Certina DS Action Diver
Price: 1770 Euro including 20 % VAT in Austria.
This is a top quality diver chronograph for almost no money waterproof until 200 meters and ISO 6425 certified. The standards for diving watches are regulated by the ISO 6425 international standard. It is difficult to beat that price! The 45,2 mm houses an ETA 7753 calibre, the chronograph is also sold with a rubber strap for some Euros less.
Interesting choices, but noticed that you have chosen out of ten, 4 watches from the SWATCH Group! Any reason? No TAG Heuer, No Zenith,
Some very nice choices. I do agree with another comment that some are rather expensive for a 7750 variant.
Such lists are of course never complete. I would specifically recommend to have a look at the German brand Damasko which make some great chronos, with several technical improvements over standard watches. These are in my opinion interesting alternatives to the Sinn in the shortlist.
My own favourite (super high) value for money mechanical chrono is the Sea-Gull 1963 reissue of their pilot watch from 1963. Beautiful, and the movement is based on a Venus movement with a column wheel.
There are several really nice watches in your post that I would have missed without this post.
I am surprised about the Hamilton and the Junghans, I like the Baume & Mercier and I am impressed by the Longines. The Longines would be my choice of this selection.
My definite personal top best-value-for-money chronograph in 2014 is the Montblanc Meisterstück Heritage Collection Pulsograph (you wrote about it more than one time) because of a caliber finishing that equals that in the high end price range and a very good look.
The runner-up for me is the Sinn U1000 B. It is not that clearly best-value-for-money (if you ignore the limitation). But a gorgeous appearance, the superior case material and case finishing and a reasonable caliber modification have persuaded me.
All great choices, imho.
If I had to choose I would rank my top three as the Alpina, the Sinn and then the Omega. I like the count down bezel of the Sinn and the Hamilton, a functionality you don’t see all that often. The Certina would have made it in but just something about the blue being too intense for me. Perhaps this is simply a function of my monitor’s color rendition. It could look a lot better in person.
Thanks for the article.
Mi attrae particolarmente il Longines, peccato per la cassa la vorrei un 44 diametro per i restanti Omega sempre molto bello e un movimento al top rispetto agli altri.
Since these are almost all derivatives of the old Valjoux 7750 they should be inexpensive.
But I go with the traditional look of the Sinn.