A chronograph is basically a stopwatch and it allows you to time your activities. Depending on the watch you have selected it may have 2 or 3 sub-dials. Each subdial runs independently and can help you accurately record how many seconds, minutes, and hours have elapsed since the chronograph function has been started.
It is an extremely useful tool used by racers, divers, athletes, and pilots all over the world. It also has lots of other day-to-day practical applications as it can be used for cooking, time your session with patients or vice versa, time your cardio sessions, and so on. However, some people prefer a chronograph watch as it looks more visually appealing than regular analog watches.
So if you are looking for a men’s chronograph watch then we have listed the best chronograph watches under $500 that you can buy right now.
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Men’s Chronograph Watch Under 500 Dollars Comparison Table
IMAGE | PRODUCT | SPECIFICATIONS | VIEW ON AMAZON |
Best Overall  | Citizen Eco-Drive Blue Angels |
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Best Bracelet Chronograph Watch  | Tissot V8 Chrono Quartz |
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Affordable Chronograph Watch For Men  | Casio Chronograph Men's Sport |
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Best Looking Chronograph Watch Under 500 Dollars  | Bulova Men's Lunar Pilot Watch |
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Best Chronograph Watches Under $500
1. Tissot V8 Chrono Quartz
The first watch on our list is from the Swiss brand Tissot. The watch comes with Swiss quartz movement which does a good job of accurate timekeeping. It also comes with a chronograph function which is why it comes with three separate sub-dials.
Using the dedicated sub-dial located at the 6 0 clock position of the watch you would be able to track the seconds elapsed after you start the stopwatch. The second sub-dial located on the left side of the dial at 10 o clock position is a 30-minute stopwatch. And, the third subdial located at 2 o clock position tracks 1/10 of a second. Therefore you would be able to successfully time your activities accurately up to 30 min using this chronograph watch.
Moreover, the watch also comes with a tachymeter function that allows you to measure the speed of any vehicle by using the distance covered by the vehicle and the time it took to cover that distance.
Coming to the dimensions of the watch, it sports a 42.50mm watch case which is only 11.22m thick. The watch case is also built using 316L stainless steel that has anti-corrosive properties and in fact, it is even used to make surgical instruments. Furthermore, the dial of the watch is protected by sapphire which is highly scratch resistant and also durable glass.
Also, you can go swimming wearing the watch as it is water-resistant up to 100m. This makes it one of the best chronograph watches available under $500 that too from a swiss brand. Not only it will look perfect with all your outfits but it also has a chronograph function for anyone who needs it.
2. Seiko Dress Watch
When it comes to cars, Japanese brands offer the best price to performance ratio and when it comes to watches situation is no different. If you don’t want to spend $400 on a Tissot you can go with this Seiko watch. For half the price you get all the functionalities along with the stunning looks of the watch.
The watch comes with a gorgeous blue leather strap with a smooth finish. It also features a smooth blue patterned dial that goes perfectly well with silver watch hands and silver case of the watch. Also, the Seiko dress watch comes with a quartz movement which is more accurate than self-winding mechanical watches.
The watch also has a chronograph function which can measure hour, minute, and seconds of elapsed time. Subdial located at the 12 o clock position of the watch keeps track of minutes. The second sub-dial located at the 9 o clock position keeps track of hours elapsed whereas the bottom sub-dial keeps track of seconds elapsed since starting the chronograph function.
Along with the chronograph feature, the watch also has a date window located between the 4 o and 5 o clock position of the watch.
Now coming on to the dimensions of the watch, the watch uses a 42.7mm case and 18mm leather strap. Also, this classy-looking watch weighs only 2.8 ounces and 13.85mm thick. Despite being a dress watch water won’t be an issue for the watch as it water-resistant up to 10 bar(100m).
That’s not all as the watch also comes with LumiBrite hands. So watch hands absorb the light throughout the day and then glows in the dark allowing you to read the time. If you are still unconvinced then a 3-year warranty from the manufacturer will definitely make this the best chronograph watch under $500 for you.
3. Diesel Men’s Mega Chief
Diesel is known for its bold masculine watch designs and this right here is Mega Chief from Diesel. That’s the reason why even the dial of the watch says, “Only the brave”. This Gunmetal color watch sports a 59mm case and a 24mm bracelet band.
What makes this watch stand out is the large size of its dial which demands attention from others. That’s why we would recommend this chronograph watch to users who have bigger wrists.
The watch comes with a chronograph function that can measure up to an hour’s minutes of elapsed time in 1/10 sec increments. Not only the chronograph on the watch makes it more visually appealing but you can also use it to time your daily commute so you can better plan your day to avoid traffic. Moreover, the dial of the watch also has a date window located at the 3 o clock position of the watch.
