The Olympics are just weeks away and the thought of Usain Bolt breaking more records in the London rain will have many fans going weak at the knees. Bolt's world record for the men's 100 metres is a frankly ludicrous 9.58 seconds, which is about a minute faster than it takes me to put on my shoes in the morning. The Jamaican sprinter will have to pull out something pretty spectacular this summer if he is to beat his record but no doubt all of us watching will be willing him on and perhaps timing him with our chronograph watches.
Chronograph watches have been with us for almost 200 years and are perhaps one of the more common complications in wristwatches these days, so to spice things up watchmakers such as Cvstos have come up with elaborate dials to show off the function. The Cvstos Pagani Zonda F Chrono (below) is all about power and speed, which is no surprise given the watch is a collaboration with Italian supercar company Pagani. The first thing that strikes you about the Pagani Zonda F Chrono is the large 53.7mm by 41mm tonneau-shaped titanium case. There is prominent branding for both Pagani and its most celebrated model, the Zonda F, which can hit speeds of 300km/h - the timing of which would be a good test for the chronograph function, to say the least. The floating dial features four subdials - two chronograph subdials, a small seconds counter at the six o'clock position and a power-reserve indicator at the three o'clock position. The watch is water resistant to 100 metres and the power reserve is a decent two days. Prices for the Cvstos Pagani depend on the level of customisation but don't expect something this intricate to come cheap.
Eberhard & Co is a brand with strong links with the chronograph complication, having introduced the single-button chronograph the Extra Fort as far back as the 1950s. The Eberhard & Co Champion V line has been around since the 90s but for 2012 the brand refreshed a tried-and-trusted formula and the result is the Champion V Grande Date (above left). Coming in an imposing 42mm steel case, the timepiece is a sporty watch both in appearance and function. The dial features two chronograph subdials and a small seconds subdial at the six o'clock position. The Grande Date of the title alludes to the rather large date window at the three o'clock position. There are two prominent push buttons on either side of the crown and other sporty features include a tachymeter indicator on the outer bezel and the rugged black-leather strap with prominent white stitching. The Eberhard & Co Champion V Grande Date is priced at HK$32,800.
Chronographs aren't just the preserve of specialist watchmakers, fashion brands have gotten in on the act, too. The Emporio Armani AR0371 (above) is a surprisingly robust and well-built chronograph watch for the bargain price of HK$3,550. As you would expect from the House of Armani, the styling of the watch is strong and masculine with a lovely chocolate-brown and gold colour scheme. The rose gold-plated, stainless-steel case is 42.5mm and nicely shows off the three subdials on the brown face - again two chronograph subdials and a small seconds counter at the six o'clock position. There is a date window between the four and five o'clock positions as well as push buttons on either side of the crown. The Emporio Armani logo takes up quite a lot of real estate on the face and won't be to everyone's liking but unlike other fashion watches the branding has been kept to a minimum.