Author: Marcus Henry

Looking for some greener grass? Found it! Okay, well, it’s not really grass… but I bet you’re not interested in lawns anyway so much as the very finest in watchmaking if you’re here reading this blog. 

We’re here to talk watches, and this list of the best 12 green watches is the most vibrant and verdant that you’ll find. There’s a bit of everything here, from budget-friendly picks to supreme haute horlogerie. Interested? Then let’s jump right in and start mowing through this list! (Sorry. It was right there. Couldn’t help myself.)

Green Watches: The Modern Trend

Everyone says green watches are taking over these days. Heck, even GQ wrote about it. All of the top brands are releasing green watches right alongside the much more commonly seen blues, whites, and blacks that are staples of most catalogs. Why?

It’s hard to say exactly what the reason behind it is, but I think the real question to focus on is why not. Watch dials have been pretty limited in color and scope for about a century now in just the wristwatch world, and longer than that if you include pocket watches.

For a long time, blue was just about the only real color that you’d see offered by most brands. Now, the world of color is exploding. 

Rolex, notorious for their restraint and reserve, offered a shocking puzzle-piece Oyster Perpetual with emojis on its date window and colorful text instead of the day of the week. It’s a wild time to be a watch lover, and green watches are a great part of that trend. 

They’re more subdued and wearable than other colors that could be featured on a dial, like bright reds or yellows. Green is a cooler color, easy on the eyes, and matches a lot of the world around us. It looks great in a colorful but not too overwhelming way. In a sense, it’s perfect.

The 12 Best Green-Dial Watches

So without further ado, let’s get right into the list. We’re only looking at green dial watches here, to be specific, so don’t be upset if you don’t see your favorite Hublot SAXEM in lime green on the list (it has a mostly black dial, to be clear, so it doesn’t quite count. Believe me, I’m disappointed too.). 

All of these watches are highly wearable and most are pretty understated, making them lovely green companions for your summer days or touches of nature and color in the bleak winter ones.

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Green Dial

The Carrera Chronograph is arguably the third most well-known and important chronograph, preceded only by the very illustrious Speedmaster and Daytona. For many, though, it ranks first in charm and class. In a lot of ways, it’s exactly what modern collectors are looking for. 39mm case?

Check. Chronograph functionality with prominent and elegant pushers? Check—and on that note, I think they’re my favorite pushers of any of the big 3 chronographs. 

The dial is the best part of this show, though. Circular brushing and a beautiful teal green color make for an eye-catching but not overbearing light show every time you wear this one out and about. 

Finally, I love the applied indices and hands that float above the dial: they’re complex and multifaceted, making for a really fascinating experience when you choose to dive a little deeper and really examine the subtleties of the dial shielded behind your watch’s crystal. For $6,700, it’s also a lot more affordable than its competition. Win-win!

Trilobe Les Matinaux Vert Soleillé

Trilobe is one of those brands that mostly just does one thing, but they do it so incredibly well that they’ve enjoyed a serious cult following since their first release in 2018. The Vert Soleillé, or Green Sunray, is one of their finest pieces, for just shy of $10,000 (9,000 euros). 

You get a good bit of customization with this watch, as you can pick either a 38.5mm or 40.5mm case size (both are fantastic options) and can also order the right strap size for your wrist (goodbye, annoying extra strap length!).

One of the things I love most about this watch is that it’s so classy in the way it only tells the time, but completely reinvents the way it does what it does. 

That is true innovation, something that we don’t see often in the traditional watch world. As for that green dial, it fades beautifully between a rich green and a more aqua blue-green hue depending on the light. Gorgeous.

Patek Philippe Cubitus 5821/1A-001

The Cubitus has gotten a lot of hate lately from collectors, and I would adamantly say that it’s completely undeserved. The case is extremely elegant and has so many dimensions, with an overall square shape marked with rounded lines and corners that break up what could have been a harsh and industrial silhouette. 

