Best Chronograph At Every Tier (Up to $10,000)

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So, chronographs are a bit of a unique circumstance in watch collecting. My reason behind saying that is partially just because we see them everywhere. They're such a huge element of the design philosophy of many different brands. But despite this, I think we overlook how complicated chronographs are to actually produce. I have heard from several watch makers that outside of maybe chiming mechanisms, chronographs are some of the most difficult movements to construct. But given the ubiquity that comes with the chronograph design, there are brands that will rush to try to make it work despite the difficulty to actually produce an in-house chronograph or even just position a chronograph at a more attainable price.

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So, in this video, we're going to be looking at are some of the best chronographs at different price tiers, all different price tiers up to $10,000. The reason I wanted to cap it at that $10,000 mark is as you start to get over into the five figures, things get a bit more daring and less useful for the everyday. And then you also see some more high herology presentations. As you starting to get into the 20 to 30 to4 to $50,000 that is an entirely different proposition. And I think for most people out there, I'd say 95% of people, this will probably have you covered. So we have this broken down into three separate tiers. We have the under $1,000 category, under $5,000, and then we'll have under $10,000. So, pretty simple, three different parts, and we'll have multiple different watches included in each one of those parts.

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So, now we jump into the under $1,000 category. And this is going to be broken down into basically two different buckets. I guess you could say three different buckets, but if you're looking at movement types, it's going to be quartz movements. And then there's like an outlier mechanical movement that's going to be represented here. If I was going to say for most people, what I would recommend if your budget is under $1,000, and this is where that idea around the complexity of producing a chronograph comes into play, a quartz chronograph is going to be better than a mechanical chronograph at this price tier. If you think about cost, maintenance, how thin the case is, if you want more traditional wearing dimensions, all of that will factor into the play of having Quartz be the leader in this regard. But there are some exceptions and we can talk about those and some of the drawbacks that go in uh that area if you do want to go that path.

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So first we're going to look at the probably bestselling chronograph under $1,000. It comes with a name as well that is as historically important uh two chronographs especially automatic chronographs despite this one specifically not being a automatic chronograph. Here we have the Seikko Prospects Speed Timer the SSC961. So, you're probably familiar with the model that was just discontinued. That was the SSC813, but that is now gone. And to replace it is this model. Much remains the same. You have a 39 mm diameter, a thickness of 13.3 mm, and a lugto lug dimension of 45.5 mm, and water resistance of 100 m. On the inside, doing the timetelling duties, is the Seikko V192 movement. That is a solar quartz movement and a sapphire crystal on top.

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You still get that more muted eggshell color with a hint of silver. It suggests a bit more of an aged appearance compared to the 813 and it brings a vintagele leaning look when compared to that brighter white of the 813. Some people might not appreciate that as much as others. It depends on what your preferences are in that regard. The new dial also has a sand blasted finish that adds some texture and dimension. And the loom color offers a slightly more aged hue. Now, the sub dials are where I would say these are a drastic improvement over the 813. They're a bit more opaque and they're better at obscuring the photo cells below. If you looked at the 813 in certain photos, maybe off angle at those sub dials, you could start to see some of the elements of them being a solar powered watch at those angles. This is not as apparent with these new successors. This gets a 6-month power reserve when fully charged on that V192. And the utility of that gas gauge power reserve indicator within the 6:00 sub dial is a pretty cool feature. And you also got two other dial colors that came in this package. one with a salmon pink dial and another with this mint green with another notable feature being a steel bezel.

So, moving along into a similar genre and then also a very important historical chronograph if you look back in the day. This is the Boliv Lunar Pilot. So, there's some different case sizes that you can choose from here. I'm going to probably suggest the Lunar Pilot 43 as being the better of the two for more people out there. You're getting a thickness of 13.2 2 mm. Pretty long lug to lug though at 51 mm, but wearing smaller than that 43 1.5 mm proposed case size. You're getting 50 m of water resistance. And the real star of the show is the movement on the inside. This is a high frequency course caliber, the NP20 with a sapphire crystal on top and some different dial colors to choose from.

