The modern sports watch is the instrument that puts contemporary watchmaking to a brutal test. Not only must it deliver gold medal-level performance with state-of-the-art precision, but it also has to project style and status on the winners’ podium.
As recently as 20 years ago, a sports watch needed only to be water-resistant to a depth of about 50 meters (164 feet).
But over the past two decades, it has become about so much more than water resistance. Improvements in micro-engineering and materials have enabled watchmakers to improve their game in every way, with more powerful shock-absorbing systems, enhanced ergonomics and, of course, better timekeeping. One of the most important of these developments has been the introduction of silicon-based components.
Silicon is lightweight, so it requires less energy to activate moving components, and antimagnetic, so cellphones and other electronics can’t interfere with the movement’s operation. It also is hard enough to allow tiny components to be shaped within micro-tolerances, producing precisely engineered gears and pinions that hold their shape with minimal friction. Components therefore last longer and need no lubrication — and, ideally, require fewer repairs.
“It’s definitely one of the materials of the future for watchmaking,” said Romain Marietta, director of product development and heritage at Zenith.
Cases also have come a long way since the days when gold, steel and platinum were the only options. They now are being outperformed in sports models by variations of carbon fiber, ceramic and alternate metals such as titanium.
“The idea is to get the best ratio between lightness and resistance,” said Alexandre Mille, the commercial director at Richard Mille, which specializes in large sports watches. “Our technicians have developed formulas using carbon and quartz TPT [Thin Ply Technology], that balance that ratio perfectly and can also be curved to sit on the wrist comfortably.”
And such developments have been matched with design: Recent introductions have been larger, with bolder colors, interesting shapes and openwork details, elements that make timepieces look as powerful on the outside as they are on the inside.
These 10 sports watches, most of which have debuted in the past 12 months, are as calibrated for performance as the athletes who wear them, with the qualities it takes to compete.
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph
This 42-millimeter chronograph is powered by Zenith’s El Primero 3600 movement, which can measure and display elapsed time to one-tenth of a second. That accuracy is due, at least in part, to the silicon components added to the movement, which now oscillates at 36,000 vibrations per hour compared to the industry average of 28,800. (The more oscillations, the more precise the timekeeping.) Water-resistant to 100 meters. $12,300
Patek Philippe Ref. 5470P-001 One-Tenth Second Monopusher Chronograph
This 41-millimeter platinum edition has Patek Philippe’s first high-frequency movement, which completes 36,000 vibrations per hour and has the ability to measure time to one-tenth of a second. Patek Philippe holds 31 patents on the movement alone, all refinements that in some way make it more efficient and therefore more accurate. Water-resistant to 30 meters. $467,800
Hublot Big Bang Unico Orange Ceramic
Hublot has taken ceramic casing to the next level by developing a way to infuse the material with bold color, which covers the stylish part of the sports watch formula. This 42-millimeter flyback chronograph — a complication that allows the wearer to reset the timer without stopping it first — has an automatic movement with a 72-hour power reserve and a grooved rubber strap. Water-resistant to 100 meters. $29,600
Tudor Black Bay Chrono Pink
The 41-millimeter model that collectors have nicknamed the “pink panda” of Tudor’s signature sports watch is a tribute to its brand ambassadors, particularly David Beckham — who, after all, is a part owner of the pink-themed Inter Miami CF soccer team. And a nod to its sports sponsorships, as pink is the color of the leader’s jersey in the Giro d’Italia bicycle race that Tudor supports. The movement, with silicon components, has a 70-hour power reserve. Water-resistant to 200 meters. $5,675
Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph
The Richard Mille brand debuted in 2001 with a goal to develop fortresslike cases for its sports watches. Since then, its robust timepieces have proven their mettle on the wrists of brand ambassadors such as Rafael Nadal in tennis, Yohan Blake in track and field and Bubba Watson in golf. The RM 65-01 has a quartz TPT case, which has been permeated with fun colors such as this rich yellow and measures 44.5 millimeters by 50 millimeters. The 36,000 vibrations-per-hour movement has a 60-hour power reserve. Water-resistant to 50 meters. $380,000
Breitling Chronomat B01 Giannis Antetokounmpo
This stylish chronograph was codesigned by the Milwaukee Bucks basketball star, with Antetokounmpo-centric details including a G.A. monogram on the central seconds-hand counterpoint, a stylized basketball icon on the hour totalizer and a dial color that resembles the Bucks’ official Good Land Green. In rose gold on a rubber bracelet, it is water-resistant to 200 meters. $23,000
Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 126710GRNR
Collectors have been gushing that the subtle gray/black bezel of the Ref. 126710GRNR (GRNR for Gris Noir, or Gray Black) is the most elegant rendition yet of this classic 40-millimeter sports watch. The addition of the Jubilee bracelet — a five-link style that is dressier than the three-link Oyster, the standard bracelet for Rolex sports watches — makes it the chicest of the GMT-Master II series. Water-resistant to 100 meters. $10,900
Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramitech PAM 1466
The 44-millimeter case (quaranta quattro means 44 in Italian) is made of a Panerai material called ti-ceramitech, a ceramicized titanium infused with plasma that is lightweight (titanium is about 40 percent lighter than steel) and has all the durable, scratch-resistant qualities of ceramic. It is one of four dive watches issued to mark Panerai’s role as an official sponsor of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailing team, Italy’s entry for the America’s Cup. Water-resistant to 500 meters. $16,600
TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph
In the late 1800s, the Heuer portion of TAG Heuer started making pocket watches that were split-seconds chronographs, capable of timing two events simultaneously. So it is surprising that this 41-millimeter piece is the current brand’s first split-seconds wristwatch (rattrapante, a word on the dial, is the French name for the complication). The movement’s components are made of lightweight, antimagnetic titanium and the case back is sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 30 meters. $138,000
Grand Seiko Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGC275
At 44.5 millimeters, this watch is made of lightweight titanium and has a movement calibrated for accuracy: plus or minus 0.5 seconds per day, compared with the Swiss chronometer standard of minus four seconds to plus six seconds per day. But its focal point is the vivid dial, made with Grand Seiko’s optical multilayer coating technique. The brand said the reds, golds and oranges are meant to shimmer like the sunrise over the Hotaka mountains in Japan, where the watch is made. Water-resistant to 200 meters. $13,400
