Top 5 Iconic Chronographs

[cruvon]

http://www.watchtime.com/blog/fratel...graph-watches/



5. IWC Portuguese Chronograph


4. TAG Heuer Carrera


3. Breitling Navitimer (except that they got the year of the first Navitimer wrong, was 1954 by all collector research accounts)


2. Rolex Daytona


1. Omega Speedmaster Professional

[htc8p]

agree with speedmaster definitely

[ecsub44]

I agree with that...

[polarinda]

I sold the speedy. I will hang myself now.

[zeuloa]

Shouldn't the El Primero be there?

[gmlomas]

Agree. I am happy owner of numbers 1 and 5 =). Perhaps number 3 in the near future.

[Chainring]

Originally Posted by zeuloa

Shouldn't the El Primero be there?

Agreed. The Valjoux 7750 is a great movement. An icon in its own right but not sure how the IWC beats out the world's first automatic chrono. Plus, which watch was worn on the wrist of a guy who broke the speed of sound in a freefall? Total marketing. Yep. Still cool to me though.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by zeuloa

Shouldn't the El Primero be there?

I believe Breitling beat them to the first auto movement by a few weeks with the Chronomatic 1806/1809! The watch looked similar to this http://www.watchclub.com/w3539/breit...ronograph.html

[Billywiz]

Really?...outside of wis circles not the Daytona?...pleaese explain...thx.

[Chainring]

Originally Posted by cruvon

I believe Breitling beat them to the first auto movement by a few weeks with the Chronomatic 1806/1809! The watch looked similar to this http://www.watchclub.com/w3539/breit...ronograph.html

Well, Zenith announced theirs first, thus naming theirs El Primero (the first) but Seiko, I believe, actually was the first to have one for sell.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by Chainring

Well, Zenith announced theirs first, thus naming theirs El Primero (the first) but Seiko, I believe, actually was the first to have one for sell.

Didn't hear about the Seiko mate, this is the info I got, Zenith announcing it doesn't mean much if they didn't release it first:)

1969
The automatic Navitimer Chrono-matic ref 1806 is released in March, the first automatic chronograph ever, beating the Zenith El Primero to the market by a few weeks. Partly because the name 'El Primero' means 'The First' a myth has grown that the Zenith El Primero was the first automatic chronograph but this is not true. (The Chrono-matic movement is modular; the El Primero was the first integrated automatic chronograph movement).

and on Breitlings website http://www.breitling.com/en/Since1884/

In founding his workshop in the Swiss Jura in 1884, Léon Breitling chose to devote himself to an exclusive and demanding field: that of chronographs and timers. These precision instruments were intended for sports, science and industry. Thanks to its high-quality products and its constant quest for innovation, the brand accompanied the boom of competitive sports and of the automobile – as well as the first feats of the aviation pioneers. In 1915, it heralded the emergence of the wrist chronograph by inventing the first independent chronograph pushpiece. In 1923, it perfected this system by separating the stop/start functions from that of resetting. This patented innovation thereby made it possible to add several successive times without returning the hands to zero – which proved extremely useful both for timing sports competitions and for calculating flight times. In 1934, Breitling set the final touch to the modern face of the chronograph by creating the second independent reset pushpiece – a decisive breakthrough that was soon adopted by the competition. In 1969, the brand took on one of the greatest 20th century watchmaking challenges by presenting the first selfwinding chronograph movement. In 1984, Breitling heralded the rebirth of the mechanical chronograph by launching the famous Chronomat, which has since become its leading model. In 2009, the firm’s engineers once again made their mark on the history of the chronograph by creating Caliber 01 – the finest selfwinding chronograph movement, entirely developed and manufactured in the workshops of Breitling Chronométrie. A leader in the field of mechanical chronographs, the brand has also established itself in the vanguard of electronic watchmaking by developing an entire range of high-tech instruments first and foremost dedicated to aviation.

and that's why Zenith's website doesn't say it had the first automatic chrono but the first "integrated" automatic chrono:) http://www.zenith-watches.com/en_en/history

1969
Zenith created El Primero, the first ever integrated automatic chronograph movement, which is still the world’s most precise series-made caliber. It is the only one capable of measuring short times to the nearest tenth of a second, thanks to its balance oscillating at a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour.

