What Is A Chronograph Watch?
Chronograph watches first appeared around 1910
, and were introduced as wrist watches, although they were often referred to as stopwatches. The chronograph became a fashionable and must-have accessory - a status symbol for the age, not too dissimilar to the Iphone of the modern era.
It wasn't until the 1990s that the style became accessible to everyone, when the Swatch watch company began producing affordable chronographs that sold in vast numbers. In today's watch market, you would struggle to find a manufacturer who didn't have one in its range.
A Frenchman by the name of Rieussec is credited as being the original inventor of the chronograph around 1821. His invention was the only timepiece that correctly bore the name chronograph.
The mechanism was primitive by modern standards, and used a pen attached to the index which wrote directly onto the dial. The passage of time was measured with the length of the arc of the circle on the dial. All quite simple really, but a great idea! The index was a permanent fixture, while the dial turned.
The name chronograph comes from the Greek words chronos and graph meaning time' and writing respectively. Perhaps in a modern sense, the watches should be called a chronoscope as there is no more 'writing' involved with the mechanism.
Rieussec was eventually granted a patent for his invention by the Parisian authorities in 1822.
The real difference between regular and chronograph watches is the ways in which time can be measured. In additions to normal time keeping, they can be used for several different time measurements. To achieve this, the dial has several sub dials with a scale, from where measurements can be read.
A chronograph has a central second hand which can be started and stopped, without any interference with continuous time.
According to the above description, Chrono-stopwatches like those manufactured by Technos are technically not chronographs, because the central second hand acts like a standard second hand until the button is pushed. The button is located at the number 4 on the dial, and when pushed, forces the hand to jump to number 12.
When the button is released, the hand resumes its normal function. Using the button located at number 2, will engage the stop-watch function, but the watch will loose time every time the watch is reset. There are no subsidiary dials on these types of watches.
The dial design on chronographs depends on the number of subsidiary dials that have been integrated, and can range from 2 to 4. The one displaying the continuous seconds is normally situated at number 9 on the dial.
When the chronographic functionality is activated by pushing the top button, the central second hand will begin to move. After completion of one revolution, the minute indicator situated at number 3, will jump one position
A chronograph can also acquire the Chronometer title, if it meets the set industry standards. If so, the dial will most likely have the inscription officially Certified Chronometer.
by: Dexter Gordon
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