Mega Chief is a pretty durable watch as it sports a body that is completely made of stainless steel and the dial of the watch is protected by mineral glass. Also, you can even go for shallow diving and swimming as this watch is water-resistant up to 100m.
Its flashy design makes this watch the best men’s chronograph watch under $500 and if you don’t like this design then there are other 15 designs and color combinations to choose from.
4. Casio Chronograph Men’s Sports
If you are looking for a durable and lightweight men’s chronograph watch then we would recommend this G-Shock-like watch from Casio. This watch comes with a resin strap which is pretty durable despite its lightweight and can survive extreme pressure that leather and silicone band simply can’t.
Furthermore, the bezel of the watch is also made of the same resin materials that decrease the weight of the watch to only 1.76 ounces. Casio chronograph watch sports a 25mm watch band and 49.3mm watch case. Also, you can keep track of the date with the help of the date window located between the 4 and 5 o clock location of the watch.
This watch is also water-resistant up to 100m so you can wear the watch in the pool, beach, shower, in rain, or wherever you want.
The watch also comes with a chronograph function. It can keep track of elapsed time for up to 30 min using the sub-dial located at 9 o clock position. There is a dedicated second sub-dial located at 6 o clock position that can measure seconds elapsed for better accuracy. The third sub-dial on the other hand is for users who prefer to read time in military time mode. Don’t worry about the accuracy of the chronograph as it comes with a quartz movement which ensures its accuracy.
Now you might be thinking that this chronograph watch for men would be expensive but the truth is you can buy it for less than $50. At this price, you won’t get any other watch that would be as good-looking and as reliable as this, and that too from Casio.
5. Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive
The next watch on our list is from Citizen. This is a Citizen’s Eco-Drive watch as the name suggests it’s an eco-friendly watch as it harnesses the power of solar energy. And, not only that it can also be charged using fluorescent lights. Therefore making it one of the best watches with a chronograph that you can buy for less than 300 dollars.
The watch comes with an aluminum bezel which is not only lightweight but also enhances the looks of the watch with its smooth finish. Also, the case of the watch is 44mm in diameter and it is made of stainless steel. Furthermore, the watch comes with a 22mm chestnut brown leather strap which makes the watch eye candy.
Besides the good looks, the watch also has luminous hands which makes the hands glow allowing you to read time in the dark. And, chronograph function on the watch allows you to measure elapsed time up to 1 hour. Therefore you would be able to time your lap time accurately using the chronograph available on the watch. You can control the chronograph using the button available on the right side of the bezels. The button above the crown is used to start and the button located below is used to stop the chronograph function.
Citizen Eco-Drive also has a tachymeter that allows you to accurately measure the speed of the vehicle based on the distance covered and the time taken. Here are the instructions on how to use a tachymeter on your Citizen watch.
The watch is water-resistant up to 100m so water is one less thing to worry about. Moreover, it comes with 5 years manufacturer warranty, therefore, you won’t have to worry about your investment for a long time.
6. Bulova Men’s Lunar Pilot Watch Chronograph
This watch right here is an homage to the original Bulova watch worn by Astronaut David Scott on the moon, yes on the moon. Recently the very same watch was sold for 1.6 million dollars in an auction. And, this is the limited edition Bulova Lunar Pilot watch that still carries the iconic look of the watch worn by astronaut David Scott.
While outer appearance has changed only a little bit but the watch does come with improved internals. On the moon, it is very important to accurately track the time elapsed. It helps you estimate how long your oxygen will last when you are outside the ship on the moon and relying on oxygen cylinders. That’s why this watch comes with high-performance quartz movement operating at a frequency of 262khz.
Moreover, the watch also comes with super-luminous watch hands and markings that allow you to read time in a pitch-black environment. We can’t say for sure that this watch will work on the moon but it would definitely work underwater as it is water-resistant up to 50m.
Talking about the build quality of the watch it is made using high-quality 316L grade stainless steel. Along with the leather strap, you also get a 22m nylon strap with the watch. Also, the 45mm dial of the watch is protected by sapphire glass which is the strongest glass after diamond.
This is a beautiful chronograph watch for men as it can track time up to 60 minutes and right down to the accuracy of 1/10 of a second as it comes with a minute sub-dial, second sub-dial, and 1/10 second sub-dial. Whether you are an athlete who wants to measure lap speed or a chef roasting a turkey in the oven you can count on the watch’s accuracy.
