ALL ABOUT: Watch complications – Chronograph

Tags: Technology and concepts | Classic

8.10.2021 | 6 MIN

There is probably no need to introduce chronograph to a person who is more into watches. And that is because it is one of the most popular features of a more sporty watch. However, there are more than a few (and there is no shame in it) who, looking at the chronograph watch, ask, "What are the small sub-dials on the watch for? And how is it that the central second hand is not ticking? What are the two buttons on the side of the crown for?" That is why we decided to pay more attention to watches with a chronograph (or stopwatch) in this series about watch complications.

Articles about watch complications:

• Chronograph
• Tourbillon
• Moon phase

Watch complications – what does it mean?

A watch complication is an additional function in mechanical watches that goes beyond displaying time.Generally speaking, the more complications the movement has, the more difficult it is to design, manufacture, but also service it, which of course also affects the price of the entire watch. Among the rarest and most complex watchmaking complications, we include, for example, tourbillon or phases of the moon, whose practicality or usability in real life is open discussion

But there are also vastly widespread complications that can be found on watches across all price categories. These include, for example, a date indicator or an automatic winding mechanism. A truly popular watch complication is then the chronograph (stopwatch).

What is a chronograph, what is ot for, and how does it look like?

A chronograph is a name for chronometric watches, which have a complication used to measure shorter periods of time. Simply put, chronographs are stopwatches.

A watch with a chronograph normally contains several sub-dials (usually three of them), which are meant to subtract seconds (or hundredths or tenths of seconds), minutes, and hours. The distribution of sub-dials can then vary from watch to watch.

Different layouts of chronograph sub-dials.

A watch with a chronograph often has a stopwatch hand that reads the seconds instead of the large second central time hand. The second hand for the main time is then in one of the sub-dial – usually in the 6th or 9th position, but it is not a rule.

For a watch with a chronograph, it is typical to have two buttons, one on each side of the crown (most commonly), with which you can turn the stopwatch on or off. As a rule, the upper button turns the watch on and off, and the lower one resets it (the hand moves back to the 12th position.

Buttons on each side of the crown.

As mentioned before, the chronograph is a very popular and worldwide feature in watches and can be found on both mechanical and historically younger quartz (battery) watches. But in quartz watches, we don't call chronograph a complication (the term "complication" is used for mechanical watches only). Especially in mechanical models, it is a really laborious movement accessory, and the price of such watch is, therefore, much higher than the price of less expensive quartz watches.

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The mechanism of the movement with a chronograph (for mechanical watches) is relatively complicated. When the time countdown starts, the wheel on the shaft of the second hand is engaged with the second wheel of the watch and is disengaged when the countdown stops. The shaft on the hand carries a so-called heart, a component shaped like a heart. When resetting, a small pulley presses on the heart, which returns the hand to its initial position.

Three types of chronograph

The standard simple chronograph

The standard chronograph is the most common type of chronograph. It is controlled by two buttons (though all early chronographs featured only one button) that allow it to start, stop and reset – the upper button is used to start and stop the stopwatch, the lower button is used to reset the stopwatch, and only after reseting can the stopwatch be started again.

Flyback chronograph

The flyback chronograph enables the rapid restarting of the timer function while the chronograph is running. This reduces the intermediate steps described above – instead of the original three presses, only one is needed, which significantly speeds up the whole process. For this reason, the flyback chronograph is mostly used for pilot watches.

Rattrapante chronograph

Watches with rattapante chronograph (also split chronograph, split-second chronograph or double chronograph) are unique for their ability to measure multiple events occurring simultaneously – they feature two independent chronogaphs. It allows measuring time of two competitors at the same time (after pressing the button, both hands of the chronograph start running – thecompetitors have to have a joint start). An additional button is used to measure the split times or times of two competitors with a joint start (we stop measuring one hand with it, the other continues).

The A. Lange & Söhne Double Split watch with a rattrapante chronografem (an additional button can be found next to the numeral 9). Source: https://quillandpad.com/

The production of the Rattrapante chronograph is the most difficult one from the mentioned types. It is stated that the difficulty in making it is even comparable to the tourbillon, a "royal complication", itself. That is why rattrapante is especially popular with the most prestigious watchmakers, such as A. Lange & Söhne.

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Bezels and scales associated with the chronograph

The tachymeter scale

A sporty look of a watch with a chronograph is very often supplemented by the so-called tachymeter scale, which in combination with a stopwatch is used to measure the average speed. It is a fixed (non-rotatable) scale with nonlinear numbering, which represents the values ​​most often measured in km/h.

The popularity of a tachymeter scale started in the 1930s, and is connected to the Grand Prix car races, which was then replaced by the Formula 1.That's why watches with a tachymetric scale are nicknamed "race watches".

Typically, watches with a tachymeter scale have a stopwatch hand in the place where the hand of normal time is usually located, and it serves as an indicator of the measured speed on the tachymeter scale.
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The telemeter scale

Watches with chronograph are also associated with the telemeter scale, thought it is seen rarely (unlike the tachymeter scale). The telemeter scale is used to approximate the distance between the watch and an object that can be heard and seen at the same time – for example, the distance of the storm, but its original application concerned more military matters (according to the sound and light effect of cannon fire, for example, the distance of the enemy base could be determined).

Today, the telemeter scale has no functional significance, so it is more of a vintage design element, which gives the watch a wonderful touch of nostalgia.

The scale is fixed (nonrotable) with linear numbering representing kilometers. Similarly to the tachymeter scale, it is important, that the main stopwatch hand is in the usual place of the second hand of the main time.

Chronograph – one of the most common watchmaking complications

The popularity of the chronograph has no logical explonation – a stopwatch in a watch has in this current era of smartphones and smart devices no use in common practice and in a watch it has more aesthetic function – the counters on the dial and the buttons on the sides of the case simply give the watch the desired sporty look and "masculine" charisma.

There are many of those who buy a watch with a chronograph only for its attractive appearance, as a watch with a sporty, busy design, without knowing what a chronograph is or what it is used for... And there is nothing wrong with that, of course.

However, when we talk about the look, it is necessary to pay attention to where it is appropriate to wear a sports-tuned watch and where it is not. For example, it is considered quite unacceptable to wear a watch with a chronograph for really formal events that require dignified clothing with accessories that do not attract attention (example dress watches, models without additional functions, and with a simple dial are far more suitable).

Watches with a chronograph are considered sporty. If you care about etiquette, these are definitely not suitable for formal events (it is like wearing sneakers with a suit).

A watch with a chronograph is perfect for more casual or less formal events, to the office, or for daily wear.