Feature: Five Amazing Chronographs That Deserve Icon Status
In the pantheon of iconic chronographs, a handful are assured of permanent residence, rooted there like sturdy great oak trees. We are of course referring to the usual suspects that have almost become a box-ticking exercise for… less adventurous collectors, shall we say.
A-List chronographs like the Rolex Daytona, Omega Speedmaster and TAG Heuer Monaco thoroughly deserve the countless coffee-table books, web pages and Instagram accounts devoted to them. But we’ve come up with a few less-obvious candidates equally worthy of your respect, admiration and, yes, money.
Because a true watch aficionado likes seeing these unsung beauties get wrist-time just as much as the aforementioned superstars. It shows a deeper appreciation for watches and reminds us of some of those less-known brands that could do with the warm glow of recognition once in a while.
None of the below have been coated in moondust or fetched several million dollars at auction, but they’ve all made history in some way. They also, we think, boast an effortlessly cool retro aesthetic.
Rest assured you’re going to love some of these pieces…
Hanhart Pilot’s Chronograph 417
Hanhart still produces the 417 model, once worn by Hollywood tough guy, Steve McQueen
In the watch world, Steve McQueen is synonymous with the Monaco. And even imagining Steve pairing up with some other watch seems as inconceivable as Queen Elizabeth seeking a Tinder hook-up. But the fact is, he was spotted wearing several watches during his life, including a Cartier Tank and Rolex Submariner (though not an Explorer II reference 1655—which seems to be a Rolex myth). He also wore another chronograph besides the Monaco—a Hanhart. This manual-wind pilot’s chronograph was made for the German armed forces in the 1950s and has been faithfully reissued in recent years, capitalising on the McQueen link. With those unguarded mushroom pushers and syringe hands, it’s a stunner.
TAG Heuer Carrera
A retro-looking, 2021 limited edition version of the legendary TAG Heuer Carrera
Not as well-known as the Monaco, its TAG Heuer stablemate, the Carrera is another of the brand’s racing chronographs that emerged in the 1960s. Great looks aside, the TAG Heuer Carrera has a charming origin story. Jack W. Heuer, great-grandson of the company’s founder, was on a business trip in Florida when he stopped by the famous Sebring motor-racing track where a race was taking place. Talking to the mother of two Mexican brothers who were driving at the time, he asked whether she ever worried about their safety. She replied that of course she was, but that Sebring “was only half as dangerous as the Carrera”—referring to a race across Central America that was so hazardous it was eventually banned. Heuer Junior loved the name and gave it to his latest chronograph.
Breguet Type XX
Breguet's discontinued Type XX is a classic aviation chronograph. Image courtesy of Bonhams
For a brand named after the godfather of horology, Breguet is entitled to be a little disgruntled at its mid-ranking place in the league table of historical luxury watchmakers. Abraham-Louis Breguet invented, among other things, the tourbillon, and made watches for royalty. He didn’t invent the chronograph, though, and he was long gone by the time wristwatches came around, but he would have happily put his name to the masterpiece that is the Breguet Type XX. Made for the French Air Force in 1954 it’s a classic that’s now only available on the pre-owned market, the brand having moved on to its next-generation XXI and XXII versions. They can usually be bought for around the £5k mark—a bargain.
Tudor ‘Monte Carlo’
A manual-winding Tudor 'Monte Carlo' from the early 1970s. Image courtesy of Bonhams
Unlike older sibling Rolex, Tudor has always had more freedom to play with its dial designs and in the 1970s it really came into its own, releasing watches like this funky chronograph with butterfly-style layout. Known affectionately as the ‘Monte Carlo’ due to the subdials’ resemblance to casino roulette wheels, it’s now a highly prized vintage treasure, and makes the Rolex Daytona look sombre by comparison. More attainable—and easier on the wallet—is its contemporary version, the Heritage Chrono Blue, which retains the vivid blue and orange colour scheme but, alas, doesn’t feature the cyclops lens over the date at 6 o’clock.
Universal Geneve Tri-Compax
Universal Geneve's Tri-Compax models are now sought-after on the vintage market. Image courtesy of Bonhams
Universal Geneve is probably the world’s most famous dormant luxury watch brand, perhaps awaiting some deep-pocketed investor to awaken it from its slumber with the smell of a large wad of cash. It’s certainly got a solid heritage, bringing out one of the world’s earliest chronograph wristwatches in 1917. In 1944, on the company’s 50th anniversary, it released the Tri-Compax, a chronograph that packed in so much—including a moonphase, tachometer and day-date feature—that it was dubbed “Le Glorieux”, or “The Glorious”. It never had a legendary actor to sprinkle it with Hollywood glamour but it has been worn by former US President Harry S Truman and avid watch collector and musician Eric Clapton, among others.
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