The horizontal embossing on the sunburst olive green dial is sporty but elegant, as all Patek should be. The Cubitus is one of the finest luxury sport watches to be made and is likely the greatest not to be designed by Gerald Genta (which rules out the Royal Oak and Nautilus). Plus, at just 8.3mm thick and 45mm in diameter at its widest point, it’s extremely wearable. 

The $41,240 price tag might cause a bit of sticker shock, but it is Patek, and one glance at the gorgeous movement (cal. 26-330 S C/430, if you care) should soothe that shock for any passionate watch nerd.

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm Green Dial

One of my close friends absolutely swears by this watch, and having seen it quite a few times on his wrist, I’m inclined to agree with him. The green dial with tapisserie finishing (that’s the little squares you see, much like the dial on the Royal Oak) works so well to catch light in some settings, but for the most part remains subdued yet textured. 

As the Powermatic 80 name suggests, the movement supplies a whopping 80-hour power reserve. Plus, you get an exhibition caseback and custom engraved rotor. The case itself is restrained but spot-on, with a 40mm diameter and polished bevels to contrast with the main brushing over the lugs. 

With all this, you’d probably expect to hear a $2,000 to $3,000 price tag. Good news! This PRX is available for a retail price of just $725, making it a great budget green-dial pick.

Grand Seiko SBGJ259

I love Grand Seiko dials. Setting aside enamel, they’re probably the best in the industry, and the SBGJ259 is no exception. It’s inspired by a Japanese garden path, and the gorgeous dial reflects that with vertical striping much like the texture of Côtes de Genève, with a broad variety of green hues to create the effect of bamboo. 

Thanks to the diversity of its green color palette and the texture of the dial finishing, it plays magnificently with all forms of light.

Rest assured, though, this watch isn’t a one-trick pony: it runs on the superb caliber 9S86, which is a high-beat movement (10 beats per second!) with the great accuracy level of -3/+5 seconds per day. Oh, and did I mention it’s a GMT? You can pick one of these garden path beauties up for $7,300.

H. Moser Endeavour Concept Centre Seconds Lime Green

The Concept series by H. Moser is a really admirable idea, in my opinion. They strip away all branding, all text, and allow the watch to speak for itself. And speak it does, through a megaphone.

Just look at that hammered dial, covered with a gentle coat of fumé green enamel for a gradient of color and texture, all while staying within a monochrome palette! The SBGJ259 sure has a run for its money here. 

At 40mm, it’s easy to wear and comes on a strap made of Kudu leather. If you flip the watch over, you’ll find the reverse end to be just as pleasing as the dial, as it’s one of H. Moser’s finest, the calibre HMC200 with a 72-hour power reserve, blued balance cock, Côtes de Genève, skeletonized engraved rotor, and double hairspring. All that watch comes for a lot of cash—$27,600—but boy is it a lot of watch.

Maurice de Mauriac Racquet Rallymaster III

This watch makes me wish I played tennis just so I could have an excuse to buy it. It’s just so darn fun. While many of our other listings here have stayed within a monochromatic green palette, the Rallymaster III works in a full rainbow of playful colors that all work together shockingly harmoniously. 

It’s a watch that barely takes itself seriously, if at all. And yet you’d be wrong to think it’s merely a joking affair: it runs on the Landeron 24 (a Swiss ETA 2824 clone, so it’s pretty solid) and is limited to just 100 pieces.

Plus, it was designed by Carlton DeWoody, a noted interior designer from Los Angeles. Tennis fans, this one’s for you with love from Maurice de Mauriac for $2,400.

Ressence Type 3 EE

Ressence, like Trilobe, has completely pioneered the way we see and read time. The Type 3 EE, like most of their other watches, features the special Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) module, which is, as they say, the reason for the season—er, watch dial layout. That eucalyptus green dial is subdued but elegant, and will really pop at night with blue-emission Super-LumiNova. 

Displayed in the watch’s many dials are hours, minutes, day, date, oil temperature, and running seconds. Wait, oil temperature? You bet.

