Haute Time’s Hottest Chronographs Of 2019

It is still interesting to see that the development of certain mechanical complications doesn’t stop. A great example of this is the chronograph, where brands continue to find new ways to take it to the next level. 2019 was a year in which chronographs broke records and celebrated anniversaries, as it has been 50 years since the very first automatic chronographs hit the market. So no wonder that 2019 was a great year for watches fitted with this popular complication.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT
Thin is in, but nobody does thin watches these days like Bulgari. They are raking in world record after world record. This year the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT became not only the world’s thinnest automatic chronograph but also the world’s thinnest chronograph period. The fact that an automatic watch is even thinner than its manual wound counterparts is quite an achievement that Bulgari accomplishes thanks to the use of a peripheral rotor. The movement itself only has a height of 3.3mm, while the overall height of the cased watch measures a mere 6.9mm. Bulgari even found room to add another complication as next to the chronograph is the watch also fitted with a second time zone display.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II
When it comes to collaborations, Hublot is one of the brands that do this best. They always know in a seamless way to integrate the DNA of the person or brand that they are collaborating with while preserving their own. To achieve this, they don’t play it safe, but instead, go all in. That this can be extremely successful is proven by the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II. This chronograph was designed together with tattoo-artist and founder of Sang Bleu, Maxime Plescia-Büchi. What is so incredible about the design of this watch is that the hands form an everchanging pattern, turning this watch into a piece of art. The design of the hands can also be found in that of the case, and even the chronograph pushers are perfectly integrated into this creation. This all makes the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II one of the most intriguing and best-designed chronographs of 2019.

Blancpain Air Command
Retro done right, that’s the only way to describe the Air Command that Blancpain launched earlier this year. The original model was made in the late 1950s, especially for the U.S. Air Force, but produced only in very limited numbers.  Over half a century later has the watch not lost an ounce of its appeal and is quite sought after by collectors of aviation and military watches. The design of the current day Air Command follows that of its elder sibling quite closely, and for a good reason, as it is stunning. Of course, did Blancpain opt for more modern-day materials when they made the re-edition, as now is, for example, the two-way rotating bezel fitted with a ceramic insert. Also the movement is different, not manual wind as in the original, but automatic caliber F388B, which Blancpain equipped for this occasion with a stunning oscillating weight shaped like an airplane propeller.

Zenith Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon
One of the most breathtaking watches of 2019 is the Zenith Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon, which the brand launched to mark the 50th anniversary of their very first automatic chronograph, the El Primero. While one tourbillon, running at El Primero’s signature frequency of 36,000 VpH, is already quite a sight, Zenith installed a second tourbillon in this one as well. When the chronograph is not engaged, it sits merely idle, but when the start button is pushed, it starts to run at no less than 360,000 VpH. This is necessary as the Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon is capable of measuring the passing of time with a precision of 1/100th of a second. Zenith wraps this exceptional movement in a 46mm large case crafted from carbon, and in case you wondered, of course, is it an automatic, just like the very first El Primero 50 years ago.