An object lesson in chronograph design, from a somewhat unexpected source.

Chronographs are among the most popular watches – always have been, always will be – and come in all manner of styles, not to mention various technical guises. (You can check out our in-depth guide). So of course it goes without saying that there is more than one way to design an outstanding chronograph: indeed a great many are icons in their own right; the IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN Portugieser, the Breitling Navitimer or the Zenith El Primero, to name just three.

Not all brands are fortunate enough to have such a watch in their range, however, and this is where it gets harder. So ingrained are the stereotypes of chronograph design, and so familiar are the big names, that creating a chronograph that sits recognisably within that sporty tradition without becoming derivative or lifeless is a real challenge. Baume & Mercier has made plenty of chronographs in its time, of course – gorgeous examples from the 1950s crop up in the vintage market from time to time. But for several decades, the brand has, on the whole, chosen to focus on a certain value-conscious elegance, a field it has made its own with the Classima, Clifton and in particular, the recent range of Baumatic chronometers.

The brand has tilted back towards watches of a sportier nature in recent years – check out the pleasingly jolly Clifton Club. And with this Capeland chronograph, it has delivered a properly grown-up chronograph that gets it right where it counts.

First, it’s the right size at 42mm. Not too big, not too small. Second, the dial proportions are all right: the subdials are big enough to be emphatic, but don’t get too close to the hour markers or the central pinion for the hands. There isn’t too much detail around the edge of the dial, which can make a watch look overly busy. The circular graining of the subdials and the applied (ie, not printed-on) hour indexes are subtle indications of quality. The date window is centrally positioned at six o’clock, which doesn’t interrupt the symmetry of the dial as a whole, and the date disc within matches the dial, so it doesn’t stand out like a gap tooth. The hands for the chronograph functions are picked out in a different colour – the central seconds hand, and the minutes on the nine o’clock subdial – so it’s both handsome and easier to use. The same vivid orange pops up elsewhere, but it’s not overdone. The crown and pushers are a good size and stylistically, match well with the case. It might sound obvious, but all of these details could easily have been done differently, to the detriment of the end result.   

Mechanically, it relies on the trusty ETA 2894-2 movement – it may not tell a story of in-house watchmaking prowess, but it is reliable, robust, comparatively inexpensive to service and still looks perfectly presentable through the sapphire crystal at the back. For a watch that comes in a snip below £3,000, it’s hard to argue.

Baume & Mercier Capeland Automatic Chronograph ref. M0A10451

Materials: Stainless steel and leather

Diameter: 42mm

Height: 13.4mm

Water-resistance: 50m

Power reserve: 42 hours

_Price: _£2,990