So, this is a part of Boliv's history in this genre of what we'll call the moon watch. So, historical reference here, this was a piece that was worn by astronaut David Scott. Uh, he actually wore it on the moon and the specific model that he wore on the moon was sold at auction years ago, I believe in 2016 for around $1.625 million including buyer fees. Uh, so that was the Apollo 15 mission uh back in the early 1970s. But thankfully, you don't need to spend that amount of money nowadays to be able to get one. So, I want to talk a little bit about the MP20 high precision quartz movement. So, this is going to have a three-prongong quartz oscillator, and it's going to vibrate eight times the frequency of a traditional quartz oscillator at 262,000 hertz. And with that higher oscillating frequency comes more stability and higher accuracy in the process. So, think about eight times the accuracy of traditional quartz movements. In 2023, the Lunar Pilot got some updates with the case size going into that 43 1/2 mm. There are a couple different options that you can go for and there was also some limited edition pieces that were unveiled. But for the traditional options, you can go for the black dial version, which is going to be true to the original as closely as it can for the modern iterations. And then you also have the blue and white colorway, which is also pretty cool with this granular texture on that dial.

And then one final watch from the quartz category is going to be a different speed. So we see like these historic more sportsoriented chronographs. Here we go for more of a design forward approach. This is the Yunghan's Form C. So this is a watch that retails under $1,000. You get a diameter of 40 millimeters, thickness of 10.5 mm, and pretty compact lug to lug of 45 mm. Just the silhouette of Yunhan's watches are generally more dial, less about the lugs and taking up more of that profile. Water resistance of 50 m and a Swiss Rhonda course movement on the inside.

So German brand Yunghans, you know my feelings about this brand. And they were partly responsible for me getting into fine watch making in the first place because I was first enamored with the design and these are well regarded for their minimalist aesthetic rooted in bow house influence. Now the form C is going to be an adjustment from the likes of the Max Bill design. So this is a quartz powered alternative to more of those expensive mechanical models from the Max Bill family and the Meister series while offering clean design and German precision. Now the 40 millimeter case is going to be relatively slim too. You have 10.5 mm and you have that concave dial that brings incredible presence and depth and makes the watch appear larger than its dimensions might suggest, but it also allows you to really take in all of those visual elements that I think make these watches stand out. So, you have that concave element of the dial. You have the crisp numerals and then this modern type face for easy reading and then the added square markings for the additional timetelling on that outer track protected by a sapphire crystal. Think of this watch being more to the appeal of those that are looking for more of a dress type of chronograph that is going to be more wearable and sliding underneath a dress cuff as well. And then also getting more of this German uh more minimalist design that so many people love and it's a part of our culture too with bow house and what is out there uh with many other elements of industrial design today.

Now I quickly want to just talk about the concept of micro brand and then also the seagull movement that is going to be made available. So I just want to talk about seagull in general because there are going to be people that are going to say you have to include it. It is the best position mechanical chronograph under $1,000. And I am not going to argue that. The only thing that I would throw out is between the 1963 which is the traditional form. You're getting under $500 for a retail price of that watch. 38 mm. You have this military heritage background of this piece and you're getting a column meal horizontal clutch movement chronograph that is going to be fully on display as you twist this watch around. And it's a nice looking movement even for a price that would be 5x uh what this is, maybe even 10x what this watch is. Uh it does look the part. Now, the challenge is, and this is where the whole concept of chronographs being complicated to produce, uh, comes and works against you in this price tier, because this is going to be a caliber that's going to cost more than the watch itself to service. So, just know what you're signing up for here. If that does not scare you away and you just want to get a mechanical chronograph for this dollar amount, this is where this can have some charm. 1963 Seagull, that is more of your military heritage chronograph.

You can go for another one with some quirks in some fun design style that has become a huge fan favorite in the collector community is Studio Underdog. This is a British company that has just done an unbelievable job and striking accord with collectors all over the world. I know collectors that are absolute heavy hitters when it comes to collecting the top tier higherology brands in the industry and I know many of them still like and have Studio Underdogs in their collection personally. So, I think you saw that one video I did where I talked about uh some of like it was the greatest watch collection I am aware of in the United States. There might be other ones that can compete against it, but uh for what I have seen, this is the best. And in his collection, amongst all these independents, amongst all of these different brands that are at the upper echelon of what the industry has to offer, this collector has multiple studio underdogs as well. And in talking with that individual, absolutely adores what the brand is doing.

