Chronograph watches under ~$1,500
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We list 6 chronograph watches under ~$1,500. All 6 run on a battery or light. 3 are rated 100m or more, the usual line for swimming. 3 have a sapphire crystal. Cases run from 38mm to 45.5mm. They sit in our entry + mid + upper tiers — roughly under $1,500.
Built-in stopwatch sub-dials.
| Watch | Movement | WR | Case | Crystal | Style | Tier | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Casio Edifice EFV-540 | Quartz | 100m | 44mm | mineral | Chronograph | Entry | Check priceCheck price |
 Bulova Lunar Pilot | Meca-quartz | 50m | 43.5mm | sapphire | Chronograph | Mid | See price on AmazonCheck price |
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar SSC813 | Solar / light-powered | 100m | 39mm | sapphire | Chronograph | Mid | Check priceCheck price |
Dan Henry 1963 | Meca-quartz | 50m | 38mm | mineral | Chronograph | Mid | Check priceCheck price |
Bulova Surveyor Chronograph | Meca-quartz | 30m | 41mm | mineral | Chronograph | Mid | Check priceCheck price |
| Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph | Quartz | 300m | 45.5mm | sapphire | Chronograph | Upper | See price on AmazonCheck price |
Quick answers
Which chronograph watches under ~$1,500 have a sapphire crystal?
3 of the 6: Bulova Lunar Pilot, Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar SSC813 and Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph. Sapphire resists scratches better than mineral or acrylic. How the crystals compare.
Can you swim with chronograph watches under ~$1,500?
3 of the 6 are rated 100m or more, the usual line for regular swimming: Casio Edifice EFV-540, Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar SSC813 and Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph. 1 of those reach 200m or more. What the ratings mean.
Are there automatic or hand-wound chronograph watches under ~$1,500?
No — every watch here runs on quartz, meca-quartz or solar / light-powered. Automatic vs quartz.
What is the smallest of the chronograph watches under ~$1,500?
The smallest is the Dan Henry 1963, at 38mm. The largest is the Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph, at 45.5mm. What size fits your wrist.
Head-to-head comparisons
- Dan Henry 1963 vs Bulova Surveyor Chronograph
- Bulova Lunar Pilot vs Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar SSC813
- Bulova Lunar Pilot vs Dan Henry 1963
- Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar SSC813 vs Bulova Surveyor Chronograph
- Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar SSC813 vs Dan Henry 1963
- Bulova Lunar Pilot vs Bulova Surveyor Chronograph