The journey of every luxury watch collector begins at a chronograph watch. These mechanical prowess subscribes to the traditional codes of watchmaking and serves as a starting point for higher complexities. What started as a 19th century instrument of astrology, has evolved into a precision tool for timekeeping today.
Apart from the indulgence of horological collecting, the chronograph watch found mainstream appeal when they entered the world of motorsport in the ’60s. As a mechanism with a start/stop action that measured time to the millisecond, it found great use in sports where time margins played a big role. The TAG Heuer Monaco and the Rolex Daytona chronograph watches are icons in this category. As an entry-level complication in luxury watchmaking, we found seven timepieces that can initiate as well indulge you in chronographs.
LSA Splurge Smart: Best chronograph watches for every budget in 2021
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1 /7
As the name suggests, we’re starting off the list on a note of classic and timeless elegance. Apart from its sporty DNA, this Tissot is a pure gentleman’s piece. With a Steel/Rose Gold hued case, the dial keeps it simple with a white base. You see two chronograph sub-dials while the third one at 6 o’clock tells seconds. Weather you’re heading to the racetrack or a gala, this Tissot T-Classic will not disappoint you.
Price: Rs 37,500.
Available at Ethos Watches.
We’ve handpicked this Balmain piece for the men who prefer their steel to do the talking. Draped in an all steel aesthetic, the snowy timepiece features a chronograph and a date window to the bottom. What’s also unique about the watch are its indicators, only of them are marked in Roman numerals. We’d love to wear this piece to a brunch or sundowner. Pure class.
Price: Rs 39,900.
Available at Ethos Watches.
3 /7
For those of you who didn’t know, yes, CK does come forth with highly impressive timepieces. The one at hand is from their Dart collection and is well, somewhere between a casual and a formal watch. The rubber strap around its steel case tells us its sporty, but the black guilloche dial wants us to wear it to a business meeting. We could say it’s the best of both worlds. There’s also a tiny date window peeking at 4 o’clock.
Price: Rs 33,900
Available at Ethos Watches
FC being one of our favorite watchmakers comes forth yet again. This time, with a stainless steel dial and a superbly classy dial. With a triple sub-dial chronograph, the dial is layered with textures and is graced with Roman numeral indicators to make it even better. You can never go wrong with an FC and this watch proves why. We also see a date window at 4 o’clock.
Price: Rs 57,900
Available at Tata CliQ Luxury.
5 /7
If you’re looking for something sporty an stylish at the same time, this is the one for you. This GC pick comes forth with two-toned elegance in black and rose gold. We see this on the straps, bezel and dial. Inside, it runs Quartz but outside, it measures at 45-mm which is on the bigger side of things. The watch is also partially crafted out of ceramic, to give it a special touch.
Price: Rs 47,700
Available at Tata CliQ Luxury.
We had to include a watch that caters to the all-black suave club, so here it is. This AX piece is draped bezel to button in pure matte black. However, the dial has a slightly blue tint to it which can only be seen when in sunlight. Cased out of stainless steel, the timepiece runs Quartz and features three elegant chronograph sub-dials and a date window to the bottom. All of this, for a great bargain.
Price: Rs 14,500
Available at Helios Watch Store.
Chronograph watches started off as an instrument of research, then a tool for a sport, a stylish accessory but it has always been an feature of utility. For all those adventurous and prefer the wild side of things, we’ve also featured a tool watch on this list, and one that’s been approved by Master Survivalist Bear Grylls himself. We got our hands on the watch, so if you’re looking for a deep dive, do give it a read.
Price: Rs 65,000 (Approx.)
Available at Luminox’s online store.
Mikhail Gomes
Features Editor, Lifestyle Asia India & Contributor - Augustman
A watch aficionado, Mikhail also enjoys learning about fine whiskies, and one day hopes to establish his own menswear label. At Lifestyle Asia India, he writes on watches, menswear, auto and tech.
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