Introducing the Dan Henry 1962 Racing Chronograph

The Dan Henry brand has found a large following in the watch enthusiast community by creating watches with a real root in horological history. The Dan Henry collection looks to the past and seeks to meticulously recreate well known vintage references with small twists that make them their own. Costs are kept low, but overall fit and finish is incredibly high for the price, and the looks speak for themselves — these are just extremely attractive watches. The newest watch from Dan Henry takes on a classic from the Universal Genève archives, and speaks directly to the race fan in all of us. 

Dan Henry 1962 Racing Chronograph

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: White, Black, Blue
• Dimensions: 39mm
• Water Resistance: 50m
• Crown: Push/pull
• Movement: Seiko Mecha-Quartz VK series
• Strap/bracelet: Leather strap; woven nylon
• Price: $260
• Expected Release: July 8, 2019

The 1962 Racing Chronograph is a dead ringer for the famous (and, for most, prohibitively expensive) “Nina Rindt” Compax Chronograph. With a panda dial and a compact case shape, the original Universal Genève reference is rightly seen as a masterpiece with a real motorsports pedigree, but it will set you back nearly $30,000 at auction. Dan Henry’s version, for an incredibly small fraction of the price, can give you the look and feel of a Nina Rindt. It’s a compelling package.

The 1962 Racing Chronograph measures 39mm in diameter, a more modern size than the 36mm UG, but still well within the parameters of “normal” watch size in 2019. This isn’t a big hulking sports watch — it’s definitely sized with a vintage appeal in mind. The twisted lugs remain, as does the three-register layout, but the sub-dials on the Dan Henry are an unmistakable nod to Singer-dialed watches of the time period, most famous among them being the “Paul New” Daytona. Some may question the choice to seemingly mix and match elements from famous racing chronographs, but the Dan Henry is saved by attractive design. It all just looks nice when it comes together, and at this price point I think that has to be the priority. 

Powering the Dan Henry 1962 Racing Chronograph is a Seiko mecha-quartz movement. This is a great, consumer-forward choice for a watch like this. Timekeeping is taken care of through a quartz movement, but the chronograph is actuated mechanically, which gives a watch using a movement like this the tactile feeling of a traditional mechanical chrono. These movements have been around for awhile, and the costs have dropped dramatically in the last few years: Dan Henry plans to sell the 1962 Racing Chronograph for only $260.

Three dial variants are available, each one with or without a date display. The white with black sub-dials is the most traditional, but I’m partial to the blue version with orange accents in the sub-dials and the chrono-seconds hand. A reverse panda variant (most similar to Universal Genève’s “Evil Nina”) rounds out the range, and it looks sleek and modern with a pop of red on the chrono-seconds hand. 

The Dan Henry 1962 Racing Chronograph is available on the Dan Henry website beginning later today. Dan Henry