So far in 2024, we’ve seen a softening of the watch market, but two things remain unchanged: First, the Rolex Daytona remains one of the most legendary and coveted watches of all time. Second, you still can’t walk into a Rolex boutique and walk out with the coveted chronograph on your wrist. A current Rolex Daytona in steel costs at least $30,000 on the secondary market, a price that is affordable for only the select few. That’s why I’ve selected five alternatives that are cheaper – and in some cases, slightly better – than the Rolex Daytona.
The Lookalike: The Zenith Chronomaster Sport
The Zenith Chronomaster Sport is a automatic column wheel chronograph that can measure tenths of a second. The beautifully decorated El Primero caliber with a date complication can be admired through a sapphire crystal case back. These are two things that the standard Daytona cannot offer. As far as the general design of the watch is concerned, Zenith has certainly drawn inspiration from the Rolex model. The dial, ceramic bezel, and overall design are immediately reminiscent of the Rolex Daytona – so much so that they could easily be mistaken for each other at first glance. At second glance, however, you can see all the fine details and references to earlier El Primero chronographs that inspired the design of the new Chronomaster Sport. Plus, if any brand deserves to draw inspiration from the Daytona design without being labeled a copy, it’s probably Zenith, since the Rolex Daytona was powered by an El Primero movement until the late 1980s.
The Zenith Chronomaster Sport is probably the best Rolex Daytona alternative the watch market has to offer. Its history is closely linked to the Rolex, it has a similar design, offers better specifications, and is available starting around $8,500.
The Reissue: The Breitling Chronomat
The Breitling Chronomat is a true watch icon that was only brought back into the Breitling collection in 2020. The history of the Chronomat dates back to 1941; the watch is considered the forerunner of the legendary Breitling Navitimer. The slide rule bezel enables you to perform various calculations such as distance traveled, speed, and more. The reissued 2020 version is strongly inspired by the 1984 reinterpretation, which was released to mark Breitling’s 100th anniversary.
The Chronomat offers everything you could want from a modern watch: an in-house Breitling movement with a 70-hour power reserve, a date function incorporated into the 12-hour subdial, 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft) of water resistance, and a sapphire crystal case back offering a view of the movement within. The real star, however, is the Chronomat’s comfortable Rouleaux bracelet. Not only does it feature superb craftmanship, it also has a unique design that you won’t see on any other watch. However, the watch does require a sizeable wrist or at least a love for large watches. With a diameter of 42 mm and a lug-to-lug over 50 mm, the Breitling Chronomat has some serious wrist presence. With prices starting at $7,000, the chronograph is much cheaper than the Rolex Daytona and offers certain advantages such as slightly higher water resistance and a practical date function. Best of all: You can buy the chronograph immediately, without having to wait.
The Legend: The Omega Speedmaster Professional
The METAS-certified movement of the Omega Speedmaster Professional has it all: extreme precision with a maximum deviation of 5 seconds per day and anti-magnetism up to 15,000 gauss. Even so, the legendary Moonwatch makes some technical compromises compared to the Rolex Daytona: manual vs. automatic, no ceramic bezel, only 50 m (5 bar, 164 ft) of water resistance, and a sapphire crystal is only available for a hefty premium. And yet, the Omega chronograph certainly earns itself a place on this list. As the official watch of NASA, the Omega Speedmaster Professional has been on countless space adventures. The Rolex Daytona can’t list space travel, Moon orbits, six Moon landings, and the legendary Apollo 13 rescue mission to its name, the latter of which even earned Omega the prestigious Snoopy Award. Plus, with prices starting around $7,000, the legendary Moonwatch is significantly cheaper than the Rolex Daytona. And if the matte black dial on the Speedmaster isn’t exciting enough for you, the timeless icon has also been available in white for a few months now.
The Imitator: The Tudor Black Bay Chrono
Let’s be honest: At first glance, the vintage-style Tudor Black Bay Chrono isn’t really reminiscent of the Rolex Daytona; after all, this is a bicompax chronograph, whereas the Daytona has three subdials. But I’m certain that, despite some key differences, you’ll feel a kinship with the Rolex as soon as you get your hands on the Tudor chronograph. The vintage character of this Tudor is palpable. Important to note: Unlike the Rolex Daytona, the 41-mm Tudor chronograph does not have a ceramic bezel, but that would look out of place on this vintage-inspired watch anyway. That said, the quality of the watch is exceptional. The Tudor Black Bay Chrono shines with its high-quality workmanship and attention to detail that is all its own.
There’s a lot of impressive technology tucked beneath the vintage guise. The Breitling B01 movement, which is refined in-house by Tudor, offers a 70-hour power reserve. In terms of water resistance, the Tudor outperforms the Rolex chronograph with a depth rating of 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft) and, as always, Tudor is unbeatable when it comes to value for money. With prices starting at $4,300, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono is a beautifully designed watch with Rolex DNA.
The Patrician: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph
I think the Polaris Chronograph from Jaeger-LeCoultre is the most elegant sports chronograph on the entire watch market – even more so than the Rolex Daytona. The Polaris Chronograph achieves this with its outward appearance, but also the high level of quality that is reflected throughout the watch. The 42mm sports chronograph is distinguished by its distinctive design and attention to detail. Water resistance to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft) and a power reserve of 65 hours are solid specs, but they fade into the background once you’ve seen the beautifully decorated movement through the sapphire crystal case back for the first time. Personally, I think the biggest highlight of this watch is the dial with its different textures, alternating between smooth, rough, matte and shiny surfaces. It only truly reveals its full splendor in broad daylight. With prices starting around $9,700, the Polaris Chronograph is the most high-end alternative on our list, but still cheaper than the Rolex Daytona. It’s a true high-end chronograph that would cost significantly more if it were made by the likes of A. Lange & Söhne or Patek Philippe. If you have a larger budget, I can also recommend the successor model, the ref. Q9028181. This model is quite rare on the secondary market; prices start at around $15,000.
