It’s Pedal to the Metal With Six of the Coolest Racing Chronographs

The connection between watchmaking and racing is as old as the sport itself. From the early days, timing laps or stages in a race was crucial to track who’s in the lead, who’s set the fastest lap time, what the gap is to the driver in second, and so on. And there’s a much-loved and well-known complication to cater to that very need: the Chronograph. It’s only natural that we see a whole range of cool, performance-oriented chronographs released each year. And because of that, it’s sort of a recurring topic in our weekly Buying Guide segment as well. With plenty of options to choose from, we take a look at some of the best racing chronographs available now from some of the biggest names in the category, with three directly connected to the fast-paced world of Formula 1.

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Sport

If ever there was a brand fueled by racing, it would be TAG Heuer. Since its early days, it’s been famous for its stopwatches and timing instruments, connected to pretty much all forms of racing. The Carrera is among the brand’s most iconic models, and it recently welcomed the next-generation Carrera Chronograph Sport series. This slightly updates the collection’s core range, with typical Carrera-style cases featuring black, blue, green or silver dials with contrasting details. Power comes from TAG Heuer’s own TH20-00 automatic chronograph movement, providing a steady 80 hours of running time. The collection starts at EUR 6,350 on leather, with the bracelet option retailing for EUR 6,550.

For more information, please visit TAGHeuer.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm x 14.17mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – ceramic bezel – sapphire crystal front & back – 100m water-resistance – black, blue, green or silver dial – sunray brushed finish – contrasting subdials – luminous markers & hands – calibre TH20-00, in-house integrated automatic chronograph – column wheel with vertical clutch – 28,800vph – 80h power reserve – stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp – EUR 6,550

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer mechanical chronograph HBD001 & HBD002

No stranger to chronograph watchmaking, Seiko’s latest Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph HBD001 and HBD002 wouldn’t look out of place at the races. Split between two colourways, worn on either a leather strap or steel multi-link bracelet, the HBD001 and HBD002 respectively bring soft tones and contrasting details to the brand’s stout racing chronograph. Hidden from view, the calibre 8R48 can hold up to 45 hours of energy when fully wound, which is done automatically. The movement uses a column wheel and vertical clutch setup to ensure smooth operation of the chronograph. The price is set at EUR 2,680 (HBD002) or EUR 2,780 (HBD001).

For more information, please visit Seiko.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm x 14.6mm steel case with super-hard coating – sapphire crystal, solid steel back, 100m water-resistant – calibre 8R48 – in-house – automatic chronograph with column wheel and vertical clutch systems – 34 jewels – 28,800 vibrations/hour – 45h power reserve – steel bracelet (HBD001) or leather strap (HBD002) – EUR 2,680 (HBD002) or EUR 2,780 (HDB001)

Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Racing Colours

Tied to the legendary Mille Miglia road rally since 1988, Chopard knows a thing or two about racing chronographs. The cornerstone Mille Miglia collection regularly welcomes special editions, with the latest three commemorating the early days of road racing, when cars were painted in national colours. Tied to France, Germany and the UK, they are finished in blue, silver or green. Each one relies on a COSC-certified automatic chronograph movement based on the ETA A322-11. Fitted to a tyre-tread patterned rubber strap with a pin buckle, limited to 100 pieces each and sold only in the connected country, for a price of around EUR 11,000.

For more information, please visit Chopard.com.

Quick Facts – 40.5mm x 12.88mm – Lucent steel case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front & back – British Racing Green, French Blue or Speed Silver dial – luminous markers & hands – tachymeter scale – automatic chronograph based on ETA A322-11 – 28,800vph – 54h power reserve – rubber strap with tyre-tread pattern or black perforated leather strap – Lucent steel pin buckle – limited to 100 pieces each – exclusive to UK, France, Germany – GBP 8,050 (UK), EUR 11,100 (French) or EUR 11,300 (German)

Tudor Black Bay Chrono 26

Partnering with the Racing Bulls Formula 1 racing team since 2024, Tudor has released a couple of special edition Back Bay Chronos tied to the team. This year, it returned to the grid as the Black Bay Chrono 26, taking its colour from the racing livery adorning the VCARB 03. The case is made from forged carbon, as are the bezel and the end-links for the leather-rubber hybrid strap. The white-and-yellow dial also has carbon fibre subdials, which is a cool touch. Powered by the MT5813 automatic chronograph, it has a running time of 80 hours. Limited to 2,026 pieces, the Black Bay Chrono 26 retails for EUR 7,980.

For more information, please visit TudorWatch.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm x 14.3mm – carbon fibre case – fixed carbon bezel – PVD coated crown, pushers & caseback – 200m water-resistant – racing white dial with yellow details – carbon fibre subdials – applied markers & hands with SLN – calibre MT5813, automatic – COSC-certified chronograph with column wheel – 28,800vph – 70h power reserve – hybrid leather-rubber strap with pin buckle – limited to 2,026 pieces – EUR 7,980

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Williams

Girard-Perregaux has a rich history in Formula 1, having sponsored Scuderia Ferrari in the past and, more recently, the Aston Martin F1 team. For the 2026 season, it joined up with Williams Racing and introduced a special Laureato Chronograph Williams edition to commemorate the partnership. Crafted from 904L steel, the Clous de Paris dial has a distinct shade of blue to tie it to the team’s racing colours. The silver rings for the subdials liven things up even more, and the movement inside delivers 46 hours of power reserve. Presented on a 904L steel integrated bracelet, it is not limited in number and retails for EUR 20,500.

For more information, please visit Girard-Perregaux.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm x 12.16mm – 904L steel case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front & back – 100m water-resistant – Williams blue dial with embossed Clous de Paris – silver subdial rings – applied markers & hands with SLN – calibre GP03300-2451 – automatic modular chronograph – 28,800vph – 46h power reserve – integrated 904L steel bracelet with triple folding clasp – Reference 81020-11-3681-1GM – EUR 20,500

IWC Pilot Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team

In honour of this year’s Singapore Grand Prix, IWC released a rather bold take on its Pilot Chronograph 41. This Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team edition is finished in a vibrant purple, for both the dial and the strap (fitted with the EasX Change system). All markers, numerals and hands are finished in PETRONAS green, and the subdials for the running seconds and chronograph counters have a snailed finish. The automatic Calibre 69385 seen through the sapphire crystal caseback holds up to 46 hours of power in its single barrel. Part of the permanent collection, this bright purple IWC retails for a price of CHF 7,700.

For more information, please visit IWC.com.

Quick Facts – 41mm x 14.5mm – grade 5 titanium case, brushed & polished – screw-in crown – sapphire crystal front & back – 100m water-resistant – purple sunburst dial – markers & black hands with PETRONAS green inserts, luminous – recessed snailed subdials – framed date window – IWC manufacture calibre 69385 – automatic chronograph – 28,800vph – 46h power reserve – purple rubber stap with titanium pin buckle – permanent collection – CHF 7,700