This puppy is filled with oil from the dial to the crystal, which creates a stunning optical illusion where it looks from many angles like the dial is pressed up right against the crystal. Wallets be warned, however: at $44,200, all this innovation doesn’t come cheap.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph 42mm – Moonshine Gold with Green Dial

This mouthful of a Speedmaster is one of Omega’s dressiest options, and boy does that combo of green-on-gold work well for it. The movement, Omega’s calibre 3861, deserves some serious attention in this review, because it’s one of the best parts of the watch. It ticks away on George Daniels’ famous Co-Axial escapement, one of the very best in the industry (if not the best altogether). 

Thanks to this little contraption, it’s achieved certification as a Master Chronometer for prodigious accuracy. This involves 8 tests over 10 days, with every possible attribute examined (magnetic and water resistance, accuracy in all six positions, etc.), applied by METAS, the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology. 

In other words, it’s pinpoint-accurate mechanical timekeeping with a gorgeous exterior and a long history of mechanical innovation. The gold won’t come cheap, though: you can pick one of these up for around $42,600.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata

Whenever I do an article like this, I can never resist the temptation to throw an absolute horological stunner in there just for kicks. This is that watch. The Fiery Heart Automata is a ladies’ watch with a total of 7 animations and a flying tourbillon to boot. I’ll give you a second to pick your jaw up off the ground before we move on to the rest of it. 

It also features 107 hand-set diamonds (0.53 carats total), and an 18K pink gold case. But we’re just getting warmed up, because the dial is the real show. It features enamel and miniature painting and hand engravings, so a wide variety of crafts have been brought to bear to bring each one of these works of art to reality. 

The colors are bright and vibrant, and almost as eye-catching as the animations, which you’ll have to see for yourself to really appreciate. You’ll have to fork over $490,870 to put this little beauty on your wrist, but man, what a trade-off that would be.

Dennison Malachite Dial

Dennison is a relatively new revival that is known for one thing and one thing only: making affordable watches with quartz movements and gorgeous stone dials.

Typically, malachite dials go for a lot more than what Dennison demands at just $690. Many people love to write this type of watch off as “too ’70s”, but I’m a firm believer in the exquisite beauty of showcasing a gemstone in all its imperfection, yet with completely natural elegance. 

The case does a great job of putting the dial at the heart of everything, and it’s actually taken right from Dennison’s old catalog as the last case type they created before they went bankrupt originally. Sure, it’s not a mechanical work of art—but man, for $690 for a stone dial, I’d more than willingly overlook that.

Oris Big Crown ProPilot x Kermit Edition

I love fun watches, if you couldn’t tell by my crazy Fiery Heart Automata pick. The Swiss mechanical watchmaking world takes itself so seriously sometimes, and it’s refreshing when a brand like Oris creates something completely off the cuff and wild.

Petition to inaugurate “Kermit Day” as the official first of every month? Oris sure is pushing for it: the frog’s little face will pop up in your date window as a delightful reminder to relax, to find joy in the moment, and to not take yourself too seriously. 

It’s got a fun mid-range price too, at $4,900. Oh, but allow me to mention just how serious Oris is about having fun. They equipped their Kermit Edition with the calibre 400, which has two barrels and an insane 5-day power reserve with an accuracy of -3/+5 seconds per day. Don’t mess with the frog.

Conclusion

I hope you had as much fun as I did exploring some of the best green dials out there. From those that give the dial their all to those that turn it into a beautiful accentuation of the overall layout, there’s a wide diversity of options out there. 

Whatever your budget, whatever your style, there’s something here for you.

Let’s face it. Mechanical chronographs are all but obsolete at this point. You don’t need a mechanical watch to time your life events by any stretch of the imagination when the phone in your pocket can do so with significantly greater precision. As a self-confessed watch fanatic, however, that doesn’t stop me in the least from admiring and cherishing these beautiful watches. 

