Underrated and Discontinued Chronographs Worth Considering

As much as I enjoy reporting on the latest news from the watch industry, both good and bad, I always enjoy it when stories like this roll across my desk. You see, these days it seems so often that watch enthusiasts have sometimes painfully short memories, and many (myself included) are relatively new to the industry in the grand scheme of things. The news cycle is constant and occasionally overwhelming, and thus so many watches fall by the wayside and are forgotten about entirely.

The Underdogs

Consider this a glimpse back through recent history, as all these watches are currently discontinued, and have depreciated just enough to make them a good value on the secondary market.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph

Its name is a mouthful but the Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph is anything but basic or low key. It’s similar in specification to the current Polaris World Time Chronograph on offer from JLC, though with more sporting design cues that include its clever locking mechanisms for its crowns and pushers. Its dial is also much more interesting on account of a couple of key details. Rather than using a traditional hand, the chronograph hours are displayed on a smoked sapphire crystal disc that jumps ahead with each timed hour. In addition, rather than a precise running seconds subdial, JLC opted for a 30-second window displaying a disc that’s half white and half red. The division of color can be used to zero the watch when setting, but otherwise, it acts as more of a clever indication of whether or not the self-winding caliber is still powered.

Blancpain Leman Flyback Chronograph

Sadly Blancpain ended up killing off the Leman collection a little while back, which is unfortunate considering the 38mm case dimensions of this flyback chronograph are entirely on-trend based on recent shifts in the industry. The simple 3-register chronograph has a very tasteful and understated vibe to it, often seen on a well-executed steel bracelet with a mix of brushed and polished links. Because of its bracelet design, it won’t feel too compact on larger wrists, and at less than 12mm thick it’ll easily tuck under shirt cuffs as needed. Thanks to its screw-down pushers it’s good for a water resistance of 100m, making it that much more daily-wear friendly.

Vacheron Constantin Royal Eagle Chronograph

Square and rectangular watches aren’t for everyone, naturally, but when I fumbled across the Vacheron Constantin Royal Eagle Chronograph it just had to make this list. The big date chronograph runs the same caliber as what was found in the Overseas of the same era, yet due to its niche status, the piece sells for significantly less than its more conventional counterpart. Oversized pushers, dramatic lug flares, and broad sword hands make for a very interesting package, and at 37mm x 40mm it’s far less dramatic or overpowering than in seems from static imagery.

Chopard Mille Miglia GMT Chronograph

There have been many Chopard Mille Miglia models that have come and gone over the years, though at present there sadly isn’t a GMT chronograph in the collection like this one. At 42mm it’s a touch bigger than their standard chronographs, however, that’s still an entirely manageable size, and worth it for the addition of another practical complication. Mostly on account of the volume of models produced, these pieces have a knack for depreciating from new, and thus they’re an especially good value when found pre-owned.

F.P. Journe Octa Chronograph

A 38mm platinum cased big date chronograph from none other than F.P. Journe? Yep, that’s a thing. So often his Centigraphe models or the latest Monopoussoir Rattrapante capture the spotlight, leaving this model seriously underappreciated. At roughly $44,000 it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s a whole lot of watch for the dollar when you consider its complex design. Dollar for dollar you can get one of these for the same price as an Octa Lune, which is fundamentally less complex.

Omega DeVille Chronoscope Rattrapante

Back into obscurity we go with this Omega offering, which packs a co-axial caliber fitted with not just a chronograph, but a split-seconds chronograph for a very modest sticker price overall. Its dial is elaborate in design, though still quite conservative, using grey hues with the tiniest touch of red accents. Its heavy-hitting caliber is packed into a modest 41mm stainless steel case–one whose lugs and case profile beautifully detailed in design without seeming too frilly. Always the shame with Omega, things like this always fall behind the Speedmaster and Seamaster lines in terms of marketing priority, and thus often never get the attention they deserve.