Four Must-Have Chronographs

The chronograph is among the most popular complications. Many of them have reached the status of being an icon, often for very different reasons. As there are so many chronographs to choose from, here is a short-list of four that any serious watch collector should consider adding to its collection.

Photo Credit: OMEGA

Omega Speedmaster Professional
It is the first watch worn on the moon, and it played a vital part in the safe return of the crew of Apollo 13; do we need to say more? Next to that is it also a very good looking watch. Over the years, Omega introduced many varieties of the Speedmaster Professional, among them quite a few very tempting limited editions. While it is most certainly worth it to track down an original ‘moonwatch’ from the era when we still visited the moon on a somewhat regular basis, the new Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 is an excellent alternative. It offers the same style as the Speedmaster that astronaut Ed White wore on his first spacewalk in 1965, yet is made with modern-day technologies and materials, like a bezel from black ceramic. It is even fitted with a remake of the legendary caliber 321, which can be admired through the glass caseback, making it almost like you can travel through time and treat yourself on a new, vintage Speedmaster.

Rolex Daytona
Another icon is the Rolex Daytona, a watch whose legend started on Daytona Beach. It was there that Sir Malcolm Campbell broke the world land speed record an astonishing five times, with around his wrist a Rolex. Today the Daytona is still a watch associated with a need for speed, as it can be found on the wrists of quite a few (former) racecar drivers. The Daytona also became the most expensive Rolex in the world, when the one that actor and race car driver Paul Newman got from his wife was auctioned. Today, the Daytona is still an essential part of the Rolex collection, available in humble steel, but also as a true luxury object in different colors of gold and even in platinum on a platinum bracelet.

Hublot Big Bang
The Big Bang does not have a history as old as the other brands in this list, yet it can be credited with quite an achievement. It was with this model that Jean-Claude Biver launched the ‘Art of Fusion.’ Today the combination of different, often innovating materials is still a key ingredient of any Big Bang. Thanks to its instantly recognizable porthole shape, this watch has become a staple in the world of luxury watches. While Hublot also offers this watch with quite a few different complications, we love the chronograph, as this is the Big Bang at its purest. And while we are at it, we enjoy it best cased in an innovative material, such as this one with a case made of transparent sapphire crystal.

Zenith El Primero
When Zenith introduced the El Primero in 1969, it was the first automatic chronograph with a movement beating at a high frequency of 36,000 VpH (5 Hz). It was so good that even Rolex adopted this movement for use in its Daytona before making a chronograph-caliber of their own. One of the great things about the El Primero is that after the quartz-crisis, Zenith never stopped developing it further. Today it is even available capable of measuring time up to 1/100th of a second. We are still a fan of the A386 version with three color subdials. Zenith recently reintroduced this model, made after one of the earliest El Primero-powered watches. People who like their watch to be a bit more modern looking might prefer the Defy 21, which features a different type of case, yet also has an El Primero as its beating heart.