Using a mechanical chronograph keeps track of time with a sense of poetry, not of cold electronic accuracy. You can follow along with the duration of your latest lap time or the length of your drive to work with a sense of the beauty in this moment as the heartbeat of your mechanical timekeeper ticks furiously away, hundreds of parts turning in harmony in an effort to serve you faithfully.

This concept won’t speak to many. Millions will scoff at the idea of finding elegance and poetry in their everyday routine with an expensive watch to keep guard over their fleeting moments here on Earth.

But there are those who, captivated by the beauty of these timepieces, can’t help but watch the progression of their thin seconds hand make its smooth progress over the glossy surface of their dial with rapture and awe. If you find yourself in the second camp, then read on—you are welcome here.

The Chronograph: Complex Mechanical Perfection

The first chronograph was invented in 1816 by the talented Louis Moinet, but it wasn’t until 1913 when the complication was adapted for the wrist by Longines. Today, one of the most useful watch features takes many different forms and variations, depending on its presentation and function.

Every chronograph is almost always accompanied by a set of subdials, usually either two or three. These are respectively referred to as “bicompax” and “tricompax,” which are terms invented by Universal Genève (a now-defunct watch brand that Breitling currently has plans to revive) and today applied more generally by the watch collecting community. 

The seconds hand of the watch stays at 12:00 without moving until the chronograph is started. Meanwhile, the running seconds of the actual time display are usually in one of the subdials, while the other one or two are used to count chronograph minutes and/or hours.

Still with me? Good, because it gets a little hairier. Most chronographs have two pushers on the right-hand side of the case, above and below the crown.

The top one of these starts and stops the chronograph, and the lower one resets it to zero when it’s stopped. Some, however, are “monopushers,” with only one pusher (usually set into the crown) and will start, stop, and then reset as you push it. 

Okay, the last thing to mention. There are a few extra complications that can make a chronograph even more useful if a watchmaking maison is capable of the necessary level of engineering and design required to make them work. The first is what’s known as a flyback, often popular in pilots’ watches. 

This allows the chronograph to be reset while it’s in motion without having to stop it first—thus, you can bring everything back to zero if you start a new lap or a new leg of your flight and have it continue running without any pause in the timeline. 

Another common one is what’s known as a rattrapante, or split-seconds chronograph. In this case, the chronograph runs with two hands at once, directly on top of each other, so you only see whichever one is on top. When you press stop, the lower hand usually stops and the upper continues, allowing you to time subsequent events like back-to-back laps.

The 15 Best Chronographs In 2025

Did you make it the whole way through that background context? Great! You’re now well-equipped to follow along in the list I’ve prepared for you and to explore the wide world of chronographs on your own. Let’s jump right in! Here are the 15 best chronographs, ranging from precision to new technical developments to elegance and class. 

Each of these could easily be a watch collector’s grail piece. I’ve covered all different price points here, from the accessible to more-than-the-average-house expensive. Whether you’re looking for your next poetic measurer of time or not, follow along as we explore together some of the best watches ever made in the chronograph category.

Omega Speedmaster

The Speedmaster is quite possibly the most iconic chronograph ever made and continues to be one of Omega’s strongest offerings today, which is saying something given the popularity of their other collections such as the Seamaster and Constellation. 

This is a solid mid-range watch (starting at $7,000, depending on the model you opt for) and comes with a spectacular heritage. It’s notably nicknamed the “Moonwatch” because it was the first watch worn on the Moon, and the modern versions of the watch also include the absolutely spectacular Co-Axial escapement, invented by the brilliant George Daniels to be incredibly efficient without any oil. 

Its design, including the external tachymeter bezel, black dial, and recessed subdials, has influenced all chronograph designs since its release. It’s one of my favorite watches ever and a true icon of horological history.

Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronograph Rattrapante

Swinging firmly to the opposite side of the elegant/sporty spectrum, the Toric Chronograph Rattrapante couples an incredibly classy design with mechanical advancement for the whopping price tag of $145,200. 

