The Best Chronograph Watches for Beginners Under $1,000
Blake Malin
Windup Watch Shop | October 23, 2024
When time really counts — whether you’re speeding around a race track, plotting a navigational course, or timing the beats of a patient’s heart — you need a stopwatch. At one point, the function of a stopwatch was completely separate from that of a wristwatch. Enter the chronograph. Adding a stopwatch compilation — that is, a feature beyond telling the time — to a traditional watch was revolutionary when it was invented in the nineteenth century.
Today, they are one of the most popular types of watches amongst enthusiasts for their storied heritage and visual appeal. (As Omega will have you know, they’ve even been to the moon.) But for many enthusiasts, they can feel out of reach — mechanically complex, they require significantly greater purchase and service costs. Luckily, there’s an alternative: quartz. Quartz chronograph movements circumvent those two major shortfalls, allowing for greater reliability and reduced cost. With that, here are some of our favorite affordable chronographs for beginners.
Should you see anything you like, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, all of these products are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US.
With more than twenty years of building dependable tool watches, Beruticci knows a thing or two about rugged military-inspired timepieces. The A-11T Field Chronograph pays tribute to the historic A-11 issued to US Army Air Corps personnel during the Second World War with a twist. It features a unibody 42mm matte titanium case that is water resistant to an impressive 200m. Inside is a US-made Ameriquartz chronograph caliber capable of split timing with running seconds, elapsed minutes up to one hour, and 24-hour scale on lumed subdials. The A-11T Field Chronograph is a serious tool watch with the chops to back it up, ready to take on whatever the mission ahead is. Coming in at just under $700, it’s a serious value too.
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In 1973, Bulova released a vibrant and bold design. One that just so happened to resemble a parking meter. Over fifty years later, Bulova has brought back the iconic “Parking Meter” chronograph in all of its bullhead glory. The 43mm stainless steel case, water resistant to an impressive 100m, is a lugless design with crowns and pushers at the top and bottom of the case respectively. The internal rotating bezel can track elapsed time up to 12 hours or a second time zone, while the Miyota quartz movement provides elapsed minutes and 24-hour time. At just under $600, it has a unique and vibrant presence. Act quickly, the Parking Meter is a limited edition of just 5,000 worldwide.
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Best known for their Max Bill series of Bauhaus-inspired watches, inspired and designed by the eponymous Bauhaus-educated architect, Junghans FORM series follows a similar emphasis on geometry and legibility. Sharp and angular, the Form C’s 40mm polished steel case is ideal for daily wear with clean lines drawing just the right amount of attention. The lumed hands and sharp contrast make for a legible package. With sub-seconds at 6:00 and a stacked 12-hour and 30-minute totalizer at noon, it is also an extremely functional companion. At just over $600, the Form C is a unique value for a German-made chronograph from a storied brand.
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Seiko has a rich history producing chronographs, introducing one of the earliest automatic chronograph movements in 1969 (the same year they also introduced the first quartz wristwatch, for those keeping score). The Prospex Speedtimer 1/100 Sec Solar is inspired by a design from the 1990s, with a unique layout specifically designed to aid in legibility. The time, rather than dominate the dial, is relegated to a sundial at 6:00, freeing the rest of the dial to display the 1/10-second counter, 60-second counter, and 1/100-second counter above. With its classic 42mm steel case, avant-garde pushers, and rugged stainless steel bracelet, the Speedtimer 1/100 Sec Solar is unlike anything else under or above its sub-$900 price tag.
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