And then one final micro brand I'll just throw in as an honorable mention would be Brew with their metric design. So Brew, you know my connection if you have followed this channel for a while. I have been speaking about this brand probably since 2017 2018. I first connected with Jonathan Farah, this uh the founder of this company back in 2018 and we met up for like a quick interview. I don't even know if he had an office at the time. I don't think he did. So we just did an interview in a park in New York City. And it was pretty funny cuz we were both just getting started in our in the world of watches. I mean, he was designing these different watches and uh just last year we did a co-design together. I just love what he's been able to create with these interesting 1970s case silhouettes and just the proportions, the designs. It's very fresh compared to other brands out there in this price tier. Uh solid movements that are just going to, you know, generally work quite well. I mean, Seikko, VK68, you have a Mecca cords movement. Kind of getting that nice clean sweep in the process, which is a common theme that we have seen thus far in things like the speed timer and the Bulla Lunar Pilot that I forgot to mention, but that's a notable aspect to those watches and why they might have some charm. Same thing exists here. Uh, but one of the coolest designers in this price tier in going against the status quo of what many collectors might be looking for, but showing that there are things to discover if you broaden your horizons. and I think he's been able to really navigate that world exceptionally. So, great guy and then a great brand as well.

All right, so now we transition into that $5,000 tier. So, anything over $1,000 into $5,000. And if you look at just watches and chronographs, generally speaking, you're going to see these pockets where different movements are going to be made available. So, we saw the seagull, we saw quartz. Now, the next jump up is going to be into your Valju and also Celita based calibers, and that's where you're going to see mostly represented here up to that $5,000 price point. There are a couple brands that are going to use general uh ETA baseased type of arrangements and architecture, but doing their own twist on things, and you'll also see that in this price tier as well. But it's important to look at the movement architecture and how this works. So, there might be people will say, why $5,000? Why aren't there more things at this price tier? This is why chronographs are more than three-handers going to dictate the price of a watch uh because of what movements are available. There are not as many chronograph movements available third party as there are three-hand movements.

To kick things off, we look at Zen and this is the Zen 356 SA pilot watch. Uh so a piece that's going to retail just under $4,000 on the HLink bracelet. A 38.5 mm case diameter. You also have a couple different crystal types that you can choose from here which will change the optical presentation of the piece. Definitely not the thinnest of watches, which is another aspect as we get into the calibers residing within these. So 15.5 mm thick. Many of the S SW500's as well as the Valju 7750 and others of the type are going to be close to 8 mm thick just for the movement. So think about casing that up, stacking all of the hands because you also need more clearance in the case to get over those dial elements. That is going to add to a thicker case. So anybody that always is asking why can't I get a really thin chronograph? A lot of it comes down to the movements available. 46 millimeter lugto lug and water resistance rating of 100 m.

Now when we talk about German brands, I have always mentioned Zen. Uh they're another brand that's just uh renowned for their credibility and innovative feature sets and fantastic value for money. They were founded in 1961 in Frankfurt by ex-military pilot Helmet Zen. And the brand's focus is really on hardwearing tool watches built for pilots, divers, and anyone who tends to demand a lot out of their equipment. Now, the 356 chronograph follows the fleeer design form with smaller dimensions. I mean, 38.5 mm is a pretty unique case diameter for a chronograph at any price tier. You are still getting 100 m of water resistance and is powered by the automatic SW500, an alternative to the venerable Value 7750. You do have several versions of the 356 that are available, including two and three registered designs as well as a number of colorways and then in addition strap and bracelet options to choose from.

