Best Chronograph Watches Under £500

Available in both black and silver coloured stainless steel, this smart and very practical watch has been designed with a minimalistic edge so that it has high readability. The watch has the name 1972 as this was a year for great achievement and because it is a limited edition as only 1,972 in each colour have been produced.

The 41 mm dial is stylish with two mini-dials in the centre – top (60 min chrono) and bottom (1/10 second) and the third, a 12-hour chronograph, with alarm, at the 9 o’clock position. There is a date window at the 3 o’clock position. The dial is protected with anti-reflective sapphire crystal. There is a tachymeter on the bezel.

This wristwatch is advertised as the ‘ultimate pilot watch’. If you have not come across the name Dan Henry, it is because it is a micro brand, founded in 2016 by Dan Henry who is an enthusiastic vintage watch collector with more than 1,500 timepieces.

Sporty, masculine and colourful, this stainless-steel watch has been inspired by the popular chrono classic collection provided by Victorinox. The Fieldforce Chrono has been designed to encompass the Victorinox brand values.

The 42 mm dial is designed to be clear and the use of Superluminova® makes day and night readability easy. The dial is protected by triple-coated sapphire crystal. There are colourful additions to the dial with the red second hand and red and white Swiss Army Knife logo at the 12 o’clock position. The watch features chronographs and tachymeter and has a quartz movement and smart stainless-steel strap.

If the company name ‘Victorinox’ sounds familiar – it is! In 1884 Karl Eisener opened his cutler’s workshop in Ibach-Schwyz and five years later he began producing excellent knives for the Swiss Army. The knives are still produced by what is now a global company and in 1989 the company began making beautifully crafted watches that undergo 100 quality control tests before they leave the factory.

Zodiac is a brand that is known for its precision and innovative design and this watch certainly has both.

The 41.5mm case is in stainless steel and the watch dial is black with two mini-dials in white. The hour and minute hands have luminous tips and the second hand is red in colour. The watch has two chronographs, a tachymeter and a date window at the 6 o’clock position. The watch has a black leather strap.

Ariste Calarne set up his first workshop in Switzerland in 1882 and since then the name Zodiac has been synonymous with expertly crafted watches.

This watch comes with a two-year warranty and is water resistant to 10 metres.

Seiko is a well-known Japanese brand recognised for disrupting the swiss watch industry by mass-producing quartz operated watches. Manufacturing 2 watches both target a different market segment, Seiko and Grand Seiko.

This Seiko watch in particular has been met with glowing reviews, complimenting its sophisticated design and robust nature, perfect for office and labour-intensive activities.

However the only detail we would draw your attention to is the size of the watch, itself. This particular model supports a larger case diameter (44mm, ) and thickness (13mm) than the previous chronographs reviewed in this article. So if you have particularly small wrists we would probably advise you to choose a slightly smaller watch model. Yet this is great value for money sitting at just under £300.

Spinnaker is a dynamic micro brand founded in 1977 by Hong Kong watchmaker Solar Time Ltd.

Styled in smart stainless steel with a contrasting blue dial and bezel, with three white mini-dials for the tachymeter, this watch is ideal for those who want a watch that is more informal in style.

If you are looking for a modern, sporty looking watch that is just a little different, the Spinnaker Hydrofoil, fits the bill perfectly!

At 43 mm, this watch has a slightly larger dial, with the three chronographs in the bottom two-thirds and the date window at the 12 o’clock position. There is a silver tachymeter on the blue bezel. This particular watch model variation has become harder to find, making individuals resort to pre-owned markets to get their hands on it.