Why 2023 is the year of the chronograph: 6 watch brands celebrating the stopwatch complication, from the Rolex Daytona and Tag Heuer’s Monaco, to Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore

Jun 17 , 2023

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Le Mans, Tag Heuer Monaco, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days”, and Breguet Type 20. Photos: Handout

So far, 2023 has been a stellar year for chronographs, with a healthy mix of brands commemorating anniversaries for their chronograph collections, releasing editions of other iconic pieces with the stopwatch complication, and releasing stellar one-off pieces just because.

The complication itself needs little introduction – chronographs with subdials and pushers that help track time by whole and split seconds are ubiquitous in horology. As a result, these instruments are pivotal to human endeavours requiring this specific type of timekeeping, such as for racing, diving, aerospace, and even space exploration.

Here are some of the most important releases from this year so far that feature the stopwatch complication.

1. Rolex

The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Photo: Rolex

Rolex is celebrating several big anniversaries this year, such as 70 years for the Submariner and the Explorer, respectively. However, in 1963 – just 10 years after both of those models were released – Rolex launched the Cosmograph Daytona, which immediately associated the brand with its namesake racing mecca in Florida in the US.

Not long after that, actor Paul Newman was gifted a then-exotic variant of the watch (with a coloured chapter ring and unique subdial indices) by his wife Joanne Woodward, and “Paul Newman” Daytonas are especially beloved by collectors. Now, any Daytona associated with the actor commands massive values on the auction block to this day.

The Rolex Oyster Cosmograph Daytona associates the watch brand with the American racing hub. Photo: Rolex

Rolex pulled out all the stops for the big 60th anniversary of what some view as the definitive chronograph. At Watches and Wonders in March, both standard and platinum versions of the Daytona were upgraded to feature the new calibre 4131, with the platinum version now being the first Rolex piece in almost 100 years to feature this exhibition caseback so far.

A “reverse panda” Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona was recently launched at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Photo: Rolex

More recently, Rolex debuted a Daytona at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race. This recent 18-karat white gold piece features a “reverse panda” face (black dial, white subdials) with the subdials featuring indices that evoke those of the famous “Paul Newman” Daytonas, and a red “100” indicator to mark the centenary of the famous endurance race.

2. Tag Heuer

Since its inception in 1860, Heuer was one of the world’s premier names in chronograph production and its purchase by the Tag business group in 1985 has only cemented its already formidable racing pedigree even further.

The brand released new versions of the Carrera – named for the infamous Carrera Panamericana race – to celebrate the model’s 60th anniversary, complete with its signature glassbox crystal design that increases legibility of the indices at an angle.

The Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph. Photo: Handout

However, before and after the Carrera, the brand also released a new version of the Monza – named after the famous Italian racetrack – and the iconic Monaco square chronograph. The former made waves at LVMH Watch Week in January with its sporty cushion case in carbon with a flyback chronograph function, while the later recently saw new skeletonised versions retaining the iconic Monaco square case design.

3. Breitling

The new Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 collection. Photo: Breitling

Last year, Breitling celebrated the 70th anniversary of its signature Navitimer pilot’s watch, which features the brand’s equally famous Breitling Manufacture calibre 01 chronograph movement. This year, Breitling celebrated the 80th anniversary of the dressier Premier with the new Premier B01 by fitting the chronograph with the same new movement.

4. Breguet

Breguet Type 20 and Type XX. Photo: Handout

In a shortlist of historic and pivotal pilot watches, Swiss-French maison Breguet’s Type 20 is one of the most important entries. When Breguet first received the brief for a military-spec watch in the 1950s, the design and pieces were only issued to pilots and remained property of the state.

However, this year the watchmaker redesigned and released a military version and civilian version, dubbed the Type 20 (pictured above left) and Type XX (above right), respectively. These new versions mark a new chapter in Breguet’s storied history in both watchmaking and aviation, as the company traces its history all the way back to World War I as Breguet Aviation providing engines for the French air force.

5. Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days”. Photo: Handout

Last year, Audemars Piguet celebrated the 50th anniversary of its seminal Royal Oak line, but this year it’s all about the Royal Oak’s macho cousin, the Offshore. The Swiss maison marked the occasion by releasing the Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days”, a robust 43mm chronograph piece in black ceramic and yellow gold with yellow neon luminescent indices and hands, paying homage to a 1999 collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger in which the actor wore the piece.

Though the movie – and thus the watch’s significance in the movie – was forgettable, it sparked an interest in the watch’s robust, macho design, which put it and Audemars Piguet on the map for celebrities and athletes such as LeBron James, Muhammad Ali and Jay-Z.

6. Jaeger-LeCoultre

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph pink gold. Photo: Handout

Another house building upon an iconic line with a chronograph edition is Jaeger-LeCoultre, which this year debuted the Reverso Tribute Chronograph at Watches and Wonders. Though the last Reverso chronograph was released as recently as 1996, this model doubles down on the tradition of the Reverso by synchronising the time between the two faces while adding a retrograde minute counter to the skeletonised watch face.

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Timepieces

In the world of timepieces, 2023 is the year of celebrating chronographs, like the Rolex Daytona that debuted at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race, paying tribute to ‘Paul Newman’ editions
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore ‘End of Days’ honours Arnold Schwarzenegger and put the brand on the map among athletes and celebrities like Muhammad Ali, Jay-Z and LeBron James