The Chronograph Watch Is the Most Stylish Way to Tell Time

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A chronograph is essentially a wristwatch with a complex analog stopwatch built in, combining form and function. Many different styles exist—each measuring seconds, minutes, and hours in different ways and to different accuracies. The key difference between a chronograph watch and all other watches is that the big second hand does not actually track seconds in real time. It functions as the primary stopwatch hand in coordination with one or two of the smaller inset hands. The actual real-time seconds hand lives on one of the inset dials, often the one furthest to the right. In most cases, the button above the crown will start and stop the stopwatch function, while the button below the crown will reset back to zero.

Even though the chronograph watch was originally designed to track lap times and speeds in auto racing, there are plenty of of ways to use it off the race track. You can count your french press coffee in the morning, time how long you’ve been working on a certain task, or tell your kids exactly when five minutes is up. If you enjoy cooking, then having pinpoint accurate time measurement on your wrist is super helpful. While many chronographs are too delicate or expensive to handle workouts, there are sport models capable of all the time tracking that your fitness watches or smartwatches do.

Beyond being useful, chronograph watches just look extremely cool with all the complexities built into the dial. There are fancier models designed to be worn with formalwear, and sport models designed for athletics, but most chronographs are stylish every-day watches that look good with everything.

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Brycen

The Brycen from Citizen is a chronograph that checks all the boxes for an incredibly affordable price. Our editors really fell for the heritage look that recalls the golden age of chronograph watches from the 1970s. The dial and bezel are bold and easy to read while maintaining a classy blue and white color scheme that pairs well with any look. Citizen's Eco-Drive movement, which is charged by any light source, is always nice to have because you don't have to deal with battery changes. Topping off the whole vintage look is a perforated brown leather band.

Read more: Best Citizen Watches

Formula 1 Chronograph

TAG Heuer has been collaborating with Formula 1 to make racing-caliber chronographs since the '90s. While the bold red paint job belongs on a racetrack, this watch is purpose built for active pursuits. Whether you're on the run, at the gym, or in the water, you can keep track of your pace. Thanks to a rubber strap and PVD plastic bezel, thee are no hard edges to worry about.

Read more: Best Sport Watches

Flyback Chronograph

Flyback refers to how quickly the chronograph resets on this watch, an indication of superior performance. We love the subtle detailing on the glossy royal blue face, which will complement your dressiest attire. A glass case back displays the Swiss built movement. Our editors would categorize this ticker as a board room watch because it has a refined sophistication that commands attention. Even though it begs to be worn with a perfectly tailored suit, we loved the way to holds up with a t-shirt and jeans.

Chronomaster Sport El Primero 3600

If its accuracy you're looking for, the Zenith Chronomaster Sport El Primero is unmatched. Elapsed time is measured in tenths of a second, which is why the bezel goes from 1 to 10 and the left inset dial goes to 60. On top of that, the chronograph resets instantly where most take a second or two to get back to zero. All that performance comes in a beautiful package, highlighted by the three different inset dial colors, the signature Zenith star on the base of the second hand, at 12 o'clock, and on the crown.

Read more: Best Luxury Watches

Standard Chronograph

Just because a chronograph watch is complicated, doesn't mean it has to be expensive. Timex makes a wonderful, straightforward chrono that does everything you need it to do at a very affordable price. Which also makes this an ideal entryway into chronograph tickers, helped along by the fact that all three inlay dials are labeled with their function. The dial is easy to read and lights up with Timex's Indiglo when you press down on the crown. In order to keep the price down, the body is made of light brass and the band is a very soft leather, both of which compromise on durability.

Read more: Best Timex Watches

Black Bay Chrono

Few dive watches are more beloved than Tudor's Black Bay line. Which is why the Chrono version provides the best of both worlds. To begin with, the "panda" dial provides a timeless style that will look good with with everything you wear. A 200 meter dive rating makes this watch professional grade. One of our favorite details though, is that the tachymeter is labeled "Units Per Hour," which is precisely what it measures. The Black Bay Chrono's striking resemblance to its cousin the Rolex Daytona—and available at a fraction of the price—is also a big plus.

Read more: Best Waterproof Watches

Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional

The Omega Speedmaster is horological royalty. Having famously gone to the moon during the Apollo program, few heritage watches can match it for pure performance. While the white-on-black color scheme was designed for efficiency, it has held up as remarkably stylish. We adore this watch because it has been worn well with pretty much every outfit imaginable without ever even approaching "worn out." So you won't find a more versatile accessory, with pinpoint accurate timekeeping to boot.

Read more: Best Stainless Steel Watches

EVO Colormark Chronograph Watch

Everything about this Luminox exudes tactical performance. Based on the design made famous by the US Navy SEAL program, this diver-chrono hybrid is lightweight, ultra durable, and sleek. We love it for training, especially in water or at night. The tritium glow hands and indices are very visible in no-light conditions. There are no hard edges and the case is easy on your wrist. For down time, the blacked out color pallet is easy to style, especially with athleisure wear.

