Best Of Chronographs: Timing The Last of 2020

Regardless of how your day-to-day life has evolved through the weirdness of 2020, the practical appeal of a chronograph remains constant. Timing things while cooking, running errands, or taking care of other tasks is a handy capability, and one that is always more satisfying while using a mechanical wristwatch rather than relying on your smartphone. This is one of those watch categories that’s anything but shy of options, however for the sake of this list, we’re mostly focusing on the classics. These chronographs by and large have interesting histories, legacies, or have in some way, shape, or form, changed or challenged the status quo of chronograph movement manufacturing.

A. Lange & Söhne Datograph

We’re starting big, although with a watch that has only been in the market since 1999. This is the first reference of Datograph, and the arrival of Lange’s first in-house chronograph caliber. At the time, none of the big guns—Patek, AP, Vacheron, or Rolex—were building in-house chronograph calibers. The movement not only incorporated a flyback function and an instantaneous-jump chronograph minutes counter, but it came paired with Lange’s oversized dual-disk quickset date complication as well. 39mm across and cased in platinum, this really is the Lange chronograph to own.

Patek Philippe Chronograph Ref. 5070R

Of the modern Patek Philippe chronographs, and we’re talking relatively modern given that the reference is now over 20 years old, the 5070 in all its various forms remains one of the most highly sought after. The 5070 was the first non-perpetual calendar chronographs from Patek Philippe in years, and in rose gold, it is thought that only 1,000-1,250 were ever produced. 42mm across, the manually-wound chronograph is contemporary in size while remaining absolutely classical in design, featuring a stepped bezel case and simple, applied Arabic numerals.

Rolex Daytona 116506

The platinum Daytona seen here is one that lands on many of our ‘top lists,’ and for good reason. First, the Daytona is an irrefutable icon in the category, and one of the industry’s most beloved chronographs of all time. Second, the distinct combination of its ice blue dial and chocolate brown bezel are one of the oddest things we’ve seen from Rolex in quite some time, and an unorthodox combination that works far better than one could have imagined. Finally, its platinum casing makes it extra stealthy for those who love precious metals without the unwanted attention of gold.

Omega Speedmaster Tokyo 2020 Olympics Collection Limited Edition

Obviously, the Omega Speedmaster earns a spot on this list, as being arguably the most well-known and recognizable chronograph on the planet. There’s probably some debate here, but I’d go so far as to say that strictly due to volume and price, it’s more recognizable by the masses than even the Daytona. For this list we’ve opted for an example that hasn’t gotten as much attention as it deserves, and one that we’d be willing to bet will become surprisingly collectible down the line. After all, the Tokyo 2020 Speedmaster is the Speedy for the Olympic games that never happened (or at least for the games that were postponed until 2021). The manual-wind 42mm example is powered by Caliber 1861, and is limited to (you guessed it) 2020 pieces. Now, there are five Speedmaster references in the Tokyo 2020 collection, so they aren’t going to be super scarce, but 30+ years down the road it’ll be an interesting little memento for those of us that survived this extremely strange year.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Chrono GMT

Contrary to Bvlgari CEO Jean-Claude Babin’s perspective, I refuse to call such a new watch design “iconic” so quickly, however I have to give credit where credit is due. The brand’s sleek, modern, and ultra-slender watches continue to be a hit with each release, and the Octo Finissimo Chrono GMT is no exception. It’s the world’s slimmest automatic watch with its aforementioned complications, coming in at only 6.9mm thick. Using a sandblasted titanium case and bracelet with matching dial and hands, the monochromatic look works exceptionally well, adding even further appeal beyond its mechanical complexity. Will it go down in history as an icon of modern watchmaking? I guess time will tell.

Zenith Defy El Primero 21

We’ve talked about icons, and we’ve talked about modern marvels, but with the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 you get a good solid dose of both. On one hand, the El Primero caliber is another one of those watchmaking superheroes, being the legendary 5hz high-beat chronograph movement so good that even Rolex used it as a base caliber for quite a few years in the Daytona (albeit reworked substantially). On the other hand, the 21 is its own kind of modern marvel, using a separate balance wheel for the chronograph, whose seconds hand makes a full rotation of the dial per second and can time 1/100th of a second (not including human reaction time). While not immensely practical, it’s a great execution of challenging watchmaking norms without breaking into an astronomical price point.

Breitling Top Time

Not an icon, nor is it much of a legacy piece, what’s great about this watch is the fact that Breitling wasn’t afraid to bring back a little funky ‘60s weirdness. We’re still in the peak of vintage reissue popularity, and this 41mm automatic chronograph ticks all the right boxes in a case size that will appeal to vintage and modern buffs alike. The Top Time in its day was designed to be a young, hip, and more affordable alternative to the Navitimer, and in current guise it effectively does the same job. Though limited to 2,000 pieces globally, the Top Time’s sub-$5k retail price comes in at a healthy margin below an in-house caliber equipped Navitimer.