There is perhaps no more versatile complication than the chronograph. 

From race cars to rocket ships, boats to battlefields, you are likely to find a chronograph being employed to measure a plethora of tasks and times. From the Greek khrónos (‘time’) and gráphō (‘to write’), a chronograph is a watch that has the ability to record time, generally via the addition of small sub-counters that register minutes and hours. 

Bell & Ross has been making excellent chronographs since the 1990s — first, in concert with German watchmaker Sinn, and then on its own. This Reference V-126-XL-BRO from circa 2006 is a perfect example of the brand’s watchmaking; handsome and utilitarian, it perfectly fulfills the brief of an excellent tool watch, boasting antimagnetic qualities and 200m of water resistance.

Housed in a 42.5mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal, a signed crown, dual barrel pushers, and a polished bezel, it features a matte brown dial with luminous ‘Arabic’ indices, an outer tachymeter scale, a lumed ‘sword’ handset, a dual-register chronograph, and a date window at 4:30. 

Viewable via a sapphire exhibition caseback is a reliable, automatic ETA 2894-2 chronograph movement with 42 hours of power reserve, while a brown leather strap with a signed, stainless steel deployant clasp finishes the package. It also comes with some of its factory goodies and its recent repair certificate.

This is a ton of watch for the money, folks — don’t let this one slip through your fingers!