[Chainring]

Originally Posted by Billywiz

Really?...outside of wis circles not the Daytona?...pleaese explain...thx.

Explain what? Not sure what the question is but if it is why is the Speedmaster number 1 and not the Daytona my guess would be because an actor who wore a Rolex on the cover of an Italian magazine does not trump the first watch worn on the moon and later used by the Apollo 13 crew to time a thruster burn to exactly calculate reentry to Earth's atmosphere, thus saving their lives. Call me crazy.

[luv2fly]

Originally Posted by ecsub44

I agree with that...

x 3

[Chainring]

Originally Posted by cruvon

Didn't hear about the Seiko mate, this is the info I got, Zenith announcing it doesn't mean much if they didn't release it first:)

1969 was a crazy year! And the debate goes on.....

[CDNWatchNut]

1 through 4, agree 100%. I also agree with the others who note that the el primero should be #5

[zeuloa]

Originally Posted by chainring

explain what? Not sure what the question is but if it is why is the speedmaster number 1 and not the daytona my guess would be because an actor who wore a rolex on the cover of an italian magazine does not trump the first watch worn on the moon and later used by the apollo 13 crew to time a thruster burn to exactly calculate reentry to earth's atmosphere, thus saving their lives. Call me crazy.

x2

[luv2fly]

Originally Posted by polarinda

I sold the speedy. I will hang myself now.

Wait! Before you do that, buy another Speedy. There, saved your life!

[Cabaiguan]

Speedy deserves #1...no doubt.

[Ramiks]

El Primero should be included imho.

[jshepard]

I agree with the list, although I would remove the carerra and the IWC then switch it to Heuer Monaco and zenith El Primero...

[impalass]

Originally Posted by jshepard

I agree with the list, although I would remove the carerra and the IWC then switch it to Heuer Monaco and zenith El Primero...

Have to agree.

[SaddleSC]

Originally Posted by Chainring

Explain what? Not sure what the question is but if it is why is the Speedmaster number 1 and not the Daytona my guess would be because an actor who wore a Rolex on the cover of an Italian magazine does not trump the first watch worn on the moon and later used by the Apollo 13 crew to time a thruster burn to exactly calculate reentry to Earth's atmosphere, thus saving their lives. Call me crazy.

Awesome:)

[peitron]

Agree, altough Zenith El Primero would be on my list instead of the IWC.

[Mikegp]

Proud papa

[Pup]

Own "5" and "1"....had "3" and "2" at one time...flipped. Never been a fan of the Tag.

[bondtoys]

Originally Posted by Ramiks

El Primero should be included imho.

Not only that, the Ebel El Primero Chronograph should be included.
At the end of the day the deal with Ebel put some life into Zenith again

[Pup]

Originally Posted by Chainring

Explain what? Not sure what the question is but if it is why is the Speedmaster number 1 and not the Daytona my guess would be because an actor who wore a Rolex on the cover of an Italian magazine does not trump the first watch worn on the moon and later used by the Apollo 13 crew to time a thruster burn to exactly calculate reentry to Earth's atmosphere, thus saving their lives. Call me crazy.

X2!...No estás loca amigo.

[anothernewphone]

What's the IWC doing on there?

[Chainring]

Originally Posted by Pup

X2!...No estás loca amigo.

Jaja. Pero no me conoces. Mis amigos no estarán de acuerdo contigo!

[Rashid.bk]

Originally Posted by ecsub44

I agree with that...

That's a 10/4 smokey.

Originally Posted by polarinda

I sold the speedy. I will hang myself now.

Originally Posted by Chainring

Explain what? Not sure what the question is but if it is why is the Speedmaster number 1 and not the Daytona my guess would be because an actor who wore a Rolex on the cover of an Italian magazine does not trump the first watch worn on the moon and later used by the Apollo 13 crew to time a thruster burn to exactly calculate reentry to Earth's atmosphere, thus saving their lives. Call me crazy.

Yes!
You are not crazy, unless crazy means that you are 100% correct, then hell yes, you're crazy as hell.