Timex’s Stunning New Chronograph Offers Old-School Daytona Vibes for Less Than $300

The newest addition to The Waterbury line is a chronograph modeled after 1970s auto racing watches.

the dial, bezel and crown of a Timex chronograph watch

Published March 31, 2025

·

Updated April 4, 2025

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Timex has long been the best source for vintage-inspired watches at shockingly affordable prices, but the Connecticut-based watchmaker has outdone itself with the newest addition to The Waterbury Collection.

The Waterbury Heritage Chronograph is modeled after some of the most famous pieces from the 1970s ‘golden age’ of auto-racing chronographs, like the Rolex Daytona and Heuer Autavia.

a steel Timex chronograph watch laying on a red couch — The Waterbury Heritage Chronograph has a quartz movement and a 39-millimeter case.

It has a rotating tachymeter bezel, subdials at three o’clock and nine o’clock and pushers borrowed directly from Paul Newman’s iconic watch. The central chronograph hand resembles that of another famous racing watch, the Omega Speedmaster.

a black and gilt Timex chronograph on a man's wrist — The Waterbury Heritage Chronograph comes in silver and black or black and gilt.

With bits and pieces pulled from some of the most coveted racing watches ever, Timex assembled an ideal representation of the category. It has all the details fans love about vintage chronographs and nothing out of place, all for less than $300.

Keeping it simple

The dial is clean, with simple wording at twelve o’clock and six o’clock in a uniform font and color. The two-tone finish on both examples makes for an easy-to-style watch that can be worn every day.

a steel Timex chronograph watch with a black leather strap — The Waterbury Heritage Chronograph comes on a steel bracelet or a leather perforated strap.

At 39 millimeters, the case size fits comfortably on just about any wrist. With only two sub-dials and a single dash track, the relatively small chronograph dial remains perfectly balanced.

Combining a brushed stainless steel case, steel rotating bezel and anti-reflective mineral glass crystal for under $300 is an amazing bargain. The only drawback to the case is that, without a screw-down crown, the watch should not be worn in water.

a black and gilt Timex chronograph watch on a man's wrist — The Waterbury Heritage Chronograph has a 39-millimeter case that fits comfortably on most wrists.

Of course, to maintain this price, Timex had to use a quartz movement. For those bothered by the jumping seconds hand, it is less noticeable on the small running seconds dial of a chronograph.

Two perfect color combinations

The Waterbury Heritage Chronograph comes in two color combinations. It has a silver and black “panda” dial with a black bezel and a white tachymeter track. It resembles vintage chronographs like the Hamilton Chrono-Matic and Heuer Carrera.

a black and gilt Timex chronograph watch laying on top of a book — The gilt and black dial has gilt plated steel pushers and crown as well.

The other option is a black dial and bezel with gilt detailing on the subdials, hour track, hands and tachymeter track. The pushers and crown are also gilt-coated stainless steel.

Black and gilt is a color combination historically associated with dive watches and dress watches. Timex elevated this classical sports watch by applying that coloring, and it is topped off perfectly with a dark brown leather strap.

a steel Timex chronograph watch — The central hands and applied indices have lume inlays.

Two band options are available: a stainless steel bracelet with a built-in micro-adjustment and a leather pin-buckle strap with perforation. Both options are true to the watch’e’s racing inspiration.

Availability and pricing

True to form, Timex has delivered another beautiful vintage-inspired watch at an unbeatable value. Whether you’re shopping for an everyday watch on a tight budget or want to expand your collection without breaking the bank, the Waterbury Heritage Chronograph is the best racing chronograph under $500.

The Timex Waterbury Heritage Chronograph will be available on April 3 from Timex for $299 with a steel bracelet and $259 with a leather strap.