Its rich brown grenage dial is a perfect base layer, above which the polished applied logo and indices float in perfect complement. The movement is crafted out of 18K rose gold—not gold-plated, mind you, but solid gold—and features a double column wheel for its rattrapante complication. It’s one of the dressiest and most beautiful watches I’ve ever seen, let alone chronographs. 

Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX Transponder

I’ve already said a few times that several watches on this list are among my favorites, and that trend continues with this one (sorry, not sorry). The AMVOX collection from JLC was in collaboration with Aston Martin (hence the AM part of the name—the VOX comes from JLC’s famous Memovox line) but was anything but your standard automotive-inspired watch. 

You might notice that the case is completely devoid of pushers—that’s because the case itself actuates the chronograph. With a push at 12:00, the case pivots on a central axis and starts or stops the chronograph, and a push at 6:00 resets it. This makes the chronograph incredibly easy to use, especially in a racing context while wearing gloves and handling a car at high speeds through precision turns.

Jaeger-LeCoultre wasn’t content to stop there. With their Transponder model, they included a small antenna within the watch itself so that, with just a tap on the crystal, you can lock or unlock your connected Aston Martin car. No, you can’t start it from the watch—but this is easily, without a doubt, the coolest complication I’ve ever seen in a watch. Plus, the watch just looks so darn cool. I can’t fault it.

Breguet Type XX

I have a soft spot for Breguet in my heart, even though it’s a brand that most other watch fans tend to overlook. Their Type XX isn’t my favorite Breguet model, but it is objectively a spectacular and historical watch. 

It’s one of the ultimate pilot’s chronographs and was originally developed in the 1950s, when Type 20 (note the lack of Roman numerals) watches were ordered by the French Air Force to certain specifications. Numerous brands supplied these watches, including Breguet, and many also offered a Type XX as a civilian model for purchase, which had the same design. 

Every part of the dial is crafted for extreme legibility and is brightly lumed. Note as well that the Type XX is a flyback chronograph for extra functionality.

You also get automatic winding and a slick, elegant design with an iconic “big eye” subdial at 3:00. It’s not cheap—prices start around $20,000—but for such a legendary pilot’s watch from the legendary watchmaking house of Breguet, you really can’t go wrong.

Furlan Marri Nero Sabbia

The Nero Sabbia is our first budget option, an amazing chronograph choice at an affordable price from a brand known for one of the best quality-per-price ratios in the industry. At around $600, you really wouldn’t expect a watch this good. Admittedly, it does run on a mechaquartz movement, which is a little cheaper than a standard mechanical and, in this case, is sold by Seiko—the caliber VK64. 

This, however, means you get the clean sweep of a mechanical seconds hand with the accuracy of a quartz movement: in my book, that’s a win-win. The design is simple and restrained.

It’s essentially vintage without any of the overbearing vintage touches, like fauxtina that it certainly could’ve had.

The pushers are engraved with a lovely radiating pattern that Furlan Marri calls a “Tasti Tondi” style. Plus, the case size nails the sweet spot at an even 38mm. What more can you ask for from any chronograph, let alone one at this price?

Rolex Daytona

The Daytona is probably the Speedmaster’s biggest competitor for the title of most iconic chronograph ever made. Its sub-collections are also among the most popular watches ever—note, for example, Paul Newman’s personal “Paul Newman” Daytona, which is the most expensive watch ever sold at auction. 

Unlike the Speedmaster, the Daytona has automatic winding, making it a little more practical. Also unlike the Speedmaster, it has screw-down pushers, making it significantly less practical. Yes, the pushers add a little extra water resistance, but come on—does anyone really want to go about unscrewing their pushers before they use them?

While Omega has leaned hard into their “Moonwatch” identity, Rolex has chosen the racing feel for their Daytona, and it has significant ties to the racing world (starting even with just the name!). You also get more contrasting finishing compared to the Speedie, with mirrored portions of the bracelet.

