Vintage (style) chronograph

For that budget you can get a Seagull 63, but it would be manual rather than automatic.

A classic no doubt! Not against mechanical either. Great suggestion, thank you!

You might be interested in this - you can find on Chrono24, it’s one of the surprise (in a good way) purchases I’ve made. https://www.watchcrunch.com/watch_schlicks/posts/watch-photography-junghans-meister-chronoscope-243849

Wow! What a watch. Not quite the style I am after, but for sure a stunner! Wear it in good health!

Wow - that's a tough proposition.

If your budget was $1,000 it would open up some possibilities.

But $400 and under, you are pretty much looking at modern meca-quartz reissues.

I will show you the ones I have had success with in the under $500 for a vintage mechanical chronograph in the past four years...my main source for these is Catawiki (European auction site similar to eBay, but less frequented by US buyers and much better selection of watches).

All images will be the auction images as they are easier to grab in my database...

HEMA Racing Chronograph - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7734 - 1970s - $280

Verdal Chronograph - vintage - manual - Venus 188 - 1950s - $310

Pionca Chronograph - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7733 - 1970s - $290

Jardena Chronograph - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7733 - 1970s - $315

Chanor Besancon - vintage NOS - manual - Landeron 248 - 1960s - $335

Dugena Chronograph - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7733 - 1970s - $385

Norexa Chronograph - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7733 - 1960s - $330

Orfina Chronograph - vintage - manual - Landeron 248 - 1950s - $330

CBC Chronograph - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7733 - 1970s - $350

Duke Chronograph - vintage - manual - Landeron 187 - 1970s - $375

Kelek Chronograph - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7733 - 1970s - $380

Avia Chronograph - vintage - manual - Landeron 149 - 1950s - $399

Kasper Rally Chronograph - vintage - Valjoux 7733 - 1970s - $410

Precimax Rally Chronograph - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7734 - 1970s - $405

Comthor Chronograph - vintage - manual - Landeron 149 - 1950s - $430

Swiss Moonphase Chrono - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7734 - 1960s - $450

Cauny Prima Caunymatic - vintage - automatic - Valjoux 7750 - 1970s - $450

Dinamo Chronograph - vintage NOS - manual - Valjoux 7734 - 1970s - $450

Avia Chronograph - vintage - manual - Valjoux 7733 - 1970s - $475

Some beauties in here I will definitely take a look at! Thank you kindly for the extensive suggestions!

These are representative of what you can find on Catawiki. Prices definitely have varied over the past several years. You will also have to pay shipping which can be from $35-$65 depending on the seller. There is also a 9% auction fee that will be added on top. My prices paid are the auction price without auction fee and without shipping. So expect to pay a bit more.

I suggest you search on "Valjoux 7733", "Valjoux 7734", "Landeron 48", "Landeron 149", "Landeron 248", and "Venus 188" to bring up the potential watches on auction. This is easier than trying to search by brand.

If you want to expand your budget, you can start searching under Valjoux 22/23, Valjoux 72/726, Valjoux 7750, Venus 175, but these will cost north of $1K.

Thank you so much! This gives me something to work with! Who else but the ChronoGuy eh? I appreciate it!

I have the Zeppelin „100 Jahre“ Hindenburg! Wonderful vintage-style, swiss made chronograph. There are mechanical and quartz options, both offering good value for money!

I have looked at zeppelin, though I find their website a bit confusing and some models hard to track down. Great looking watches though! Thanks for the suggestion!

I have seen some Chronograph Swiss on Catawiki at a very (tempting) affordable prices.

Seems catawiki is the place to get them! Thanks!

Cool vintage watches, would be a great place

I will have to check it out!

Here's a left field idea and something I came across randomly.

Its a kickstarter, so there's some risk.

Its right up your price range, a seagull movement since you want a chronograph, and vintage looks. Terrible name.... Draco.... Malfoy?

But I love me some breguet numerals and leaf hands. They look like a patek 5070 or 5170. Or the 1940s? 1950s patek they're based off of. Of course Baltic and their MR01 is a homage of that and so is this, but there's some differences.

Oh man, she’s a looker! And I love a left field idea.

Definitely worth considering! Thanks for the suggestion

Yes - this is true. But be careful to read the fine print. Many have been redialed or as they are quaintly referred to as "refurbished". This means they have reprinted the dial and it is not a true original vintage piece. If you don't mind the reprinted dial, they look fantastic. Just realize you are not getting a NOS Chronographe Suisse. Here is an example I purchased for the purpose of research...

The watch runs beautifully and looks fantastic, but it is a reprinted dial.

There are several dealers on Catawiki from Spain and Poland who properly note the dials have been refurbished and they do excellent work. Beware of others that don't disclose this and try to sell these at inflated prices as NOS.

Fantastic piece!

Whatever you find for $400 will require servicing, and for a chronograph, service will run between $600-800 to get it running according to engineering spec (assuming no additional parts are needed or parts are attainable). I recommend increasing your budget to $1500, then shopping on Vintagewatchservices.eu. Stian offers numerous YouTube videos of his restoration work, which includes chronographs, so you can see for yourself the skill involved in servicing one. If you buy one of his watches, you can rest assured it was done properly and is legit through and through.

There would be many watches I would buy if I could just increase my budget to $1500..

Not money I am able/willing to spend on a watch at the moment.

Doesnt have to run 100% perfect. Especially with these vintage pieces, it is more the ‘feel’ I am after.

Thank you for the suggestion though!