation and even space exploration. Because you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken, they’re all still being sold today; some have barely even changed since they were brought to the public decades ago. Truly, they’re timeless.
The Speedmaster Professional you can buy today is nearly identical to the one worn to the moon in 1969 — it has the same case shape and size, the same dial design, nearly the same movement, even. And that’s fine. The Speedmaster of the ’60s was built to meet NASA’s incredibly tough standards, and its iconic status as the first watch on the moon makes it a must-have for any serious watch collector.
Thanks to a cameo on Steve McQueen’s wrist in Le Mans, the Monaco is another Heuer chronograph forever intertwined with motor racing. Launched in 1969, it was a boldly-designed vehicle for the Caliber 11 — one of the first automatic chronographs ever made — and the modern iteration even revives the unique layout of the original movement (though, of course, it isn’t the same movement despite confusingly having the same name).
Declaring the winner of the race to build the first automatic chronograph in 1969 is contentious business, so Zenith’s “El Primero” moniker is arguable. That’s the name of the movement inside and what the watches containing it have often been called. What isn’t arguable, however, is the movement’s technical supremacy. It ticks away at a particularly high 36,000 bph, allowing it to record times within a 10th of a second, unheard of at the time of its launch. This modern iteration is very near true to the original, right down to its movement, the same 38mm case design and a variation of the dial design it’s equally known for.
By 1952, pilots were already familiar with Breitling, its instruments adorning the dashboards of many airplane cockpits and its Chronomat on many of their wrists. That didn’t stop Breilting from working with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to perfect the aviation watch, building a chronograph with a slide rule specifically for use by pilots. The addition of an extra scale taken from the E6B flight computer made it quicker and easier to do various flight calculations on the fly.
The Daytona is one of the most beloved and sought-after watches, both on the vintage and new watch markets. The current model is especially a fan favorite, as the addition of a black-on-white panda color scheme, red Daytona text and a black ceramic bezel give it the appearance of a reference from the 1960s. While not cheap — and nearly impossible to buy at retail — it’s a watch that will simply never go out of style.
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