A chronograph and driving watch are available for under $300

This story was updated in November 2022 with new products and fresh information.

Motor sports and watches have a long happy relationship with each other. There’s a certain aura you feel with a chronograph, you achieve a certain look with chrome on your wrist and your hand on the wheel. Or maybe it’s a blessing from those legendary kings of cool, guys like Paul Newman and Steve McQueen.

If you’re looking for a cool yet affordable watch for driving, as a gift, or just for yourself, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite chronographs below. They make a fantastic gift idea for any car enthusiast or driving enthusiast. Best of all, they all cost less than 300 bucks

Our favorite affordable driving watches

Before trip meters became ubiquitous, chronographs were used as personal driving timers to help track lap steps, fuel levels, ride time, and more. Today, the chronograph function is effectively nullified by smartphones and their built-in stopwatches, but it’s no fun. And it’s nowhere near as cool.

Here are our favorite affordable chronographs – enjoy the cool feeling that comes with it.