So, we already talked about the speed timer in that solar quartz variation. What about now at the mechanical position? This is where we get the Seikko Prospects SRQ047. Now, we didn't really talk about it at the beginning, but the speed timer name is one of the most important in watchmaking because of what it was able to do in 1969 and being one of the first automatic chronographs out there. being alongside the likes of the Zenith El Primero as well as the creations from brands working together in Switzerland like Hoyer, Brightling, Hamilton, and others that were trying to produce an automatic chronograph. A lot of debate who came first. All we can say is that it's not conclusive on who necessarily came first, but all of these brands were directly responsible for paving the way for automatic chronographs going forward. Now, this is going to come with a 42mm case, thickness of 14.6 6 mm and a lug to lug of 49.5 mm with getting some sporty upside. This is a prospect series model after all 100 mters of water resistance and the movement on the inside is an in-house 8R48 caliber with a sapphire crystals. Uh it's a panda dialed column wheel chrono that tips the cap to the 6138-8020. That was a speed timer that launched in 1972 specifically. Now while it certainly exudes classic style, this is a thoroughly modern time piece with a substantial 42mm presence. And when you're talking about getting a mechanical chronograph from Japan, not as many as you would think, but I would say Seikko probably best represents uh this from a general watchmaking perspective and having the most variety. This is a nice one in a pretty unique sweet spot in that $2,000 to $3,000 range.

So, we talked about historically important chronographs. We have another one here. This is the Hamilton American Classic Intramatic Chronograph H. So, I remember when this watch came out, or at least the reissue of this watch came out, I actually went to Lancaster, did a review outside on the original grounds of where Hamilton was producing some of these watches, uh, or at least where they producing watches in the United States, uh, back until the late 1960s and gradually transitioned to Switzerland after that. So, this is a watch that comes with a diameter of 40 mm, uh, 14.35 mm thick. You have a lug to lug of 49 mm, but this watch wears like a true 40, maybe a 40 and a half on wrist. You're getting 100 meters of water resistance. And then the movement on the inside is the H51. So that's a Valu derived caliber uh that is doing the honors here with a sapphire crystal on top.

So this is more for the fans of classic mid-century design and the Hamilton American Classic Intramatic Chronograph H. A lot of words there. Brings a lot to the table for less than $2,500. Now it shares its DNA from the original Chronomatic. So, Hamilton's very first automatic chronograph released in 1969. I referenced that date and we'll continue as we go through this list. Now, Hamilton was specifically working with Hoyer Brightling uh Hamilton Burren and resulted in that famous caliber 11 back in the day. Now, this might look pretty vintage, but rest assured, this is a pretty modern time piece. You're getting 100 meters of water resistance and some of the new dial configurations on these watches are fantastic. Uh so the Chrono H comes in a panda reverse panda and then you have this blue, green and brown dials with this fume effect that were released a little earlier this year. Absolutely love those. Those are some striking watches. I think we have a review on our review show uh taking a closer look at those. Uh really stunning pieces and if you've not checked that review out uh we'll link to it down in the description below.

So now this is a personal favorite of mine. I think this piece is cool. It's got some underrated history to go along with it. This is the Hanheart 417ES. So, this particular model is the Flyback Panda version at 39 millimeters, 13.4 millime thick and a lug to lug of 45.6 mm, getting 100 m of water resistance, and the movement on the inside is a Sle of Caliber. This is the AMT 5100M. So, if you're not familiar with this brand, Swiss German company known for their stopwatches. is they were actually one of the largest producers of stopwatches, especially in the early 20th century and still make mechanical stopwatches to this day. They're also famous for their military pilots chronographs, which is best represented here with the 417 ES. This is one of their most noteworthy chronographs from their post-war years, debuting in 1954. So ES that is in reference to the stainless steel case, distinguishing it from the chromeplated cases of less expensive models from back in the day. The rip coin edge bezel is birectional, which you might not suspect when you first look at this piece, but a pretty cool little uh detail there. And the red index is going to be a design hallmark that also helps with aligning that to specific timing uh measurements that you might have. This was also one of Steve McQueen's favorite watches as the rumor has it that he purchased one as a personal time piece when he was in Germany.

