What size chronograph should I get?

The median chronograph in our catalog is 41.1 mm across with a 47.8 mm lug-to-lug and 13.6 mm thick. Lug-to-lug matters more than case size: for an ideal fit, keep it under 47.2 mm on a 6.5" wrist or 55.1 mm on a 7.5" wrist.

How much does a good chronograph cost?

The 46 current chronographs in our catalog run from $180 to $19,300 list, with a median of $3,648. The cheapest is the Fossil Grant Chronograph FS4813.

What is the smallest-wearing chronograph?

By lug-to-lug, the Brew Metric Chronograph Retro Dial METRIC-BLK at 41.5 mm, followed by the Studio Underd0g Chronograph 'Go0fy Panda' at 44.5 mm.

Are most chronographs automatic?

69% of the chronographs in our catalog with a known movement are mechanical (automatic or hand-wound); the rest are quartz or solar.

Does running the chronograph wear out the watch?

On a modern column-wheel or vertical-clutch movement, leaving it running costs a little power reserve and not much else. On older cam-and-lateral-clutch designs it adds wear to the clutch, so collectors run them only when timing something.

Chronograph watches

A chronograph is a watch with a stopwatch built in. One pusher starts and stops a central seconds hand, another resets it, and small subdials count the elapsed minutes and hours. Many add a tachymeter scale on the bezel to turn a timed distance into a speed.

Current models

Median case

41.1 mm

Median lug-to-lug

47.8 mm

Median list price

$3,648

What makes a chronograph

Two pushers beside the crown, start/stop at 2 o'clock and reset at 4
A long central seconds hand that only runs while you're timing; the running seconds sit in a subdial
Two or three subdials, counting up to 30 minutes and 12 hours
A thicker case than a time-only watch, because the chronograph mechanism sits on top of the movement

Louis Moinet built a timer in 1816 and Nicolas Rieussec patented an ink-marking chronograph in 1821. Wrist chronographs arrived around 1913, and in 1969 Zenith, Heuer-Breitling and Seiko each launched an automatic chronograph. The Omega Speedmaster went to the Moon the same year.

Case sizes

36–38 mm1
38–40 mm10
40–42 mm14
42–44 mm13
44–46 mm8

Case width of the 46 current chronographs in our catalog, from 21 brands. Of those with a known movement, 69% are mechanical.

Citizen Promaster Navihawk 40mm CA4664-60X — Live eBay listings for picks below. Photos from eBay.

Swatch Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon SO33M100 — Live eBay listings for picks below. Photos from eBay.

Best chronographs under $500

Watch	Case	Lug-to-lug	Thick	Water	Movement	List price	eBay median
Citizen Promaster Navihawk 40mmCA4664-60X	40 mm	—	—	200 m	Solar	$476	$534
Swatch Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Mission to the MoonSO33M100	42 mm	47.3 mm	13.3 mm	30 m	—	$300	$470
Fossil Grant ChronographFS4813	44 mm	—	—	50 m	Quartz	$180	$60
Tissot Chrono XL ClassicT116.617.16.057.00	45 mm	—	11 mm	100 m	Quartz	$450	$309
Dan Henry 1962 Racing ChronographMicrobrandDH62-38M-G1	39 mm	45.9 mm	13.5 mm	50 m	Quartz	$290	—
Brew Metric Chronograph Retro DialMicrobrandMETRIC-BLK	36 mm	41.5 mm	10.8 mm	50 m	Quartz	$475	—

Best chronographs from $500 to $1,500

Watch	Case	Lug-to-lug	Thick	Water	Movement	List price	eBay median
Citizen World Chronograph A-TAT8020-54L	43 mm	—	12 mm	200 m	Solar	$795	$527
Tissot PR516 Chronograph 40mm (quartz)T149.417.11.051.00	40 mm	—	12.2 mm	100 m	—	$575	$439
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph 39mmSSC961	39 mm	45.5 mm	13.3 mm	100 m	Solar	$750	$720
Bulova Lunar Pilot Chronograph 43.5mm98K112	43.5 mm	51 mm	13.4 mm	50 m	Quartz	$895	$629
Furlan Marri CastagnaMicrobrand1009-A	38 mm	46 mm	12 mm	50 m	Quartz	$713	$1,432

Best chronographs from $1,500 to $5,000

Watch	Case	Lug-to-lug	Thick	Water	Movement	List price	eBay median
Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono 40mmH38416541	40 mm	49.2 mm	14.4 mm	100 m	Automatic	$2,595	$1,953
Tissot PRX Automatic Chronograph 42mmT137.427.11.041.01	42 mm	53 mm	14.5 mm	100 m	Automatic	$2,150	$2,512
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical ChronographSRQ047	42 mm	49.5 mm	14.6 mm	100 m	Automatic	$2,500	—
Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph 40mm01 771 7791 4054-07 8 20 18	40 mm	48 mm	15.4 mm	100 m	Automatic	$4,700	—

Best chronographs over $5,000

Watch	Case	Lug-to-lug	Thick	Water	Movement	List price	eBay median
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona126500LN	40 mm	47.8 mm	11.9 mm	100 m	Automatic	$16,900	$36,988
Tudor Black Bay ChronoM79360N	41 mm	49.9 mm	14.4 mm	200 m	Automatic	$6,875	$6,000
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional (sapphire sandwich)310.30.42.50.01.002	42 mm	47.5 mm	13.2 mm	50 m	Manual	$9,000	$7,995
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43AB0138211B1A1	43 mm	49 mm	13.7 mm	30 m	Automatic	$10,700	$7,766
IWC Portugieser ChronographIW371605	41 mm	48 mm	13.1 mm	30 m	Automatic	$9,200	$7,236

One watch per brand in each price range, ordered by how many are listed on eBay right now, a rough measure of what people buy. List prices are manufacturer prices in US dollars.

Shortest lug-to-lug

Brew Metric Chronograph Retro Dial41.5 mm
Studio Underd0g Chronograph 'Go0fy Panda'44.5 mm
Dan Henry 1964 Gran Turismo Chronograph 38mm44.7 mm
Omega Speedmaster 3844.9 mm
Sinn 356 PILOT Classic W45.3 mm

Thinnest

Brew Metric Chronograph Retro Dial10.8 mm
Tissot Chrono XL Classic11 mm
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona11.9 mm
Citizen World Chronograph A-T12 mm
Furlan Marri Castagna12 mm

Chronograph watches by wrist size

Cheaper alternatives to the icons

Questions

What size chronograph should I get?: The median chronograph in our catalog is 41.1 mm across with a 47.8 mm lug-to-lug and 13.6 mm thick. Lug-to-lug matters more than case size: for an ideal fit, keep it under 47.2 mm on a 6.5" wrist or 55.1 mm on a 7.5" wrist.
How much does a good chronograph cost?: The 46 current chronographs in our catalog run from $180 to $19,300 list, with a median of $3,648. The cheapest is the Fossil Grant Chronograph FS4813.
What is the smallest-wearing chronograph?: By lug-to-lug, the Brew Metric Chronograph Retro Dial METRIC-BLK at 41.5 mm, followed by the Studio Underd0g Chronograph 'Go0fy Panda' at 44.5 mm.
Are most chronographs automatic?: 69% of the chronographs in our catalog with a known movement are mechanical (automatic or hand-wound); the rest are quartz or solar.
Does running the chronograph wear out the watch?: On a modern column-wheel or vertical-clutch movement, leaving it running costs a little power reserve and not much else. On older cam-and-lateral-clutch designs it adds wear to the clutch, so collectors run them only when timing something.