If you don’t have a chronograph in your watch collection, it’s about time you made room for one. These days, a chronograph is even more about style than it is about function. Adding subdials and pushers to a wristwatch ups its aesthetics and versatility. A good chronograph is more than just a chronometer, which is a fancy way of saying “an instrument that measures time,” or essentially a wristwatch. A chronograph is so much more, both functionally and aesthetically.
What is a chronograph watch?
A chronograph movement is the most popular complication movement, one that provides a stopwatch function by employing an independent chronograph second counter hand where the second hand typically sits. Most traditional chronographs have three subdials: one records elapsed minutes; a second subdial is a continuously running second hand function; and the third is a 24-hour subdial that shows the elapsed hours. It also employs case-mounted pushers that start, stop, and reset the chronograph hand. Chronographs are most commonly used to measure elapsed time, split times, and even average speed using the tachymeter scale located on the dial or bezel. No, you don’t have to time race car laps in order to justify owning one. You can just wear it because you love the way it looks. Here are the 8 best affordable chronograph watches.
The Best Affordable Chronograph Watches
VAER R1 Rally Chronograph Panda
Vaer’s American-assembled R1 might be inspired by chronographs from the automotive racing era of the ’60s and ’70s, but it’s a remarkably fresh interpretation that will get plenty of attention from onlookers. The first things you notice are the multi-colored TV tricompax subdials that pop on your choice of black (Panda) or cream (Reverse Panda) main dials. The R1 Rally is powered by a meca-quartz hybrid movement that provides smooth sweep seconds but unmatched quartz accuracy. The 40mm case is accommodating for most wrist sizes, and it’s comfortable for all-day wear. Single-domed anti-reflective sapphire glass provides a vintage look, and the 100-meter water resistance makes it surf-ready. Other key details include lumed syringe hands, a contrasting chapter ring, and two straps. Upgrade to the optional three-link stainless steel bracelet, and you have yourself a bonafide sports chronograph. It’s a watch we just can’t get enough of this summer.
Buy: $399
Citizen Forza Chrono
This is the one new chronograph that blew us away this year because what you get truly belies the price tag. Citizen’s latest Super Titanium chronograph is a bargain when you consider everything it has: hardened titanium for scratch resistance, Eco-Drive solar-powered movement, a beautifully textured dial, sapphire glass, and a brushed and polished single-link integrated titanium bracelet that matches the finishes of the beveled case. The beauty is understated, but once you get it on the wrist, its appeal is noteworthy, and its wear comfort is off-the-charts with lightweight titanium a major contributing factor. The Forza Chrono’s look is on the sporty side, but it’s refined enough to pull off with a button-up shirt and a blazer.
Buy: $625
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer "Pogue" 1969 Re-Interpretation
The original Seiko Speedtimer 6139 “Pogue: is an icon because of its Pepsi bezel and bold gold dial. So named for its wearer, Colonel William R. Pogue donned it during a historic NASA Skylab mission, marking the first chronograph worn in space travel. The new watch is a reinterpretation of the original, and there are some big changes. First of all, the automatic chrono movement has been replaced by Seiko's solar-powered Caliber V192 movement, the day/date window has been reduced to date-only, and there are now triple subdial registers instead of a single one. A curved sapphire crystal replaces the original’s mineral glass. The important thing is that the colorway of this chronograph is true to the original.
Buy: $700
Junghans Form C
This is easily the dressiest chronograph in the set by a mile. The Form C takes everything you love about the minimalist German brand and lowers the price using a Swiss quartz movement. But cheap-looking the Form C is not. Subtle details like the concave dial and subdials make legibility far better than most white-dialed watches, and the debossed chapter ring with burgundy numerals is a thing of beauty. There’s real chrono functionality thanks to the bottom subdial that contains a running seconds hand and a top subdial that tracks minutes with one hand and hours with another. The black leather strap with tan underlay and side contrast adds another level of refinement.
Buy: $643
Q Timex Chronograph 40mm
The Q Chronograph might just be the best quartz chronograph at this price point. Why? Well, not only does it look far pricier, but it also has true sports chronograph styling that looks just as good with dressier duds as it does with shorts and a polo shirt. The Q is inspired by vintage automotive racing with its accommodating 40mm case diameter, tri-compax panda dial, and a black tachymeter bezel. The applied baton markers have depth that matches the hands, and the offset date window’s background perfectly matches the dial for a seamless transition.. Timekeeping is performed by a solar quartz Caliber V192 with 6 months of power reserve on a full charge. The acrylic crystal and sports bracelet add to the classic styling.
Buy: $229
Autodromo Prototipo Chronograph
If you want true automotive racing cred in a chronograph watch for well under a grand, look no further than the Prototipo Chronograph which nods to the era of European open road racing. The smooth 42mm stainless steel cushion case houses a deep blue dial with red and white details. The chrono functionality resides in the super-accurate Seiko VK63 Chronograph Hybrid meca-quartz movement that provides a mechanical reset chronograph and a 1/5th second sweep center-stop hand. The tachymeter/pulsometer bezel even has coloring like a car’s tachometer, including the redline markings.
Buy: $595
Nezumi Tonnerre Chronograph
The 38mm Tonnerre Chronograph might be smaller in diameter, but it’s big on personality. The Swedish brand’s chronograph is named for “thunder” in French because its internal telemeter scale can be used to measure the distance between audible and visual elements like thunder and lightning. The cream-white and teal subdials pop nicely against the dark-blue main dial, and the chronograph hand is also clad in teal. The Tonnerre uses the VK63 meca-quartz movement by Seiko for excellent accuracy and mechanical automatic smoothness. Last but not least, great low-light visibility is provided by glowing blue X1 Swiss Super-LumiNova.
Buy: $452
Unimatic UC3
The no-nonsense Italian watchmaker is officially cemented in the horological world with their minimalist designs and fresh collaborations. As part of its Classic line, the UC3 isn’t a limited edition, but each watch is numbered. The 41.5mm case’s best highlight is the single pip black bezel mounted around a matte black dial with 1/5 of a second and 60 minute counter bi-compax subdials. The screw-down crown and pushers are protective from the elements and properly chunky. Super-LumiNova C3 glows a highly visible pale green beneath the UC3’s double-domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The movement is a VK64 meca-quartz with three years of battery life. It has 300-meter water-resistance, but it’s got a seriously urban look that means it never has to go diving if that’s not your bag.
Buy: $580
