1. What is a chronograph anyway?
A chronograph is a watch that is equipped with an additional timekeeping function. This timekeeping function can be used by pressing the so-called pushers on the side of the case. So it can be described as a combination of a stopwatch and a display clock.
2. How does a chronograph work?
A chronograph has three basic functions: start, stop and reset. As already mentioned, this function can be operated using the two pushers on the side of the case next to the winding crown.
Important to know : You can stop, start and reset the clock, but you do not interfere with the clock or the time itself!
There are so-called auxiliary dials (totalizers), which offer the chronograph watch other functions in addition to the normal time display and are integrated into the main dial. Most often there are two to three sub-dials.
3. How to read a chronograph?
Operating the chronograph/pushers is actually very simple: press the top button to start/stop or pause, and the bottom button to reset the hands to zero.
But be careful: Do not reset the hands to zero until you have stopped measuring the time. Otherwise the watch could possibly be damaged.
In our opinion, the difficult thing about a chronograph is understanding and reading the sub-dials correctly. Chronographs usually have two to three sub-dials, which also display a minute display and an hour display in addition to a seconds display. There are often chronographs without an hour display.
The chronograph minute hand is located on the right sub-dial on this watch. It shows you how many minutes have passed since you started the stopwatch. As you can see, it shows up to 30 minutes.
The hour hand of the chronograph is located on the lower, middle dial of this watch. It shows you how many hours have passed since you started your stopwatch. Here you can count up to 12 hours.
The chronograph second hand is located on the left sub-dial here. Of course, the position of the hands can vary from watch to watch - in other words: it is also quite possible that the second hand is on the left sub-dial of a different watch.
What often causes confusion: The seconds sub-dial does not show the elapsed seconds since the stopwatch started, but the seconds of the real time are shown here! The chronograph seconds hand is displayed on the "regular" dial.
4. Who invented the chronograph?
The first chronograph was invented by Louis Moinet in 1816. Originally, the chronograph was used to track astronomical objects. In 1821, at the request of King Louis XVIII, Nicolas Mathiew Rieussec developed. the first marketed chronograph to measure the duration of horse races.
5. What is the difference between a chronograph and a chronometer?
A chronograph is used to record and measure the time very precisely, while a chronometer watch is characterized by a very special rate of accuracy. When a watch is called a chronometer, it has passed precision tests over a period of time and received an official rate certificate. A chronograph can also be a chronometer.