Now, the manually wound Selita AMT5100M caliber offers an authentic Swiss column wheel flyback functionality, which is pretty nice functionality for its price point. Also sized at 39 mm, and you've seen a lot of the watches on this list thus far. To see something under 40 mm with these calibers is pretty difficult. It offers 100 meters of water resistance and antimagnetic capability up to 16,000 ampers per meter. Just for reference, ISO 764 calls for 4,800 ampers per meter. So, a significant jump up in comparison. get a nice super legible panda dial configuration and Swiss Super Luminoa.

So, one of the most important watches of the last five years is the PRX. So, when you add a chronograph into the mix, uh that's going to be a nice combination. So, here we have the PRX chronograph, one of the more attainable Swiss chronographs from a mainstream brand because it's retailing just over $2,000. Now, with the chronograph function, you're getting a bit of a larger case compared to the traditional PRX that comes at 40 millimeters. Here, we have 42 millimeters and a thickness of 14.8 8 millimeters that will wear similar to that thickness measurement. It's not going to be the thinnest of watches, especially how this integrated design is going to wear. Water resistance remains at 100 m and you're getting a derived caliber from the Valu 7753.

So, when this watch came out, it was absolutely crazy because the PRX Mania was at its peak and when this watch landed, it was one that got the industry's attention immediately. There have since been several different design iterations that have built off of this platform and the PRX is again one of the most important Swiss watches in the last 5 years at its price segment and maybe even beyond that and just getting people into mechanical watch making. Now the caliber A05H31 is a modified version of the Bju 7753. Uh the integrated movement has been tweaked to offer 60 hours of power reserve and you can catch a glimpse of it through the displayed caseback complete with a skeletonized rotor. The white and blue panda dial variant is especially striking with its vertical brush finish and the case and bracelet finishing of the entire PRX lineup. You probably know how it how it goes. Uh it's very well done for the price. This is going to have similar finishing to those on the entry level models. So maybe not as boundary pushing but still quite well done and just speaks to the general presentation that comes with the PRX more broadly.

So a brand that is probably the leader in having the most variety at this price range for chronographs is going to be Longene. They have many watches to choose from. I'll throw an honorable mention for the Conquest Chronograph as well as the Navigation Big Eye. I was really struggling to pick one watch from this brand to represent this tier. I'm going to pick the Longene Master Collection Chrono Moonphase. I think Longene has changed the name or maybe I've just been calling this by the wrong name, but I think the way that I've been labeling it is giving this watch its true flowers because uh calling this just a master collection chrono moonphase is selling this watch short as it's one of the most complicated mechanical wrist watches for the money at $4,150 on a bracelet. You have a couple different case sizes to choose from. I usually recommend going for the 40mm for getting a bit more of some traditional wear elements that are being presented with the other aspects of this design.

Now, the complications include hours, minutes, small seconds, and a 24-hour indicator. You have a pointer date with a half moon central hand, a moonphase display at 6, a central 60 seconds chronograph hand, a 12-h hour counter at 6, and a 30 minute counter with a day and month display at 12. Can you see what I'm getting at? What I'm talking about this maybe being sold a little bit short with that title. I mean, this is a really valuepacked watch in what is being presented here with the different complications. What's allowing all of this to happen on the dial is the automatic long L687.5. It's a movement that's based off of the Belgium 7751 architecture. One thing to call out for Longene is that they use EDA parts. So they have the benefit of having access to these movement parts and components. But the one big upside is that they have a lot of proprietary aspects and access to these movement parts and beyond that they're assembling all of these movements in Santiier. So this isn't a complete movement that they're receiving. they're receiving parts and then assembling them uh through the T1 through T3 process.

And one final watch I want to mention in this tier is going to be the Y-han's Max Chronoscope. I have talked about this watch many times over the years and mostly just being the first chronograph that I actually ever owned. This was it. This was the watch that started it all for me in chronographs and I still love it to this day. It still remains probably the most compliments I've ever received when I was getting first into watches and people that didn't even know I had interest in watches saw it on my wrist. It got the most compliments of any watch out there. That's not why I decide to own watches, but it's pretty interesting in talking about that because it demonstrates what people that are not into the hobby might gravitate towards. And I think what this watch does exceptionally is just positioning design and putting it forward and just from an industrial design sense. Uh you look at watches and you just think about a dial, that's one aspect, but the whole picture. And then when you think about the broader story of Max Bill and his connection to Yung Hans and producing a kitchen wall clock and then having that be adapted to a wristwatch, you see those elements here.

