Sheffield Introduces the $258 “Brian’s Sheffield” Chronograph

Sheffield Watch Company has introduced the “Brian’s Sheffield” Chronograph, a 95-piece limited edition created to benefit the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation. The chronograph collaboration grew out of an unlikely connection between two childhood watches, one belonging to Sheffield founder Jay Turkbas and the other to Brian LaViolette, whose family later established the foundation in his memory.

For those unfamiliar with the watchmaker, Sheffield is a revived name with roots in the affordable watch market of the 1960s and early 1970s, when the original company sold inexpensive Swiss-made watches— including its likely best-known Allsport diver. The modern Sheffield was revived in 2023 by Jay Turkbas, whose connection to the brand dates to when his parents gave him a Sheffield Allsport dive watch at age 11, beginning a lifelong interest in watches.

That first-watch story is also what connects Sheffield to Brian LaViolette. Brian received a Green Bay Packers watch from his parents at the age of four and developed an interest in watches and collecting of his own. After he died in a swimming accident at 15, his family established the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation in his memory. The organization says it has since awarded more than 1,200 scholarships in the United States and abroad.

The new chronograph brings those two stories together while benefiting the foundation directly. For every watch sold, Sheffield will contribute $100 to the Foundation’s endowment campaign. If all 95 watches sell, that will amount to $9,500.

A Green Take on the Sheffield Chrono II

The Brian’s Sheffield is based on the brand’s existing Chrono II, with a 42mm stainless-steel case, sapphire crystal with anti-glare coating, screw-down crown, and 100 meters of water resistance.

Most of what separates this edition from the standard model is on the dial. Watch photographer Ty Alexander — a longtime supporter of the Foundation — developed the green-and-gold color scheme as a reference to Brian’s childhood Packers watch.

The sunburst green dial is paired with two contrasting silver-toned subdials, applied baton markers, oversized Arabic numerals at 12 and 6, and a white tachymeter scale around the perimeter. Yellow-gold accents appear on the central chronograph seconds hand and the smaller counter hands. Sheffield branding sits below the 12 o’clock position, while the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation logo appears in parallel above the 6 o’clock.

Mecha-Quartz Inside

Inside the watch is the Seiko VK64 mecha-quartz chronograph movement, a familiar choice in affordable chronographs. The quartz movement from Seiko measures 5.10mm thick and operates its central chronograph seconds hand in 1/5-second increments, with timing available up to 60 minutes. Accuracy is rated to ±20 seconds per month, with battery life of approximately three years.

The appeal of the VK64 is its hybrid chronograph operation. Timekeeping is handled electronically, while the chronograph uses a mechanical module that gives the central seconds hand a smoother sweep and allows it to snap quickly back to zero when reset. It’s a well-established solution for keeping the watch affordable while giving the chronograph a little more tactile interest than a conventional quartz movement.

Availability and Pricing

The Sheffield “Brian’s Sheffield” Chronograph is limited to 95 pieces and is available now exclusively through Sheffield. The watch is priced at $258, with $100 from each sale contributed to the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Endowment Campaign.