Different Wristwatches of Marine Chronometer Quality

The following information is partly borrowed from http://80calcs.pagesperso-orange.fr/Navigation/Chronometer.html. This page is a wonderful list of watches which are of marine chronometer quality but it needed some update. In the last years some new watches entered the stage of high accuracy quartz watches aka marine chronometer. Where it comes to the newer updated models prices mentioned are only approximativ.

This is a list of recent models, available in 2005 and after. This list excludes GPS and radio-controlled watches, which cannot retain their accuracy in an autonomous way. Prices are from manufacturer (except for Mühle and Kriëger). Retail prices could be less. If not otherwise noted, accuracies are from manufacturer specifications. I have limited the list to watches which claim an accuracy within COSC 2001 standard for quartz watch, that is +/-0.07 s/day or 25 s/year.
Thanks to Bruce Reding for informations and the way he shares his watch enthusiasm.
Thanks to Paulusz for informations about ETA movements.
The best starting point to learn about high end quartz watch is this excellent article from Bruce Reding and George Palasti, which also lists past and current models.
WatchUSeek's High Accuracy Watches forum is an interesting place to meet high accuracy watch enthusiasts.

5 s/year :

Citizen Chronomaster "The Citizen" : classical design with perpetual calendar. Caliber A660. 32768 Hz quartz, thermocompensated. 1'150 €- 2'150 €

Citizen "The Citizen" Eco-Drive Cal A010 1'500 € - 2'500 €

« To my mind, though, it's distilled essence of watch. A pure, classic design. Very focused on functionality. Not out to impress. Not trendy. Nothing there that doesn't need to be there. And, perhaps paradoxically, very elegant to me because of this.»  Bruce Reding

Longines VHP : classical design with perpetual calendar. Caliber L288.2 / ETA E56.111 quartz, thermocompensated. 950 CHF- 1'550 CHF (940$ - 1'530$)


10 s/year :

Citizen "The Exceed" (look for or on their website):

Credor "Node" Cal. 8J80 300'000 Yen env. 2'300 € ( Seiko-Credor)

Piquot Meridien Octantis : Marine Chronometer certified by the Besançon National Observatory in France. Perpetual calendar. ETA Thermoline movement. 1 185 - 1 738 € (abandoned)

Seiko "Grand Seiko" : classical design. 32768 Hz thermocompensated quartz cal. 9F62. 1 150 - 3 700 €

Omega Megaquartz 2400 (abandoned 1974 to 1978)

Certina DS Action Chronograph PreciDrive (movement G10.212 AA)

Certina DS-2  PreciDrive (movement ETA 251.264 CEN)

Jean Marcel Accuracy (ETA F06.411 ) 495€

Tissot Pro 100 COSC (ETA F06.411) 500 CHF

Tavannes Fluted Edge (ETA F06.411) 795 CHF


10-15 s/year :

Breitling SuperQuartz :

  • B-1 (abandoned) pre 2003 have no superquartz movement see donindiano.net. Caliber Breitling 78, Base Mvt. ETA Thermoline E20.341
  • Airwolf (abandoned) Caliber Breitling 78, Base Mvt. ETA Thermoline E20.341
  • Avenger Seawolf Chrono (abandoned) Caliber Breitling 73, Base Mvt. ETA Thermoline 251.232
  • Aerospace (current models) Caliber Breitling 79
  • Chronospace (current models) Caliber Breitling 78, Base Mvt. ETA Thermoline E20.341
  • Emergency (current models) Caliber Breitling 76, Base Mvt. ETA Thermoline 988.352
  • Colt models (only newer models with SuperQuartz movements) Cal. Breitling 53, Base Movt. ETA Thermoline 251.262
  • Galactic 30 and 32 Caliber Breitling 71
  • Superocean Chronograph M2000 Caliber Breitling 73, Base Mvt. ETA Thermoline 251.232

Breitling claims its accuracy to: "the variation in rate of the SUPerQUartzTM caliber fitted in your BreitLing watch far and above exceeds these demands (cosc), achieving a rate of ±15 seconds a year" from Colt Manual p. 11. This value seems conservative, as these watches use an ETA Thermoline movement, which is said to be rated at +/-0.02 second per day (less than 10 s/year). Price range 1000€ (used) to 3500 € (new)

Certina DS Master - Caliber ETA Thermoline 251.233 (864 € - 1'060 €)

Christopher Ward

  • C70 COSC (abandoned)
  • C70 VW4 Caliber: ETA 251.233 COSC (499 £ - 599 £)

Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Time Attack MF. Base caliber ETA E20.341? (2'500 €)

Krieger Marine Chrono k6006. (abandoned) Caliber K89.01/01 seen for 580 €

Longines Flagship VHP (abandoned): classical design with perpetual calendar. Caliber L546 (ETA Thermoline movement 252.611). A very interesting WatchUSeek thread about this watch.

Longines VHP Quartz different models (all (abandoned)). L173.2 (ETA 255.511) and later L237.2 (ETA 255.563)

Maurice Lacroix Miros Chrono Diver (cosc) (abandoned). Caliber ETA 251.231

Omega Z-33 (watch it on youtube) Cal. 5666. Price ~4'500 €

Sinn Diving watch UX, ETA 955.652. ~1'500 €

All the above watches use ETA Thermoline movements which are rated to be within +-10 seconds/year.

20 s/year :
Mühle Marine Chronometer : Desk marine chronometer actually built by Hanseatic Instruments. 4.19 Mhz quartz, temperature stabilized. Here is a picture of the test certificate which comes with the clock. The manufacturer claims an accuracy of 0.01 s/day (3.65 s/year), but my model loses 16 s/year (+/-1s). Nevertheless it could be adjusted without opening the case with an oscilloscope and a small screwdriver. 2000 €
 

Omega Constellation Perpetual Calendar : (abandoned), caliber 1680 (ETA Thermoline movement 252.511).
Seiko Spirit : classical design with perpetual calendar. Models SBQLxxx & SBQKxxx. Caliber 8F32 & 8F33, 196 608 Hz quartz
Seiko Brightz SAGM007 & 009. classical design with perpetual calendar. Caliber 8F32. 600 - 780 €
Seiko Diver Scuba 200 m : diver watch with perpetual calendar, from Prospex line (Sport watches). Models SBCMxxx. Caliber 8F35, 196 608 Hz quartz. 200 - 230 €
Seiko Alpinist : perpetual calendar and 24 h hand, from Prospex line. Caliber 8F56, 196 608 Hz quartz. 300 - 350 €


25 s/year :
Kriëger Tidal Chronometer : (abandoned) 200 m water resistant watch which gives moon phases and tides. The manufacturer didn't give its accuracy but it is COSC certified.(abandoned) 900 - 1000 €


>25<=60 s/year (watches which are only slightly above the specs):

Rolex Oysterquartz: Calibre 5035 and 5055 for the Day-Date model analog thermocompensation (abandoned)

Bulova "The Precisionist": 262.144 kilohertz (kHz), cal. "Precisionist". The claimed accuracy is +-10 spy. But it seems this watch is quite dependent to temperature -> See Test

-Seiko Dolce & Exceline : women and men assorted watches. Not all models of this line have the 10s/y accuracy. 390 - 900 € (Seiko states the accuracy to +-15s/month -> http://www.seiko-watch.co.jp/p_search/detail/do.php?no=SADT007

- Sjoo Sandstrom : another mistery watch -> I have this watch and it loses >= 5 sec/month

- Seiko Brightz Chronograph : Caliber 7J21. 700 - 900 € -> couln't verify this watch. The manual says +-4s/month depending on the manner in which the watch is used p.54.