Now, this is not directly a Max Bill design in the chronograph world. So, the chronoscope was not something that was designed by Max Bill, but the elements that were used in the chronoscope on the Max Bill uh just DNA were absolutely part of Max Bill's signature. Now, this comes in with a 40mm case and a wear and dimension that I don't think I've ever experienced elsewhere in the industry. It's 42.1 mm lug to lug. It is basically a circle. You get these small little nubs for lugs on the side of the case. It It's not like anything else. It looks crazy when you have it on, but it almost positions itself as a wall clock on your wrist. And there's some other quirks about it where you don't actually have running seconds unless you actually have the chronograph running. So, a lot of the times it's just sitting in this uh idle position unless you want to actually time something. Doesn't really bother me, but is one of the weird quirks about this watch. You have a value based caliber on the inside doing the honors. Uh but a watch that to me started it all. It was a chronograph that got me into uh broader watch making in many ways. And I think I've documented this in several different videos over the years. I've had this watch for quite a long period of time and it was in the first video ever to appear on this channel.

So, now we go to the $10,000 price tier, or at least up to $10,000. So, $5,000 to $10,000. Now, you're getting into more of the traditional luxury brands that people will often think uh when trying to splurge on a chronograph. First, we're going to look at Tutor with the Black Bay Chronos. So, this is a watch that retails right around that $7,000 mark, depending on the bracelet and configuration you go for. 41 mm in its case diameter, 14.2 2 mm thick and a lug to lug of 49.8 mm. This is part of the Black Bay range, so you are getting 200 m of water resistance and the MT5813 caliber on the inside. So, this is derived from the Brightling B01 movement.

So, this was a watch that was first introduced in 2017 and then revamped in 2021 and made some big improvements mostly from the wearability aspect and the design standpoint. I think these watches are really nice looking. They have some subtle points of uh connection obviously to the Daytona, but we know the connection between these two brands. Uh but still has that Black Bay DNA that is probably more forward than anything else uh in this design. It's one of the best looking chronographs for its segment. Uh the update brought a thinner case for better wear experience. So bringing it down more than half a millimeter in thickness and you're still getting again 200 m of water resistance in the process. This is also the least expensive path to get into Brightling's B1 architecture. So there was an exchange of technology between Brightling and Tutor. So Tutor swapped the MT caliber seen in the 42 millimeter Pelos to be featured in the Brightling Super Ocean series, no longer being utilized by them because now have the B-31s. But what Brightling sent over to Tutor was the ability to have a chronograph movement with the B01 showcased in the Black Bay Kronos. You're getting a vertical clutch, 70 hour power reserve movement, also COSC certified to go along with it. So chronometer certified, and you also have seen some different configurations and dials. So, the most famous ones are going to be the black and the white dials. You have those panda, reverse panda styles, but then you get the crazy colors with the flamingo blue and the Miami pink variant. Those specific, more vibrant colors are going to be part of Tutor's Daring collection. And the standard models now are offered with either three-link or five-link bracelets.

Moving right along, we have a watch that's on my wrist right now, and I'll say which one I think is probably the best positioned. And that is the Speed Master Moonwash Professional. There are several different moon watch professional watches out there from the Speed Master family, but I think the Hezelite, the classic Hezelite is the one to probably go for if you are thinking about, you know, best at representing and then also going to be more entry position for the Speed Master family. So, under $8,000, 42mm classic wearing dimension case. It's going to wear like a 40 on wrist because of the 47mm lug to lug, 50 m of water resistance, and the manual caliber on the inside. the 3861. I have full videos talking about the differences between the Hezelite and the Sapphire Sandwich versions, the white dial as well and then also FOIS that can also be included here. However, the FOIS is not part of the Moonwatch family, the professional series. Uh so that is more of the heritage collection, but often is going to be cross shop between the two.

