Zenith Chronomaster Sport

Zenith’s famed El Primero automatic chronograph movement once powered the Rolex Daytona. Now it’s inside the manufacturer’s own rival to that famed watch.

$9,500+

The Rolex Daytona is virtually unobtanium, while the Chronomaster Sport, which undercuts its rival by over $3,000, is not. It also boasts an upgraded version of the brand’s groundbreaking El Primero automatic movement with a 1/10th-second chronograph and bezel — a unique and eye-catching feature.

Zenith neglected to equip the Chronomaster Sport with its own “ladder”-style bracelet, instead pairing it with a Rolex Oyster bracelet copy (guaranteed to sell well, but boring). Also, a date window at 4:30 has never, ever looked good on a watch. Why build a new model from the ground up with this feature?

“I could easily see discouraged Daytona waitlisters springing for the Chronomaster Sport despite a somewhat derivative design — or perhaps because of it.”