7. Casio Men’s Edifice Quartz Watch
If you are looking for a more reasonably priced bracelet chronograph watch for men that doesn’t compromise in quality as well as features then we might just have a watch for you. Allow us to interest you in the Edifice watch from Casio. This is a multipurpose watch that can go from being a bracelet dress watch to a rugged watch that you can wear on the basketball court.
Not just the versatility, the watch also has elegant looks that will definitely get you compliments from your friends and colleagues. The watch comes with a 45.8mm black dial which goes perfectly well with the silver finish of the watch. Furthermore, the watch hands glow in the dark as it comes with luminous coating.
It gets better as the watch also comes with a chronograph function. Using the sub-dial located at 9 o clock position you can accurately time your activities up to 30 minutes. The second sub-dial located at 6 o clock position is used to measure seconds. Also, the watch also has a 24 hr sub-dial located at 12 o clock position of the dial. And, guess what all these features are powered by solar energy as this is an affordable solar-powered watch.
So not only you get all these features but you also won’t have to spend money on battery replacement of the watch. Once fully charged the watch can run up to 5 months without any further exposure to light. Besides solar charging, it is water-resistant to 100m that ensures you can go swimming wearing the watch.
8. Citizen Eco-Drive Blue Angels
This watch Blue Angels is named after the elite squadron of the US Navy. The watch also has the Blue Angels logo on the back of the watch case. However, it is important to note that the watch in no way has been endorsed by US Navy. Instead watch is named Blue Angels to send a message that you can rely on the accuracy of the watch just like pilots rely on each other.
The watch comes with an atomic timekeeping function which makes it one of the most accurate chronograph watches. So this watch receives radio signals and automatically sets itself to the correct time no matter where you are. Countries, where the watch can automatically set itself to the correct time are Japan, North America, Europe, Japan, and China. Equipped with Japanese quartz movement and atomic timekeeping, the margin of error gets reduced to one second in 100,000 years for these five countries.
Also, since this is a Citizen Eco-Drive watch it is always charging using light. The watch can charge itself using solar as well as indoor lighting. It also features a chronograph function which’s why the watch features dedicated sub-dials for tracking 24 hours, minutes, and seconds.
Furthermore, Blue Angels watch come with a perpetual calendar so you won’t need to set the correct date on your watch on the 1st of every third month. It also has a date window located at the 3 o clock position of the watch.
Talking about the build of the watch, it sports a 43mm watch dial that is protected by sapphire glass which is highly durable and scratch-resistant. Moreover, the watch uses a 22mm synthetic leather band which gives a comfortable grip that enables you to wear the watch for a long period of time.
This chronograph watch which is available for less than $500 is a complete bang for your bucks as you get 200m water-resistant, unmatched accuracy, stylish looks, 5 years warranty, chronograph function, atomic timekeeping, and a lot more. So give this watch a look and we assure you that it won’t let you down in any way.
9. Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive CA4184-81E
The last watch on our list is also from Citizen. Like all the Eco-Drive watches this watch also is powered by light no matter whether it is artificial or solar light. Therefore you would never have to worry about going to a jewelry store for battery replacement.
This watch comes in masculine gunmetal color that blends in perfectly with the grey color dial of the watch. Moreover, the case of the watch is made of stainless steel that is 48mm in diameter, and the watch dial is protected by a mineral glass. This watch is built to last that’s why it is water-resistant up to 100m. However, diving is not recommended with the watch so do keep that in mind.
Apart from its waterproofing capabilities, the watch also comes with a chronograph function. There are 3 sub-dials available on the watch. Subdial located at the 3 o clock position is a 24hr sub-dial. Whereas dial located at the 6 0 clock position is used to measure second elapsed and dial at 9 o clock track minutes elapsed.
FAQs
What Is The Cheapest Chronograph Watch?
Casio Men's Sports MCW100H-4AV is the cheapest chronograph watch that is available for less than $40. Despite its low price, the watch features robust build quality, 100m water resistance, and chronograph function.
Which Chronograph Watch Is The Best Under 500 Dollars?
Citizen Blue Angels is the best chronograph watch available for less than $500. The watch offers atomic timekeeping, water-resistant 200m, a 5-year warranty, and more.
Are Chronograph Watches Worth It?
Yes, they are more well built than regular analog watches and can also help athletes, racers, divers, and others to accurately time their activities. They also tend to be more accurate than simple dress watches so they are definitely worth the investment.
What Chronograph Watches Do?
To simply put they are stopwatches. Before electronic stopwatches were the norm, analog chronographs were used to measure time in sporting events like running, horse racing, driving, and so on.