I decided to go for the Hezelite because this is classic speed masteraster. The acrylic hazelite glass is one of the aspects that made it the watch worn by NASA astronauts. It's a design aesthetic feature that I personally like. Uh these watches photograph unbelievably. Uh it looks amazing in all different environments. I like the charm and warm aspect of the crystal. I even like when I scratch up this crystal a little bit. I I've never really buffed it out because I I find there's an element of a story uh around that. Uh, but this is probably the leading chronograph under $10,000. Uh, when you're looking at icons, it is a staple in the watch collecting community and a watch that is as important to Omega as any other and really for chronograph design in general.

So, right alongside that of Tutor, when you're getting into the B 01 movement, what is the best positioned Brightling watch that utilizes the B01? And for that, we have to look at the Brightling top time series. So, a variety of different top times are now available with a lot of connection to the automotive world. Uh, you could go for like the Mustang, the Corvette, uh, the Deas series, which is going to be a different spin on things. But having the B01 on the inside for under $8,000 from Brightling is going to be very well positioned. These are going to have a diameter that's a little bit smaller than some of the other chronographs out there at 41 mm, 13.3 mm thick. An automatic chronograph on the inside. all of the bells and whistles that we talked about with the B01 being presented here.

It's a chronograph that really changed the game for Brightling when it was introduced in the late 2000s, now residing in the collection for well over 15 years. The top Time made its impact on pop culture with the model variants like the distinctive Zoro versions which featured a graphic dial that resembled a mass surrounding the sub dials and a top time even made it onto the silver screen when James Bond wore one in Thunderball sporting a fictional geer counter. Now, the current incarnation of the Top Time Chrono spans several two to three register models. Nearly all of them are collaborative editions. You have bright colorways, no date, and distinctive square circle subregisters that are visual calling cards for the top time lineup. With the B 01, you're getting a column wheel chronograph that's COSC certified. It is going to feature a vertical clutch system and has a power reserve of 70 hours.

So IWC's big pilots Mark 20 and the entreur grab the lion share of headlines, but the pilots watch chronograph at 41 mm is a fantastic in-house column wheel chronograph that flies pretty under the radar. Now the collection was updated in 2021 with a slimmer 14.5 mm case height, making it a much more comfortable wear for average to larger wrist. It's one of the most supremely legible dials that you're going to find, and the look is cockpit instrument serious and is punctuated by the bright red running secondhand. The caliber on the inside is the 69385. It features crisp pusher action without secondhand jumping. And it also uses a birectional paw operated winding system for more efficient energy transfer when winding. You have 100 m of water resistance improving on the 60 m of previous generations. And the five link bracelet deserves special mention for its push button on the-fly adjustment hidden in the logo of the clasp as well as the easy exchange system that makes strap swaps a absolute breeze. The Paloc Chrono also if you want to look at different case materials will have those made available to you. So if you don't think stainless steel is for you, you could look at the bronze models and then even ceramics uh which will change the price and positioning quite a bit but still going to be ones that will grab some attention uh and be ones that are sleepers in terms of just the public uh conversation around chronographs at this general price range.

So what's the greatest automatic chronograph movement of all time? You could make a case for several different ones out there, but if I was going to make an argument uh and try to really defend one, it would be the Zenith El Primero. There there are many different versions of the Zenith El Primero, but I think if you factor in its history, the lore behind its piece, a five Herz movement among the first automatic chronographs to ever be produced and where it was also supplied to other brands, including the Rolex Daytona. I think it just presents everything that I would think about uh for trying to be at the top of the heap in that regard. And then in addition to all of it, it's a movement that is incredibly complex. It's beautifully constructed and then will also present itself in cases that for an automatic chronograph is pretty thin and also very wearable.

