Vintage chronograph watches.
The chronograph is one of watchmaking's great complications: a stopwatch built into a wristwatch, operated by pushers and measured in fractions of a second. Vintage chronographs are among the most sought-after pieces in the collector market, combining mechanical ingenuity with bold, purposeful dial design. Our selection spans the classic era of the 1960s through to the more accessible quartz chronographs of the 1990s and 2000s, each tested to confirm the complication is functioning correctly.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a chronograph and a chronometer?
A chronograph is a stopwatch function operated by pushers. A chronometer is an accuracy certification awarded after independent testing. They sound similar and mean quite different things: a watch can be a chronograph, a chronometer, both, or neither.
Do the chronograph functions work on these watches?
We test the pushers, the sweep hand and the reset on every chronograph before it is listed, and the listing states what works. Where a function is stiff or not operating we say so rather than leaving it for you to find, because chronograph repair is specialist work.
Is a quartz chronograph worth having?
Yes, and it is where most of the value in this field currently sits. Quartz chronographs from the 1980s and 1990s are accurate, hard-wearing and often well finished, and they are priced far below their mechanical equivalents despite doing the same job more precisely.
