Our Top 3 Sports Watches of 2023

2023 was a good year for sports watches. A couple of important anniversaries, a touch of innovative creativity from the household names, and some shocking entries to the sports watch game resulted in one of the most exciting 12 months for luxury timepieces ever. There were many candidates, but after careful consideration and thinking, here is our final list of the Top 3 Sports Watches by Chrono 10:10

 

Photo source: Time+Tide Watches

 

Platinum Rolex Daytona with the open case back

 

Rolex should have done this a decade ago, but finally, here we are. Daytona, probably the most famous Rolex model in the world, can finally be ordered with an open case back.

 

Hallelujah!

 

Apart from this major change, you can expect he same ol’ Daytona, this time in platinum and with a beautiful turquoise dial, which can be set with diamond hour markers as a bonus.

 

The downside? There are two really.

 

First - the price. It has passed the “funny” threshold at 50k, but 77k retail is just ridiculous. Yes, it is platinum, and yes the watch is obviously beautiful, but Rolex knows people are willing to pay this price for the open cashback.

 

And here comes the second problem? Why is this not an option on every Daytona? Rolex fans have always been super supportive of the Daytona line, even forgiving and forgetting some missteps (think the Beach Daytona). And as a thank you, Rolex releases an open case back watch, but only for the most VIP and premium clients.

 

But this does not take any points from the watch itself, which is quite stunning. We give it a good 9/10. Hopefully, we’ll see more open-back Daytonas. 

 

Photo source: Hodinkee

 

A Lange & Söhne Odysseus Chronograph

 

From the moment Odysseys was released, we immediately fell in love with it. Large is one of the greatest watchmakers of our age, but was always known for its meticulous dress pieces rather than a sports watch.

 

Well, this changed forever.

 

Although there was a little controversy with its release - as it is with every bold move from a conservative watchmaker - Odysseus is now a household name.

 

And to solidify its position, Lange released a breathtaking Chronograph version. And we just love it.

 

The absolutely stunning dial and layout are not unexpected - we're talking about Lange here. Everything looks sleek and simple while clearly showing how much work has gone into it.

 

The real game-changer is the colour scheme.

 

Red accents on a black dial are damn hard to make. Patek has been trying to nail this combination for years, while Lange manages to do it from the get-go.

 

In general, we think this is the best chronograph release of 2023. 10/10 without a doubt.

 

Photo source: Italian Watch Spotter

 

Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal

 

RM releases are fun. We always look forward to their new ideas and crazy material combinations. With this one, Richard Mille focused on making something new, while staying true to their design ideology.

 

So, the RM 35-03 was born.

 

At first glance, it’s your usual Richard Mille timepiece - skeletonized dial, tonneau shape - you know it.

 

The “Sport Mode” button is what separates this watch from the crowd. Basically, RM came up with innovative ways of preventing overwinding. If any other brand tackled this problem, they would probably use a hidden and complex mechanism that would get precisely zero recognition.

 

What did RM do? How about splitting the winding mechanism in two with a press of a button? We love you, Richard Mille.

 

Thanks to innovations like this, RM is the watch of billionaires. A 10/10 watch that deserves all the praise it has been given.

 

So this is our 2023 Top 3 Sports Watches. What do you think of our choices? Have we read your mind or do you have an entirely different opinion? Just let us know, we’d love to hear from you!