Reply With QuoteBeautiful pic!
Add a nice vintage Heuer Carrera and you would reach perfection :)
Beautiful pic!
Add a nice vintage Heuer Carrera and you would reach perfection :)
Got to agree. Had my 806 for about 45 years, think it cost £57 from a mail order catalogue.
Nice set,#4 should be a Heuer Monaco IMHO
Love those three and I'm not really a fan of those makes but no argument with your choices at all...
I don't want to hijack your thread but this one with it's innovations could be an Icon of the future IMHO.
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Have to agree with this. The Carrera has changed too much over the years to be truly iconic.Originally Posted by rob-vicar
Icon of the future in this sense, perhaps:
Regarding the three in the original post, you won't get any argument from me that they're the three most successful and recognizable chronograph designs in existence.
agreed, the navitimer, daytona and speedy are easily the most iconic, and some of the best chronos of all time!
Awesome photos thanks :)
Stunning watches and indeed iconic chronos, as you wrote!
Agreed - a minimum of 90% iconication is required :). The others are all 90% iconic, the Carrera probably only 80-85%.
However, and I'm being slightly less facetious now, if iconicalness is tied intrinsically with resistance to design change, then the others also have reduced iconicity - the Breitling and the Speedmaster are both much better upholstered and made than they used to be, particularly the Navitimer with its white gold applied dials, double-coated sapphire and so on.
Then again, since the word "iconic" has been pretty much worked to death, can I suggest "recognisable to normals"? Since everything is iconic if you want it to be, in today's world of individualistic, tailored definitions :)
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
All good points, Andrew. Indeed, if a Speedy has earned "iconic" status it's probably not the pre-moon version. However, the term suited my purposes and being a lover of chronos it's nice to have inadvertently ended up with this particular trio (which are at least representative of each reference).
Nice trip mate, it really is.
The Speedy is certainly the iconic piece IMHO.
As for pre/post moon and all that malarky, for me, if a model has retained it's DNA, style, size, movement etc., I see no appeal in buying anything but the most up to date variant.
Personally I prefer the JLC to Homer...Icon of the future in this sense, perhaps:
Regarding the three in the original post, you won't get any argument from me that they're the three most successful and recognizable chronograph designs in existence.
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I understand what you're saying but unlike the tinkering you're referring to the with the Breitling and Speedmaster, the Carrera has had radically different case shapes, sub-dials moving all round the face etc. I do think that in ordinary usage iconic would mean "recognisable to normals" and I'm not sure what iteration of the Carrera "normals" would see as iconic. On the other hand, there are quite a few "normals" that I know who would recognise a Monaco in any form (OK, perhaps not V4...).
Now if the definition was "iconic to WIS" there would be a whole load of other candidates to consider and the Siffert Autavia might get a look in. :)
I slightly disagree - for a Speedy to be 'right' it has to be a 'T Swiss Made T' tritium dial version. I think it's wrong for it to have superluminova, it looks too fresh and crisp...
Personally, I think the comments above demonstrate two things. Firstly, the the status attaches to the model, and not the specific reference; and secondly, that we all have a different view about specific characteristics within the various references.
If I was going to add my own number 4, it would almost certainly be a Heuer, and probably a Monaco. However, after these three it all gets far more debatable, doesn't it?
It certainly does!
It certainly does. For fourth spot, I'd go with with what's arguably Patek's signature piece (there's a whole 'nother debate), which is the perpetual chrono — the 1518, the 2499 and their successors.
With the additional complication it's no longer strictly a chronograph, but the design is well-known among those who take an interest in watches and it's about the epitome of the classical chrono look.
photo from Hodinkee
Definitely the Speedy, understand the Daytona, but would prob have a Zenith El Primero as my third.
Movement-wise, for sure, but as stated in a similar previous thread, can anyone actually picture the archetypical "El Primero" watch? Its variations must be approaching the thousands by this point, and to say that they're inconsistent in style is an understatement.
I'd disagree, only in the context of progression. If Tritium was still useable, then yes, but it's about the only major change this watch has seen and that alone makes a refreshing change.
Of course, I understand what you are saying. It was the Rainbow that I was thinking of (having owned a couple), though there were quite a few versions of these.
I think the Zenith debate a few days ago concluded that it's hard to define a specific El Primero-driven watch that fits the bill (I failed miserable in suggesting the Espada, it seems); at least there's some EP DNA in the Daytona, though, even if it's not quite as Zenith intended.
The Patek is sublime, by the way.
Picking up on this bit, if there was a Heuer that general folk would recognise, I tink it would probably be the Monaco. There are very few square watches around, and this is probably the best-known. Or "most iconic", if you insist ;). The standard model has barely changed, and although TAG-H keeps fiddling with additional versions, covering them with go-faster stripes and funky subdials, this is no different to what Omega has done with the Speedmaster, which is also available in all shapes, sizes and colours and dial configurations. So personally I'd stick a Monaco in a list of "best-known chronos".