This creates more of an elegant look and, with those screw-down pushers, perhaps one that feels to many to be more meant for timing the length of your board meeting than your Formula One race.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date (Ref. 26650FO.OO.D353CA.01)

The Royal Oak Concept is AP’s playground, taking a riff on their most iconic model and throwing all sorts of chaos inside its case. Quite a few lovable (or hateable, to some) watches have emerged from this collection, like the Black Panther and Spiderman models as well as the “Companion” watch designed by KAWS.

With this particular very long-named Royal Oak Concept, you don’t get any fun characters, but you do get one of the coolest chronographs ever made.

The case is crafted from carbon fiber intermingled with luminous material, so it glows in a unique pattern and style in the dark, which creates a beautiful and avant-garde look.

It’s a large wearer at 43mm x 17.5mm, but let’s be honest, you aren’t buying this watch to be discreet. In terms of complications, you get a split-seconds chronograph and GMT, so it’s just as technically advanced as it is materially. 

Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir Yellow Gold

The Tortue Monopoussoir is one of the most elegant and simple chronographs you’ll ever see. Its case follows Cartier’s Tortue collection, which is their second-oldest design after the Santos-Dumont. The shape is fluid and elegant and wears exceptionally well on the wrist thanks to its many sweeping curves and slim silhouette. 

The dial is classy and restrained with an opaline base color and pure black Roman numerals, over all of which float the blued Breguet hands. The recessed subdials feature circular finishing and appear as if they were set straight into the dial or carved out of it, with no sloping flanks merging into them.

It’s one of the classiest watches you could imagine, and only 200 were ever made, making it a true connoisseur’s watch that looks incredible yet anything but flashy about its quality and master craftsmanship.

Studio Underd0g Salm0n

At just $2,000, the Salm0n takes a totally new spin on the idea of a “salmon dial” by utilizing the full color palette of this noble fish, from its pink flesh to its silver scales. Compared to some of Studio Underd0g’s other chronographs (looking at you, Watermel0n), this one is significantly more subdued in its color palette, but I find it to be just the right amount of eye-catching thanks to the way its colors play together and stand out. 

The movement is a Sellita monopusher (caliber SW510M, in case you were wondering) and is even customized with a special bridge with the brand name on it. The case, lastly, is perhaps the perfect size for a modern watch, sitting right at 38.5mm. That number alone, more than its seafood associations, is sure to make collectors drool.

Breitling Navitimer Chronograph

Let me start with one thing: I’m not a huge fan of Breitling. Frankly, their watches just aren’t my style. In this case, however, the fact that they’re on this list should be a testament to the quality and enduring appeal of their iconic Navitimer collection, which remains one of the most iconic pilot’s watches ever made. 

Their Navitimer Chronographs start at around $10,000 and feature the dual functionality of both a chronograph and Breitling’s iconic slide rule complication, which I personally have absolutely no idea how to use.

But I know it’s useful somehow! If you’re interested, go ahead and one-up me and watch a video on it. Overall, it’s a highly functional and purpose-built watch that will be a faithful companion on any journey—airborne or otherwise.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Blue Ceramic 42mm

Confession time: I love Hublot. That’s an unpopular opinion among watch nerds. But Hublot has pushed the boundaries of watchmaking in more ways than other brands would even dream of, and they continue to offer watches that are just so dang cool. Their Big Bang Unico is one of my favorite chronographs. 

This model, in particular, has a spectacular two-tone appearance with a muted interplay of navy blue ceramic and rich gray titanium. The Unico movement inside is an automatic chronograph, and one of the best, being completely in-house as well as automatic and featuring a column wheel and flyback. 

Everything in the design screams sporty and usable, from the oversized numerals and hands to the oversized and yet strangely beautiful pushers. In particular, I love the iconic Hublot bezel.

I know there are many haters who will claim it’s a Royal Oak ripoff, but to me it feels perfect for Hublot’s identity (their name means “porthole” in French, and that’s exactly how it looks to me). It references the Royal Oak in a constructive way, not a ripoff.