Read more: Best Watches on Amazon

More Great Chronograph Watches We Love

Intra-Matic Chronograph

Hamilton's Intra-Matic movement is not only extremely accurate but also compact. Meaning that you get top of the line performance in a relatively small 40 mm package. Which is great news for guys who prefer subtler watches.

Lunar Pilot

Often called the "Other Moon Watch," Bulova also made the cut at NASA during the Apollo missions. The movement in this watch is an extremely rare high frequency quartz, which means that the second hand ticks even faster than most automatic watches and the chrono function is pinpoint accurate.

Carrera Chronograph

The original TAG Heuer Carrera was designed to replicate the instrument panel of a sports car, which continues to be a source of inspiration for the line to this day. The sunburst ring around the face and red seconds hand provides hints of colors to an otherwise minimalist design.

Seastar 1000 Chronograph

This chronograph from Tissot can handle deep dives. Everything about it—from the composite band, to the two tone bezel—is built to handle the water. We also like how good the black and blue color scheme looks on land.

Q Chronograph

We've been a fan of the Timex Q line for a while now so we were thrilled to see this chronograph join the lineup. A black and white "panda dial," and tachymeter bezel highlight strong retro influence in the design. It is a hard look to find for under $1,000, much less under $250.

Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph

Seiko has been making high performance, affordable chronographs with the Speedtimer line since the 1970s. A solar powered quartz movement is the biggest update to this modern reissue. Lume coated hands and indices that glow in the dark are another new touch. With a steel oyster bracelet, this is truly an every day watch.

Read more: Best Solar Watches

Promaster Skyhawk A-T

Inspired by aircraft instrament panels, Citizen packed an incredible amount of information into the face and bezel of the Promaster Skyhawk. The chronograph feature has two hands on a single inset dial. It is technically a GMT, with a dual timezone digital inlay. There is a power meter, as well as an alarm clock. Plus way more features that require the owners' manual to operate.

Spirit Automatic Chronometer

Longines makes some of the dressiest chronograph watches out there. We like the mid-century look of the dial and hands on the Spirit. The brown leather band actually dresses it down a bit, making it appealing for everyday wear. Put a black band on there and you're ready for black tie.

Read more: Best Dress Watches

Blacktop II Solar

MVMT pulls off the modernist look really well. It is rare to see a chronograph with so little detail on the face, but the bare minimum needed to count the seconds, minutes, and hours is there.

Read more: Best Watches Under $500

Original Ceramic Blue

This mechanical watch is made with hard-as-hell ceramic, which is lighter and more scratch resistant than stainless steel, so it’ll last. Under the hood, the Big Bang has an impressive 42-hour power reserve, meaning less winding and more wearing... maybe forever?

The Canfield Speedway

Detroit's proud racing heritage is on full display with this Shinola chronograph. The speedometer like face and race car paint job live in a case the looks like an old school stopwatch, red and green buttons included.

Checkpoint Blue Watch

In typical Swatch fashion, you've got a big, bold, artistic design almost hiding the fact that this a chronograph. The start-stop button is impossible to miss though. With a plastic case and silicone band, this watch is easy on the wrist, despite the huge 47 mm case size.

Neo 70s Chronograph

If you're shopping for a chronograph on a tight budget, then Orient is always a great brand to check out. This solar quartz powered watch has a classic look, an approachable size, and performs all the chronograph functions that you're looking for. Plus, Orient watches are always dependable for accurate time keeping.

What to Look for in Chronograph Watches

Movement

The movement is the engine that powers the watch. Automatic movements have a spring inside the watch that is wound up with the movement of your body, then powers the watch as it decompresses. Quartz movements have a battery - or sometimes solar - charged quartz crystal that vibrates at a constant frequency to measure seconds. Most higher end chronograph watches come with automatic movements and because automatic chronograph movements are incredibly complex, they can get very expensive. Unless you really are timing Formula 1 race laps, you can generally find the same performance in a quartz movement.

Case Size

The case size is the diameter of the outside edge of the watch, not including the crown, buttons, or lugs (the part that attaches to the stap). To accommodate the smaller inset dials, Chronograph watches tend to run big. Most case sizes range from 42 mm to 48 mm. You can find some models around 40 mm with quartz movements but anything smaller is rare.

Water Resistance

In most cases, you won’t need a water resistance better than 10 ATM/100 meters - or good enough to splash around in a pool - for a chronograph because they aren’t designed to go swimming or diving. Some dive/chronograph watch hybrids will offer 200 m water resistance or better. However, since most chronograph watches are every-day watches, you want some water resistance to deal with things like spills, watching your hands, and heavy rainfall.

Band Material

There really are no limitations on band material when shopping for a chronograph watch. Traditionally, you’ll often find leather or steel bands. Leather bands sometimes come perforated to allow airflow because it can get hot racing cars. Rubber and fabric straps work just as well though, and it really comes down to personal preference and what looks best with each individual watch.

Why Trust Us?

For this story, we consulted with our fashion director Ted Stafford, a seasoned watch expert with more than 20 years experience styling and testing chronograph timepieces. He's called in countless chronograph watches to style for our photoshoots, and he's visited most of these watchmakers' headquarters, so he can absolutely speak to their storied heritage and watchmaking process.

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