Octaire Chronograph Sekonda's 40 mm take on sports-luxury

What is new about the Sekonda Octaire Chronograph?

The Octaire is one of Sekonda's newer collections, filed under the brand's Athleisure range. Sekonda describes it as "refined. sports. luxury.", and the shape tells you exactly where the inspiration comes from: a cushion case with a flat, brushed bezel, a textured grid dial and an integrated-look rubber strap. It is the look made famous by far more expensive sports-luxury watches, scaled down to a high street price.

Reference 30276 is the chronograph version on a navy silicone strap with a matching navy dial. It sits alongside a three-hand Octaire (30274, RRP £54.99), an orange-strap chronograph (30277) and a chronograph on a steel bracelet (30278, RRP £79.99). Sekonda's product images for the chronographs date from August 2025, so this is a recent addition to the range rather than a reworked old model.

The chronograph adds two pushers, two sub-dials and a central stopwatch seconds hand to the three-hand design. There is a date window at 4 o'clock, and the hour markers are applied batons rather than printed lines.

How big is it, and how will it wear?

Sekonda lists the case at 40 mm wide and 11 mm deep, with a 22 mm strap. That is a sensible size. Many budget chronographs push past 42 mm to fit the sub-dials, so a 40 mm chronograph is the smaller option at this price. The cushion shape will wear a little larger than a round 40 mm case, because the corners fill more of the wrist.

The strap runs from 145 mm to 210 mm, according to Sekonda, which covers most wrists. It is a moulded silicone design with a ribbed pattern and a signed steel buckle. Sekonda does not publish a lug to lug figure.

At 11 mm thick, the Octaire Chronograph is a millimetre slimmer than Sekonda's own Titan and Circuit chronographs, both listed at 12 mm. It should slip under a shirt cuff without much fuss.

What movement does it use, and how accurate is it?

This is a battery quartz chronograph. Sekonda lists the battery as a 371 cell but does not name the movement calibre or publish an accuracy figure. Without an official figure, the safe assumption is ordinary quartz accuracy: far steadier than a mechanical watch, and only needing correction a few times a year.

The stopwatch is started and stopped with the top pusher and reset with the bottom one, as on most quartz chronographs. It is a real timing tool for parking, cooking or a run, not just decoration on the dial. Running the chronograph for long periods will drain the battery faster, so expect a battery change sooner if you use it daily.

How well is it built?

Sekonda describes the case as silver alloy rather than stainless steel. That keeps the price down, but alloy cases can show wear on the edges more quickly than steel ones over the years. The bezel has a brushed finish and the case sides are polished, which gives the watch more visual interest than a plain round case.

Water resistance is 50 m. That covers hand washing, rain and the odd splash, but Sekonda's 50 m rating is not a diving rating, and pressing the pushers underwater is a bad idea on any watch like this. Sekonda does not list the crystal type on its product page. Sekonda backs the watch with its standard two year guarantee.

Is it good value against its rivals?

The RRP is £74.99. Within Sekonda's own range, the Titan Chronograph 30256 costs £84.99 with a larger 43 mm case and a 12 mm depth. If you want a bigger, bolder watch, the Titan is the obvious alternative. If you want something more compact with a stronger design idea, the Octaire is the better buy and costs £10 less.

Step up to Sekonda's sister brand and the Accurist Origin Chronograph lists at £139. Accurist quotes 100 m water resistance and a 41 mm case on a leather strap. It is a more traditional, dressier chronograph, and it costs nearly twice as much.

Against those, the Octaire Chronograph is good value for what it is: a fashion-forward chronograph with a working stopwatch, a date and a comfortable size, for under £75.

What is the catch?

The main catch is the alloy case. For an everyday watch you plan to wear for years, a stainless steel case is more durable. The second is the strap fitting: the moulded silicone strap is shaped to sit flush against the case, so swapping to a standard strap may not look right.

The design is also very clearly borrowed. If you like the look, that is the point. If you want a chronograph with its own identity, a classic racing or pilot design may suit you better.

Finally, Sekonda publishes limited technical detail. There is no movement calibre, crystal type or lug to lug figure on the product page, so buyers who care about those specifics will have to look elsewhere.

“A big-money silhouette, a working stopwatch and a sensible 40 mm case, all for less than a tank of fuel.”

What do owners say?

Themes from public owner feedback, paraphrased. We never copy Amazon reviews or ratings.

• Early buyer reviews on Sekonda's own product page praise the comfort of the silicone strap and the clean look of the dial, though the reviews are few so far.

  Sekonda.com customer reviews (opens in a new tab)