The 10 Best Chronograph Watches For Men
Special Honors
Patek Philippe Complications Annual Calendar Instead of displaying elapsed seconds, minutes, and hours in separate subdials, this innovative model from one of the industry's biggest names combines them into a series of concentric circles at the six o'clock position. This allows for the addition of a day, date, and month display without making the whole thing feel too busy. patek.com
A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Flyback One of the most recognizable features of this company's offerings is their large date window. I addition to the chrono functions, this model partially skeletonizes its dial to allow you to see the wheel behind that innovative display. In a rather quirky twist for a pretty traditional lineup, the subdials, date wheels, and chapter ring have all had luminescent material added to them, allowing them to glow brightly in the dark. alange-soehne.com
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Without a doubt, these are among the watch world's most sought after pieces, selling for thousands of dollars above retail on the secondary markets. They come in a variety of materials and dial colors, with the ice blue platinum model being one of the most eye-catching. At 40mm in size, they hit a sweet spot that looks good on almost any wrist. rolex.com
Editor's Notes
May 14, 2020:
In revisiting this ranking, it was important to us that we include a number of the absolute best chronographs on the market, so the introduction of models like the Breitling Navitimer with its outstanding slide rule bezel or the Omega Speedmaster Professional with its storied history in space travel was inevitable.
Of course, the most iconic chrono in the world is the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona, and we have provided a few ways for you to get your hands on a similar watch at a variety of price points. Modern Daytonas are notoriously expensive and hard to come by unless you're willing to brave unregulated markets. The problem there is that the watches have become so popular that incredibly realistic fakes abound – so realistic, in some cases, that even the movements inside bear the same finishing as the real deal. To be safe, a timepiece of that caliber should only ever come from an authorized dealer, or directly from the company, so we included it in our special honors section.
Two other options for similar timepieces come in the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono and the Orient Neo Seventies. Interestingly, between the two, both offer panda-style dials in the fashion of Newman's Daytona, but the Orient is the one with an in-house movement, where the Hamilton relies on an ETA 7753. However, this is a case in which the in-house movement doesn't live up to a mass-produced alternative.