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
? A tritium version would have looked the same when it was new.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I suppose one could do worse for fourth place than a 2499P.
Regarding the EP, even though there are some truly lovely Zenith watches with that movement, I think the best way to enjoy it is inside a Daytona. Rolex did quite a thorough job of optimizing the design.
So much so that Zenith has gradually incorporated some of their refinements in later-production versions of the movement, in fact.
True, but I think they look better than new now!
Ooffff. That is tricky territory since ´normals´ are non-wis and those probably don´t recognise any of these as anything else than a nice looking watch looking like the boutique analogue chronos. Also be aware that the general public is the mass which goes to malls where Swatch and Seiko are already up market.
Those ´iconics´ in the topic opener are indeed classics but for the rest mainly aspirational peer things of which the normals are by and large blissfully unaware.
The chronos most recognisable to normals could very well be the analogue Casio G-shock and the digital Golden casio with a tortoise strap D&G or so as third.
How? How is that iconic?!Love those three and I'm not really a fan of those makes but no argument with your choices at all...
I don't want to hijack your thread but this one with it's innovations could be an Icon of the future IMHO.
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.....There are pre-moon speedies with just "Swiss Made" too, but I agree with the general point that pre-luminova works best for a vintage model, IMHO of course.
This would be on my list in place of the Daytona. There's only one Rolex model I like the look of and similarly there's only one Patek I like the look of..................and this is definitely it! Beautiful.It certainly does. For fourth spot, I'd go with with what's arguably Patek's signature piece (there's a whole 'nother debate), which is the perpetual chrono — the 1518, the 2499 and their successors.
With the additional complication it's no longer strictly a chronograph, but the design is well-known among those who take an interest in watches and it's about the epitome of the classical chrono look.
photo from Hodinkee
Maybe British "normals" are more sophisticated than you think... ;-)
Even as a teenager, and long before I knew a damned thing about WIS and the like, I could identify a Monaco or a Daytona. I could recognise a Navitimer as Breitling. I knew of the Speedmaster but probably wouldn't have recognised one until a few years ago.
Given the choice (and cost aside), I'd take the Patek over the Rolex, too.
But let's not get carried away; the Daytona is the chronograph to most.
Mcqueen's Monaco at Goodwood. Even recognised by non wis.
I have to make do with the re-issue
Superb pic (again).
These recent threads on chronographs are most welcome. Lots to interesting examples in a varied population.
Simplicity, balance and legibility are not easy to achieve on a crowded dial which for me precludes pulsation or similar tachygraphic marking and as I don't like marking on the bezel either the chronograph field thins out somewhat. I'm taking iconic in this context to mean preeminent in its class which of course begs the question how to define the class boundaries.
I think the current (402) ALS 1815 chronograph is closer to iconic than the Datograph though most would disagree. But as neither watch has had much of a mention in any of the chronograph threads they clearly can't be iconic!
I apologise for even suggesting that it might be an Icon of the FUTURE... I did not say it was Iconic.I'll get my coat.A
Over here in the village live about 300 who have moved here. Quite a few have property in the UK. One drives a Bently.
We see most on the odd brit party/diner/quiz night we occasionally visit and I would be surprised if ONE would recognise two out of four (Heuer Monaco included).
There are plenty of boutique lookalikes on ladies' wrists though...
My father in law's brother btw had bough a chinese Gulf Monaco homage and he did not have a clue either.
Id disagree and say the speedy is.
That is no surprise. But by most, I'd wager a quid that he means most, not most WIS. Most think the Speedmaster is a form of moving staircase.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I would agree Tony, albeit not that particular iteration of the DaytonaArguably the top three of all time... whether they are or not, they make nice eye candy for the end of the week
You can surely add the A.L&S Datograph to this list, the first in-house chronograph from a high end manufacturer.
As you say, it's endlessly debateable but those are certainly the three that come to mind. The Speedie is the ultimate IMO, as it is the one that has stayed closest to it's original incarnation (by a long shot) and thus is a true classic, the Navi and Daytona are closer to evolutions of the originals. All are iconic though.
>>quick look on chrono24 for "patek 2499", two results, "poa" and $380,000, don't think i'll even correct the currrency for that one <<
I find it interesting that so many say the Daytona is the most iconic Chronograph, as for me it's definitely the Navitimer (and I'm not just saying that because I have one). I think the reason must be that I spent a lot of time in my teenage formative years on aeroplanes flying between England and New Zealand, and the in flight magazines always seemed to have beautiful glossy adverts for Breitlings. I don't remember seeing any Rolex ads, although I guess there must have been some - power of marketing eh? Years later my first 'proper' watch was a Navitimer!
Can I propose the 'Rotary test'? I reckon that if Rotary do a cheap homage which looks exactly the same as the original, and which is aimed at 'normals' then it's probably fair to call that watch iconic. All 3 of these watches pass that test.
Not come across the 'Rotary' test before - absolutely love that. Although the Rotary Navitimer 'Homage' is a bit clunky looking in my opinion.
I just came up with it this morning!
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