The 2024 Paris Olympic Games is now in full swing. And we thought it would be interesting to do a quick survey of sport chronographs to enjoy the games, either as a spectator or to emulate the athletes and engage in the sporting activities.
Olympic fever: Six sports chronograph to enjoy the games better
No criteria other than being a sporty chronograph. As you will discover when you read this list, many of the watches on this list were originally intended for motor sports use. But this is the nature of watches worn for sporting activities. Either this, or smart watches which have sensors to measure heart rate, stride count and length, cadence, strokes, power and even monitor you while you sleep. All quite beyond the scope of mechanical or simple quartz watches. This is the world of the Garmins, Wahoo, Corus, Whoops, Suunto and the like. We will not go there…at least not yet. Hint: a user impressions on the Corus Vertix 2S is coming soon. But for this list today will only comprise of these “non smart” watches.
But first a quick detour on how Omega, the games’ timekeeping sponsor, does the high precision photo finishes.
With that backgrounder, allons-y!
Tissot PR 516
We kick off with the Tissot PR 516, though the intended use case for the PR 516 is motor sports rather than human powered sports. We didn’t quite warm to Tissot’s offerings in this genre. This is a surprise, as they are the title sponsors to the Tour de France and they do offer special editions for the Tour. But these are just colour variants and not cycling specific. And nothing else that we know for other sports. Even sister brand Omega, who is the title sponsor for the Olympics, do not have any sports specific watch. Only a special release for the games. So it is the PR 516 is it! Appealing enough for Chester who bought the watch with his own money. See his review linked.
The PR 516 is a compelling package for enthusiasts of entry level chronographs. It is priced below its column wheel brother at Longines, and the more well-known Omega Speedmaster. It is an affordable alternative that does not stinge on the quality of case finishing and has superior movement performance. Compared with the other Tissot star, the PRX Automatic Chronograph, it has more dial features and a thinner case. It also has a vintage motorsports look that has a heritage provenance. Its thoughtful design, mechanical refinement, and competitive pricing make it a noteworthy contender in the landscape of modern chronographs.
Bell & Ross BR 05 Chronograph Blue
Next up, we have the Bell & Ross BR 05 Chronograph, a versatile, rugged, reliable chronograph for use in everyday life as well as sporting events. The BR 05 Chronograph has the added distinction of the highly recognisable rounded square case, and handsome good aesthetics. And our pick is the gorgeous number with the blue dial.
As we said in our detailed review, the BR 05 Chronograph is not masquerading as a haute horlogerie masterpiece, nor does it make any promises of value retention. But what it promises is rather interesting and equally valid. Here is a handsome watch, well designed, excellent functionality, and very robust. We can easily see it pressed into daily use by the active urbanite. Throw just about anything that life brings onto it, and short of extreme activities. The BR 05 Chrono is up to the task And yes, this can include watching the Olympic Games as well. The watch fits nicely and comfortably, while retaining the usual good looks that the designers at Bell & Ross have a gift for.
Tudor Pelagos FXD Cycling Edition
Released this year to commomerate Tudor Cycling’s inclusion as a wild card entry to the Giro d’Italia Grand Tour, the FXD Cyling Edition has the real chops of a sports watch. Cycling at a world tour level has just become infiltrated by watch making brands, with Richard Mille being the most prominent of sponsors. All the big name riders are sporting Richard Mille watches. As title sponsors to the UAE Team Emirates, all the riders have their standard issue Richard Mille. They got their money’s worth with media coverage, as UAE’s Tadej Pogačar won both the Giro and Tour this year, making him the first person to do the tour double since 1998. Richard Mille was also seen on the wrist of Mark Cavendish, who wore his for every stage of the Tour de France, including the history making Stage win which was his 35th, where he broke his own record which was tied with Eddy Merkyx. But back to the Tudor.
So as a celebration, Tudor releases the Pelagos FXD Chronograph Cycling Edition. This is a very handsome watch, based on the Pelagos FXD Chronograph which we first saw in their Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition. A different colour way is chosen, with the prime accent being pink which is the colour of the leader’s jersey for the Giro. As well as a bi-directional bezel as well markings graduated in 60 minutes instead of the yachting inspired ones on the Alinghi. The tachymeter is also been lowered such that the top speed, though it still reading 240 units per hour, is much lower than the one in the Alinghi. 240kph is still quite a long way from top speeds achieved even by top level pro cyclists.
Breitling Endurance Pro
This is Breitling’s release for the sporting world. They have a few. Some inspired by the sport of surfing like the Super Ocean (not an Olympic sport though) and triathlon (an Olympic sport). But our pick is the Endurance Pro. A watch designed to be a lightweight watch for athletes and casual crowd. The target is as an everyday sports chronograph, in a combination of lighweight, lighthearted sports watch with a high precision movement, a case in a still innovative material lightweight using a high-tech polymer that’s been charged with composite fibers for strength and rigidity. It was launched with the Breitling Endurance Pro Strava Challenge which offers the opportunity to compete for prizes. And it is well known that Breitling CEO Georges Kern himself is a keen cyclist.
The watch has a rather fun element, with the numerous options for colour accents adding to the sporty intent. Visually, it is on point. And the high precision quartz movement is a nice touch to the lightweight, tough case. The 44mm case wears small in our view, and is very comfortable for hard core sports and an active lifestyle enthusiasts or for the couch specialists watching the games. The textured finish is nice to the touch, and it offers a warm feel as opposed to cold metal.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team” 2022
Let’s admit it. We do have a soft spot for the IWC Flieger Chronograph series. Many to choose from. And this pick is the brand’s long term F1 collaboration with Team Mercedes-AMG Petronas. The F1 vibes are legit, and the sporty feel is apparent when handling the watch. But we are opting for the 2022 Edition of this Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 instead of the 2023 Edition. Why? Because we love the titanium case, and the full fledged Pantone Petronas Green colour-way. The later edition comes in either a titanium case or a Ceratanium case. And though the Ceratanium case is uber cool, IWC had reverted to white index and hand markings, with only accents in the Petronas Green. In our view, not so cool.
Of course, the 2023 Edition is for the 2024 F1 Season and the 2022 Edition was for the 2023 F1 Season, as IWC releases the watch late the year prior. Everything else remains the same. The IW 69385 caliber movement is identical on both the 2022 and 2023 editions. Same 41mm case size. Same vintage looking IWC Flieger Chronograph case and dial aesthetics.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph
And we arrive at our haute horlogerie option. More refinement. More elegance. More high end finishing. More traditional approach. All descriptors appropriate for the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph. The range was first released in November 2023, with two variants. One in rose gold and a steel cased one with a panda style dial. And this year, three more steel cased models in three different colour options were added to the collection. Our favourite is the model christened as Artic Grey.
The Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Artic Grey injects a younger and livelier atmosphere to the watch. Though named grey, the hue is more a pale, almost pastel blue which exudes a quiet charm. And coupled with the matching light blue rubber strap, it looks fresher and less serious than its more contrasty brethren. The movement remains the very accomplished PF070 which has appeared in the launch versions of the PF Sport Chronograph as well as the PF Chronograph.
Concluding thoughts
A motley crew of chronographs. We will be the first to admit, this is not a list which is specifically on watches for the Olympic Games. But rather the title is an excuse for us to talk about the chronographs. The ones which we like and love. And also, we argue, can wristed with one of these, your enjoyment of spectating the Olympic Games is heightened and intensified. Citius, Altius, Fortius!
