Chronograph watches are extremely popular despite being misunderstood. They are elegant, timeless and some can be a great investment. And the chronograph has so many functional uses. They are frequently used for piloting airplanes, car racing, horse racing, diving, recording heartbeats in hospitals and submarine manoeuvring. If you’ve ever been confused by or curious about these complicated watches, our in-house watch experts are here to help. As specialists in the field of watches, there’s nobody better to explain what a chronograph is capable of and how to make the most out of yours.
What is a Chronograph?
The chronograph is a wristwatch that can also be used as a stopwatch. It’s that simple. The word itself come from the Greek for ‘writing time’ which, when you think about it, makes sense for a tool which both tells time and tracks it.
The word 'chronograph' comes from the Greek for 'writing time'
The buttons, called pushers, are used for starting, stopping and resetting the timer function, without interfering with the watch itself. Simple chronographs can be used for about thirty minutes, while the more complicated models can be used for timing as much as 12 hours. The chronograph can not only be recognised by its number of buttons, but also by the dial with sub-dials, that register elapsed seconds, minutes and hours.
What is the Origin of the Chronograph?
The first chronograph was invented in 1815 by Louis Moinet to help astronomical equipment. Just 6 years later, French watchmaker to the kin Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec made the first commercially available chronograph for King Louis XVIII who, as a racing fan, wanted to be able to time the length of horse races. Over the years chronographs evolved and greatly increased in popularity, partly thanks to their presence in space and role in rescuing the crew of the Apollo 13. Today they are classy, functional and have a clear cool-factor.
The first commercially available chronograph was designed to time the length of horse races
Using the Stopwatch
The modern day chronograph watch works by pressing the start pusher, which is usually located at the position of 2 o’clock. A series of three train wheels start turning. Some more complex and precise chronographs even have more wheels. The first and smallest wheel has a revolution time of one second, whereas the next one has a revolution time of sixty seconds and the last one even of sixty minutes. The three wheels all interact with each other and record how long it has been since pushing the starting button. When the button is pushed again, the timer stops and the time can be read. The second button, lower right, usually resets the time and makes you ready to start recording all over again.
Measuring Speed
One task which can be accomplished by a chronograph is measuring speed thanks to the tachymeter, or the scale inscribed on the rim of the watch. Speed can be calculated by the formula T = 3600/t where ‘T’ is the number on the tachymeter, 3600 is the number of seconds per hour and ‘t’ is the time in seconds measured by the chronograph. Once you measure the time it takes to travel a kilometre and divide 3600 by this number, the corresponding number on the tachymeter will show you the speed in kilometres per hour that you are traveling. It’s simpler in practice and a very useful function for a timepiece.
The most expensive Chronograph sold on Catawiki's Watches auction was this Longines chronograph Ref. 13ZN, sold for €18,924 in 2017
Measuring Distance
Not only can the tachymeter be used to measure speed, but also distance. To measure distance using your chronograph, you’ll need to know what speed you are traveling at. This will tell you when to stop the time. Start at zero seconds and once your tachymeter reads the speed you are traveling at, you’ll know the distance. For example, if you’re traveling at 100 km/h, stop the clock when the tachymeter reads 100 and that’s when you’ll have traveled one kilometre. With a little practice you’ll be measuring distance with your chronograph like a professional.
Who Wears a Chronograph?
Although it’s clear to see why racers, pilots and astronauts would choose a chronograph, it’s functionality can also be quite useful for professions which need to track billable hours and projects which require time or speed calculations. It doesn’t need to be a big or complicated project, something as simple as timing a meal can be made simpler with the assistance of a chronograph. So not only are they stylish, they’re incredibly functional and deceptively easy to use.
Chronographs are useful not only for racers, pilots and astronauts, but also professions which need to track billable hours and projects which require time or speed calculations
Which Chronograph is Right for Me?
When shopping for a chronograph, it’s important to consider what you want to use it for so you can look for features that will be useful to you and avoid any additional features that you won’t use. Perhaps the most obvious, but useful advice is to find a chronograph that fits comfortably and is easy to read. It’s important that you enjoy wearing your chronograph and enjoy using it. Depending on what you want to use your chronograph for, some useful features might be luminous markings so you can read your timepiece in the dark, water and shock resistant if you’ll be using your chronograph under water or outdoors, and a tachymeter if you plan on measuring distances and speeds as described above.
Chronographs are so much more than just a stylish sporty timepiece. Now that you now know how to make full use of a chronograph, take a look at our weekly Watch auction to find the right one for you. With just one account you can bid, buy and sell watches and other luxury goods and collectibles on our online auctions, so create your free account today and get started.
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