Complications Explained: The Chronograph

Understanding the various complications that a watch can have is a good thing to know when getting involved in the watch collecting hobby. The chronograph is a common complication that is often spoken about and is a complication in many watches that are coveted by collectors.

The chronograph is a specific type of watch that is used as a stop watch. The term ‘chronograph’ comes from the Greek work Khronographos which means ‘time recording’. The modern day chronograph typically has two pushers; one located at 2 o’clock and one located at 4 o’clock.

In order to start the stop watch, the user must press the pusher at 2 o’clock. To stop the timer, the user presses the pusher at 2 o’clock again and to reset the chronograph, the user pushes the pusher at 4 o’clock. That is it! A timer that is controlled by two pushers on a watch.

The first chronograph was made by Louis Moinet in 1816 and was made specifically for astronomical equipment. Then in 11915, Gaston Breitling made the first watch with a center seconds chronograph hand and a 30 minute counter. He later made a two pusher chronograph which is what the majority of chronographs have today in 1923.

Many chronographs have a tachymeter bezel which is used to calculated speed based on travel time. The user can time how long it takes to go a specific distance with their chronograph and then see the speed at which they are travelling on the bezel. There are other types of chronographs like the Flyback chronograph which is a chronograph that can continue to run when it is reset. There is also the Rattrapante chronograph which has multiple second hands that can be started and stopped independently.

Enjoy!