Patek Philippe ref. 5270J Grand Complications

For many collectors, this is the watch. A chronograph perpetual calendar from Patek Philippe is their holy grail—and rightly so. It’s not a cheap watch (retail price is $194,190), but it is just about as close to perfect as you can get from a chronograph, or from any watch at all. Its movement is hand-finished to absolute perfection and is manual-wind. 

This sure makes it tricky to keep the calendar up to date but also allows for an unimpeded view of that gorgeous movement. The lugs are sculpted and crafted to perfection with several facets and sides.

The dial, above all, shows the quality of design and craftsmanship that you get from a Patek Philippe. There is a plethora of information displayed on its surface—from the chronograph counters and internal tachymeter scale to the perpetual calendar—but it somehow remains uncluttered and easily legible. Its faceted indices are polished and shaped to perfection. Indeed, that’s the best word to use to describe this Patek Philippe: perfection.

13. MB&F LM Sequential Flyback

The LM Sequential Flyback is a masterpiece, the work of the genius Stephen McDonnell, a mechanism that appears at first glance to be a rat’s nest of steel on the dial until it resolves itself suddenly into a harmonious whole at the press of a button. 

The “LM” in the title stands for MB&F’s “Legacy Machine” category which—believe it or not—is used for their more traditional watches. Released in 2020, this watch contains a whopping 5 different chronograph pushers instead of the usual 2 and controls two separate chronographs, each of which has a flyback function.

Plus, McDonnell added a special “Twinverter” function, which automatically swaps the two chronographs—if one hand is stopped and the other is running, the first starts and the second stops. 

The watch goes for a whopping $218,000, making it even more expensive than the Patek Philippe. In case you were wondering if your money would be well-spent, the GPHG certainly thought so: they awarded it an Aiguille d’Or, the highest prize in watchmaking.

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph

The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph is another one of the most iconic chronographs ever made, although it suffers from being significantly less appreciated compared to its cousins the Speedmaster and Daytona. Like these other two, it found its birth in racing inspiration—namely, the grueling Carrera Panamericana, one of the most dangerous races ever. 

The modern collection has seen quite a few changes from its original form, but it remains an exceptional watch. It’s best known for its “glassbox” crystal, which makes visibility of the dial and hands from any angle a breeze. I

ts internal tachymeter bezel makes the dial feel larger compared to the case, which is a new approach compared to Omega and Rolex who both put it on the outside. 

The combination of recessed subdials and elevated internal tachymeter create a great sense of depth that’s lacking in many lower-end watches. You also get some serious mechanical advancement, with automatic winding and a serious 80 hours of power reserve.

Overall, it’s the younger brother that doesn’t deserve to be overlooked as it vies for place with the Speedie and Daytona.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph (ref. 5520V/210A-B148)

The Overseas is easily the most underrated of the integrated sports watches offered by the Big Three brands—compared to the Royal Oak and Nautilus, most collectors barely bat an eye at the Overseas. They’re wrong to do so. At $35,600, this is an exceptional watch.

Take a look at that rich blue dial, crafted from translucent blue lacquer with a sunray finish that just instantly creates a powerful look of class and elegance. 

The large rehaut around the dial leads the eye right into the bezel, which is shaped with cutouts that visually reference Vacheron’s Maltese cross logo, and the links of the bracelet echo this shape design.

Everything is executed with restraint and yet nearly perfect class and charm, making the Overseas a worthy competitor to its sports watch siblings.

Conclusion

Chronographs are some of the most spectacular and intentionally designed watches on the market today. For many brands, they’re a playground for technical innovation. For others, they’re the defining piece of their collections.

They span every price point and style—a collection could easily be founded on these time counters alone. Whether you’re looking for your next chronograph here or not, I hope you left this article with a deep appreciation for the nuance and craft of each of these watches, which I know to be deeply merited.

I’d be the first to tell you I’m a pretty verbose guy. But this time, I promise I’ll keep it short and sweet. I’m going to break down each of the two types of mechanical watches and how you should wind it, with both the essentials and a little bit more. 

