Chronograph meaning:
First, let’s take a look at the word “chronograph”, this word consists of two separate parts, the first part is “Chronos” which is actually a Greek word and means the personification of time, the second part is “graph” which means to write, so that, now you can guess the meaning of it easily, which can be considered as a piece of accurate equipment that can measure and record small amount of time, so that, a chronograph watch, has the ability to do the above activities just like a stop watch, but it is more complicated and has more features than a basic stop watch, due to the fact that it can record the smaller amount of time, so it is more accurate and also more detailed, do not confuse chronograph with chronometer, because while chronograph is an additional function that a watch has, a chronometer is a watch with high accuracy which is approved by the COSC standard.
How does it work?
A watch with this additional option is being used to measure the accurate length of the time, this type of watch has three main functions: start, stop and reset the measurement of time, another part is called chronograph’s second hand which counts the seconds, and it is being controlled thanks to watch pushers, the first pusher is placed at 2 o’clock position which starts and stops the function, the second one is placed at 4 o’clock position which resets time measurement (there is another type of watch that has three pushers which is going to be mentioned in the following), it also consists of sub-dials that has different types for counting minute, hour, and a tenth of a second, the other part of it is called tachymeter which is able to measure the average speed.
Different types of chronograph watches:
It should be noted that chronograph watches have four main types which are called: Simple Chronograph, Mono-pusher Chronograph, Flyback Chronograph and Rattrapante Chronograph which we are going to explain each of them separately.
Mono-pusher Chronograph:
In the past, this type of chronograph was so popular which consisted of a sweep second hand that worked independently and two sub-dials for counting minutes and seconds, it also had one pusher which gave you the opportunity to start, stop and reset the time by pressing on it.
Simple Chronograph:
Simple Chronograph kind of watch has two pushers which are being used to control the second hand, the top one starts and stops the time measurement and the bottom one resets the function.
Flyback Chronograph:
This is a kind of chronograph watch which is more complicated than the previous type, it contains two pushers one of which is being used to start and stop, and the other one is being used to reset the counting, so it gives you the opportunity to reset without disrupting the main function of the watch. Due to the fact that when you press the specialized pusher, the second hand somehow flies back to the first position and restarts the counting, so that, you do not need to first stop the chronograph, as a result, you can record a timed activity faster and easier.
Rattrapante Chronograph:
Now it is time to mention the last one’s features which is the most complicated one because of having another second hand which hides under the main one, and it is being controlled by an additional pusher (third pusher) which is placed at the 10 o’clock position, when the chronograph is activated, both hands start counting at the same time but when you press the additional pusher, the hidden hand will stop moving while the other second hand is still counting, and when you press the pusher again, the stopped hand will catch up to the running second hand, so that it can be considered as lap time function on your watch, and it helps you measure two separate events that start at the same time.
The advantages and functionality:
This type of watch has lots of features that makes it useful in the field of sporting events, for instance, the ability to calculate your speed with the help of tachymeter while racing, biking or driving, another feature that some brands develop, is in relation with your health due to the fact that you can measure your heart rate with the help of it, some of these watches have other useful features such as containing telemeter which helps you check the distance while doing different activities such as running, as we have mentioned above, chronograph is an additional feature that adds to watch complication as well as its value, so the chronograph itself can be considered as a huge advantage which makes the watch more valuable due to the fact that it helps you keep track of your time, in addition, its high accuracy is another positive point which is of a great importance, as a result, this type of watch can make your life easier due to its several abilities.
Important point:
The point that you have to pay attention to while buying a chronograph watch is considering the country that they are made in, there are lots of countries that make the best watches like Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Britain, France, China and so on, but as you can guess Switzerland is placed at the top of the list due to the fact that it makes high-quality as well as expensive watches.
It should be also noted that when a watch is Swiss-made, it means that it meets high-quality standards, but we cannot say that it is 100 percent made in Switzerland, but the most important factor that turns a chronograph watch into a Swiss made chronograph watch, is its movement, when chronograph movement is Swiss, your watch can be considered as “Swiss-made”, now you may ask, what is watch movement? And why is it important? In the following, we are going to mention the importance of watch movement as well as its different types.
Movement:
A watch movement is actually the engine of it, which makes chronograph operate, so its existence is of a great importance due to the fact that it acts like the powerhouse for a chronograph Swiss watch, now we are going to mention three of the chronograph watch movements with a brief explanation for each one.
Quartz:
Swiss quartz chronograph movements are inexpensive to obtain and repair due to the fact that they need batteries to power an electronic circuit, but despite their low price, they are more accurate compared to lots of mechanical watches.
Manual-wind:
It’s a type of mechanical movement which needs to be wound in order to continue its function and this process have to be done every couple of days.
Automatic:
It is the other type of mechanical movement which works the same way as the previous type, but with a major difference, as long as you are wearing your Swiss-made automatic chronograph watch, it won’t stop working, this ability makes the watches with this type of movement interesting.
Why do I need a chronograph as a type of men’s watches?
As we mentioned above, this type of watch has lots of advantages, so that, it is a perfect type of chronograph watch for men due to the fact that it can be used in several fields which makes the life easier, for instance the simplest facility of this watch, is the ability to function as a stop watch for men which is much more accurate than a simple stop-watch, additionally, it has lots of other facilities, all of which have been mentioned in this article, so that you can enjoy having a watch with multiple functions, in addition to its functionality, there is another reason which makes it more popular among men, which is its cool and masculine look that encourages them to buy chronograph men’s watch, as a result, there are so many reasons that makes it one of the best watches for men.
Last word:
In this article, we tried to give you the most important tips and points about chronograph watches, like chronograph meaning, its positive points as well as its functionality, and the reason why you need it, we hope the mentioned points can be useful for you.