The best chronographs of 2019. In this article we list some of the Top Chronograph watches launched in 2019 from top brands like Blancpain, Breguet, Breitling, Bulgari, Glashütte Original, Jaquet Droz, Omega, Patek Philippe, TAG Heuer, Tissot, Zenith.
We start today, and for the next three Sundays and the last day of the year, a series of articles with a selection of some of the best timepieces introduced in 2019 in various categories, including Chronographs, Sport Watches, Dress Watches, Ladies Watches and Complications.
For the Chronographs category, we list below our selections with links to the full articles. Selected watches are listed alphabetically, not in order of preference.
Blancpain Air Command
With the new Air Command, Blancpain reissued a legendary model of the past in a 500-piece limited edition chronograph characterized by a marked vintage touch but combined with Blancpain’s latest technical advances. The watch comes in a 42.5 mm stainless steel case equipped with a ratcheted "countdown" rotating bezel with a black ceramic insert. The caseback reveals the high frequency (5 Hz or 36,000 vibrations per hour) F388B movement graced with a contrasting propeller-shaped red gold oscillating weight. Read the full article.
Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition
The Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition faithfully replicates the design codes of one of the early Navitimers, the Breitling Ref. 806 that was launched 60 years ago. Like the original, the Re-Edition has an all-black dial with tone-on-tone sub-dials. The 40.9 mm stainless-steel case features a rotating beaded bezel made of precisely 94 beads, exactly the number found on the 1959 model. Just like the original manual calibre, the in-house Manufacture Calibre B09 mechanical movement is hand-wound. Read the full article.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic
Another demonstration of Bulgari’s skills in Haute Horlogerie, the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic is the thinnest-ever mechanical chronograph in watchmaking history. It houses an integrated chronograph movement with GMT function which is only 3.3 mm thick. The record is particularly impressive considering that the BVL 318 calibre is also self-winding. The 42 mm case is crafted from titanium with a special sandblasting treatment which makes the surfaces smooth as silk. Read the full article.
Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date Green Dial
Inspired to the colours of the Glashütte Original manufactory's surroundings, the new Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date models with green or grey dial are limited editions of 100 pieces each. Framed by a 40 mm sporty square case in polished stainless steel, all the indications are efficiently arranged and driven by a manufacture automatic chronograph movement with column wheel and flyback mechanism. Read the full article.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Chronograph
The Grande Seconde is the most emblematic timepiece of Jaquet Droz. Over the years, the Swiss brand created several variations of this exquisitely elegant timepiece enriching it with complications like dual time, calendar and moon phases. 2019 marked the entrance of a new complication in the collection with the Grande Seconde Chronograph. Equipped with an exclusive movement, the new model features a perfectly integrated monopusher chronograph. Read the full article.
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum
Unveiled on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, the Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum is the first Speedmaster to house the famous Calibre 321 after it was brought back in production at the beginning of this year. The 42 mm brushed and polished asymmetrical case, crafted from a special platinum alloy with the use of gold, features a transparent sapphire-crystal caseback to display the reconstructed movement. The step dial is formed from onyx while the three subdials were obtained from real slices of moon meteorite. Read the full article.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5172G Chronograph
The new Patek Philippe Ref. 5172G-001 Chronograph took the place of a reference very much loved the fans of the brand, the 5170 that was launched in 2010. This model comes in a 41 mm white gold case with round guilloched pushers and three-tier lugs. The dial is all new with a blue background and contrasting white-gold applied Arabic numerals and white-gold baton-style hour and minute hands. Visible through the transparent case back, the hand-wound movement, calibre CH 29-535 PS, combines a traditional architecture with several patented innovations. Read the full article.
TAG Heuer Monaco Heuer 02
TAG Heuer completed the 2019 celebration of the 50th anniversary of its iconic Monaco chronograph with the first model of this line to feature the brand’s Calibre Heuer 02 Manufacture movement. This way, for the first time in its half-century history, the Monaco is powered by an in-house manufacture movement. In addition to this major technical change, the new Monaco Heuer 02 also features a slightly revamped dial, which remains different from the dial of the Calibre 11 Monaco, the model featuring the crown on the left side of the case like the first Monaco model of 1969. Read the full article.
TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph
A 500-piece automatic chronograph fitted with a tourbillon mechanism, the new Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph is the first-ever watch to feature a patented hairspring made of a carbon composite invented by the Swiss watchmaker. The multilayer dial is characterized by sandblasted and fine-brushed hexagons on the movement plate visible through an open-worked dial. The 45 mm case is made of black PVD titanium while the bezel with tachymeter scale and the lugs are crafted from carbon. Read the full article.
Tissot Heritage 1973
Featuring an oval cushion with domed lines in its three dimensions, the Tissot Heritage 1973 is inspired to the Tissot Navigator, a timepiece dating back to 1973. Its glass box is domed, following the same profile, as are the horns and arched case back which contribute to make the watch more comfortable on the wrist. The 43 mm stainless steel case houses a silvery grey dial featuring matte black counters, for a Panda-style effect. The Heritage 1973 is powered by the ETA Valjoux 7753 self-winding movement. Read the full article.
Zenith El Primero A384 Revival
The new Zenith El Primero A384 Revival is a historically accurate recreation of one of the most emblematic chronographs ever made. The A384 was the first El Primero model to be presented in advertisements in 1969, announcing the first fully integrated, selfwinding chronograph movement. Each part of the original A384 from 1969 was digitized through a "reverse engineering" process so as to be accurately reproduced, from the 37 mm faceted steel case to the lacquered white and black tachymeter dial with the typical three-counter layout. Read the full article.
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