Riedenschild men's chronograph watch 5 ATM black dial 42 mm

It is a wet morning and you glance at your wrist while queuing for coffee. On the Riedenschild chronograph, the black dial gives the hands a clear contrast, and the date window tells you the day without any fuss. This is a men's quartz watch with a 42 mm round case, a stainless steel bracelet and 5 ATM water resistance.

Reading the dial

The hands carry a luminescent coating. Once charged by light, they stay readable in the dark. Seconds run on a small separate sub-dial, and a 24-hour indication helps you tell day from night. The chronograph starts, stops and resets with the pushers, and its minute counter runs up to 60. The tachymeter scale gives an average speed: time one kilometre, and the seconds hand then points to the speed in km/h. Inside, the quartz movement (TMI VD57) needs nothing from you apart from a battery change every so often.

Case, bracelet and clasp

The case measures 42 mm across and 12 mm thick, a standard size for a man's wrist. If you are unsure about fit, our watch size guide explains how to choose and how to shorten the bracelet by removing links. Keep any links you take out, as they may be useful later. The case is stainless steel in a two-tone finish, and the mineral glass protects the dial through daily wear. At 5 ATM, rain, splashes and handwashing are fine, but take it off before swimming.

The silver-coloured bracelet is stainless steel too, closed by a deployant clasp with a safety mechanism that stops it opening by accident. The distance between the lugs is 26 mm, the figure to know if you ever swap the bracelet. With its sporty, technical look and a metal bracelet that suits most outfits, it works as an everyday watch from the first coffee to the last train home. It also arrives in a presentation box, handy if you are buying it as a gift.