As a side note, if your watch is a quartz watch, you won’t need to wind it at all to keep it running: if it’s stopped and the crown is pushed in, you’ll just need a battery change. That’s all for the intro—let’s get right into it!

Automatic Watches

Most watches sold today are automatics. They use a winding rotor on the back to stay wound and keep running, so this makes your job here winding your watch a heck of a lot easier. If you’re not sure if your watch is an automatic, look for a winding rotor through the caseback (if it’s clear) or look for any sort of text on the dial or on the caseback that would indicate that it’s an automatic.

When an automatic watch stops running, you have two options to get it going again. First, you can just give it a few gentle shakes or spins to get the rotor whirling and get just enough charge back into the mainspring (the power supply for the watch) for it to get ticking again. If you’re a little too impatient for that, or just prefer manual winding, you can use the crown. Here’s how that should work.

First, take the watch off your wrist if you’re wearing it and hold it in your hand. If you wind the watch while it’s on your wrist, you can put too much tension on the winding mechanism because of the angle you hold the crown at and risk damaging something. 

Now that it’s in your hand, take hold of the crown—that’s the little knob sticking out of the side, usually at 3:00—between two fingers. Make sure it’s pushed all the way in, and then slowly rotate it clockwise. You should feel and hear a light grinding. 

It won’t be very tactile, sort of a light resistance and a faint whirring sound as you turn it. If you feel nothing and hear nothing, you’re probably turning it the wrong way and the winding has disengaged. Just switch the way you’re turning it.

Once the watch starts ticking again, you’re good to go! Give it another turn or two for good measure and slip the watch on your wrist after you set the time. The automatic winding rotor will make sure the watch gets wound the rest of the way to its max as you wear it throughout the day and will keep it wound as you continue to wear it.

If you take your watch off for the night and go to pick it up the next day, you should be good to go! As long as the watch is ticking already, you won’t need to worry about winding it. Just slip it on and let the automatic winding do its job.

Manual-Wind Watches

Manual-wind watches are a little trickier than automatic, but still quite easy to get the hang of. Many watch collectors find winding their manual watch to be an important daily ritual, of interacting with their watch and enjoying it before they slip it on for the day. Here’s how you’ll want to go about it.

As with the automatic winding, make sure you’re not wearing your watch before you go to wind it. Take it in one hand and be sure that the crown (again, the little knob sticking out, usually at 3:00) is pushed in all the way. Take the crown between two fingers of the other hand and gently rotate it clockwise. 

Unlike the automatic watches, you should hear and feel a clear tactile tick with every slight degree of rotation. It’s a sound that, after a while, you’ll come to love. If you don’t hear that, you’re probably winding it the wrong way and should switch directions.

Continue to gently turn the crown clockwise. It’ll take quite a few full rotations before the watch gets to full wind. The crown should turn easily, without much resistance. Eventually, you’ll feel it stop. Do not turn the crown any further when you feel this resistance. 

At this point, the watch is fully wound and is unable to accept any more wind. Forcibly turning the crown further could seriously damage the mainspring! But if you’re being relatively attentive and turning gently, you won’t have to worry about accidentally damaging something. You’ll feel your watch push back when you’re done winding.

Like I touched on a little earlier, manual winding is an opportunity to take a moment at the start of each day to interact with your watch and to, quite literally, give yourself the time. Enjoy it, and enjoy watching the face of your watch as you wind it. 

If your watch has a clear caseback, you can also flip it over and watch the winding gears turn and watch the balance wheel sputter into life as you gently wind. It’s a moment to cherish.

Conclusion

There, I kept it nice and short and sweet, with only a little bit of waxing philosophical about watch winding. But to be fair, a mechanical watch is a thing of artisanal beauty, and it deserves a moment of contemplation and enjoyment as you wind it each day. 

It’s a simple task, but one that can’t be passed up and certainly should be appreciated. Make the most of it!