So, here we're going to be looking at a watch that's just at the $10,000 price point, at least at the time of recording this video. This is the Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow. One of my personal favorites. Uh, it's the A384K. So, I like the A386 and the A384, but if I had to pick any A384 watch to add to my collection, I've thought about it several times, it would be this watch. So you have a 37 mm diameter with a 47 mm lug to lug, 12.7 mm in thickness. So for an automatic chronograph, amazing. And that's one of the best aspects of the Zenith El Primero that is not talked about enough. It is one that does not wear high on the wrist. 50 m of water resistance and you're getting the automatic El Primero caliber. This is the 4061, so not the latest of generation. So, this isn't going to have the 3600 movements uh secondhand on the chronograph that will rapidly spin around the dial to track a tenth of a second, but you're still getting 10 beats per second for this movement. It also boasts a silicon escapement wheel and lever for greater magnetic resistance and a very nicely finished caliber at that with over 300 components in the package. So, this is a completely different approach for the Zenith Chronomaster series. And the Shadow brings a postmodern titanium take on that venerable A384 to no case. Ironically, this watch, despite feeling very futuristic, is going to be based on an obscure Zenith prototype back from 1970 that never saw production. Not quite black, the titanium case gets its color not from a coating, but from its micro blasted finish. The dial expertly balances several shades of gray, foregoing the minute track and omitting the 430 date window for better symmetry.

So, now for the final brand that has to be included on this list is going to be Tag Hoyer. There are two watches that represent chronographs at this price tier as well as any and they are from this brand. You have the Monaco and the Carrera. It it comes down to personal preference on what is going to be for you in terms of price and positioning and probably wearability. The Carrera will probably get more of an edge on the everyday. To my personal preference and wearing experience, I would probably go for the Carrera. But the Monaco is the brand's icon. That would I would say is the most emblematic symbol of this brand. And so you just have to weigh out those two ideas. But for just making a decision and not being a fence sitter here, I'm going to go ahead and pick the Tag Hoyer Carrera Chronograph Glass Box. Uh this is a watch that when it was unveiled completely just got my attention immediately. It completely shifted the way I looked at the modern Carrera collection. You have a diameter of 39 mm, thickness of 14 millimeters, and a lug to lug of 45.7 millimeters with 100 meters of water resistance. in doing the duties on the inside. The automatic tag Hoyer, the TH20-00.

I don't think there's any other brand that has such a deep connection with motorsports. I mean, you could go back and forth with a few, but I think Hoyer, classic Hoyer, is at the pinnacle of what racing chronographs are all about. The Carrera is right there in representing these ideas. From its clean, straightforward dial designs, elegant faceted lugs, and race ready performance. Few watches have the bonafide heritage of the Carrera. It was introduced by Jack Hoyer in 1963 and its name was inspired by the often deadly Carrera Panameana Road Race. The complete Carrera lineup currently numbers more than 100 references, but the standout is the striking Carrera glass box. Now, it's inspired by highly collectible vintage Hoyers, and the modern 39mm edition is distinguished by that unique glass box sapphire crystal, which features a prominent dome design that extends over the dial. Available in several colorways. Two of my personal favorites are the bright sunray blue and then the stunning silver panda version. Both of which that glass enclosed tachometer scale, snailed sub dials, and a 6:00 date window. The sharply faceted lugs synonymous with the Carrera are present along with pumpstyle pushers and a comfortable vintage looking beads of rice bracelet. The caliber on the inside, the TH20-00 is going to be running at 4 hertz and offers an extended 80 hours of power reserve.

But there you have it, guys, looking at some of the top chronographs at every price tier up to $10,000. Uh, this is a lot to go through, so hope you guys appreciated going through it with me. If you like this video, give it a thumbs up, subscribe, hit the bell icon. Really do appreciate that. If you could pick one chronograph up to $10,000 for yourself, which one would it be? Uh, I don't know what mine would be. I have I have a few on this list that I personally own, so it's tough for me to decide, but uh leave a comment down below on what you would pick if you could only choose one. Or if there's a watch that was not included on this list uh that you would add to it and give me a reason why.

And again guys, if you want to partake in a collector series video, fill out that form. We would really appreciate that. Uh that's a great help to us and I would love to be able to meet one of you guys and all these different occupations. That is a series that I love to do. I want to do more of it. So, if you are interested, we would love to be able to host you on the channel, have a video, come to Cleveland, we'll fly you out, cover your hotel, and be able to meet the team and myself. We'll put that at the top of the description down below. But guys, thank you again so much for watching. Be well. I'll see you all very soon.