Six Racing Chronographs Buying Guide
A Monochrome buying guide surveys six racing-inspired chronographs from TAG Heuer, Seiko, Chopard, Tudor, Girard-Perregaux and IWC, three of them tied to Formula 1 teams. The piece frames racing and watchmaking as linked through the chronograph complication used for timing laps and stages. Each model is presented with its price, case dimensions, movement and specifications.
- TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Sport starts at EUR 6,350 on leather, EUR 6,550 on bracelet
- Seiko Prospex Speedtimer HBD001 priced at EUR 2,780 and HBD002 at EUR 2,680
- Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Racing Colors priced at around EUR 11,000, limited to 100 pieces per colorway
- Tudor Black Bay Chrono 26 limited to 2,026 pieces at EUR 7,980
- Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Williams priced at EUR 20,500 with no stated limit
- IWC Pilot Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas edition priced at CHF 7,700 as a permanent collection model
- Tudor Black Bay Chrono 26 has a forged carbon case and bezel
- Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Williams has a 904L steel case and Clous de Paris dial
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Sport uses the in-house TH20-00 automatic chronograph with a column wheel and vertical clutch, offering 80 hours of running time.
The Seiko HBD001 and HBD002 are split between two colorways, with the HBD001 on a steel multi-link bracelet and the HBD002 on a leather strap.
The Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Racing Colors editions commemorate early road racing, when cars were painted in national colors, in British Racing Green, French Blue or Speed Silver.
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono 26 takes its white and yellow coloring from the VCARB 03 racing livery, with carbon fiber subdials and a leather-rubber hybrid strap.
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Williams uses a Williams blue Clous de Paris dial with silver subdial rings and an integrated triple-folding-clasp bracelet.
The IWC Pilot Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas edition pairs a purple sunburst dial with PETRONAS green markers and recessed snailed subdials, powered by the IWC manufacture caliber 69385.