Chronograph (watch)
A chronograph or chronograph (literally a “time recorder”, from ancient Greek χρόνος chrónos “time”, and γράφειν gráphein “write”) is a watch with an additional function that allows a second hand to be started, stopped and returned to independently of the actual movement returned to its starting position. The term describes today mainly a watch , especially an analog wristwatch ( wristband stopwatch ), with additional stopwatch function .
The chronograph is not to be confused with the term chronometer , which describes watches that are particularly accurate. These have been used since the 18th century in particular as length clocks (also called marine chronometers), but do not necessarily have a stop function.
Wrist and pocket chronographs
Wrist chronographs are typically characterized by two buttons (“pushers”) arranged next to the crown and several additional small dials (“totalisers”) on the main dial , on which the elapsed minutes and hours are displayed during a stop process. The elapsed seconds are measured with a pointer on the main dial, which usually corresponds in appearance to the second hand on a normal wristwatch. Since this is not available for the normal display of the seconds of the time of day, these are usually displayed by a pointer that always moves along on one of the small additional dials (totalizers). The upper pusher has the function of a start and stop button, the lower pusher resets the large stop hand on the main dial to zero or 12 o'clock. In the case of a chronograph with a so-called flyback function, this is also possible while the measuring process is in progress. Since this means a significantly higher mechanical effort, most chronographs can only be reset when the measuring process is stopped. In the idle state, i.e. when there is no stopping process and the pointer has been reset after the last stop, the large stop hand is fixed at the 12 o'clock position.
It is also possible to let the stop hand run continuously so that it functions as a normal second hand. Due to the larger number of moving parts in the movement, however, the power reserve of a mechanical watch often decreases in this case, i.e. the time until it has to be wound (without automatic winding by movement in automatic watches ). In addition, in the case of less valuable mechanical watches, the accuracy of the normal time display can be influenced in this case.
There are wrist chronographs with a mechanical movement , often combined with an automatic winding mechanism , or with a quartz movement , the latter usually being significantly cheaper. Quartz chronographs are often designed in such a way that, in addition to the large second stop hand, one of the small hands on the totalizers completes one full revolution per second, i.e. moves relatively quickly. This enables stopping to the nearest tenth of a second, which is typically not possible with a mechanical chronograph. A significant proportion of the high-priced watches and luxury watches for men are mechanical chronographs, while women's watches in every price range are generally rarely equipped with stop functions.
Special forms
A special design is the rattrapante (also known as “split- seconds chronograph” and “chronograph-rattrapante”), in which a second central seconds hand can be stopped at the push of a button to take an intermediate time. After releasing the button, the drag pointer jumps back to the normal display and can then display an intermediate time again. The first wristwatches with a chronograph rattrapante were available from around 1920.
A “flying second”, also known as a flyback or retour-en-vol , is less time-consuming . Normal chronographs have to be stopped, reset to zero and restarted for a new measurement. A flyback chronograph can be set to zero “in flight” without stopping first.
Occasionally, scales such as tachymeter , telemeter , pulsometer or asthmometer are printed on dials or embossed on the bezel .
Pilot watch
So-called pilot's chronographs should offer particularly good readability, among other things through clear lines and straightforward or sans serif numerals in front of a dark dial. They are often designed in the style of aviation cockpit on- board instruments and in the higher-priced segment are sometimes characterized by technical extras such as vacuum resistance and special resistance to vibrations , magnetic fields , shocks and high accelerations .
Historical development
- 1776
- The Geneva watchmaker Jean Moïse Pouzait designed a watch in which the second hand was driven by its own barrel and the second hand could be stopped, the hand could not yet be reset to zero. The stopping also stopped the entire clockwork, so that when stopping intermediate times, the period in which the clock was stopped had to be added to the end time to determine the time.
- 1816
- As numerous independent reports testify, the "third counter" from Louis Moinet is considered the first recognized chronograph in history. The astronomy clock, begun in 1815 and completed in 1816, had a central hand to indicate sixtieth of a second as well as push buttons for the start, stop and reset functions. He also had a minute, an hour and a 24-hour display. In watchmaking, Louis Moinet can also be seen as a pioneer of the high-frequency balance wheel, which, with 216,000 oscillations per hour, measures sixtieth of a second. Louis Moinet's third counter is now located in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Previously, the Belgian watchmaker Hubert Sarton (1748–1828) had presented the Liège association “Société d'Emulation” with a “time-measuring watch” that could be considered a pioneer of the modern chronograph. Also known is the watchmaker and inventor John Arnold (1736–1799), who designed various counters for displaying sixtieth of a second.
- 1821
- The term “chronograph” was to be coined for the first time by Nicolas-Mathieu Rieussec (1781–1866). The Paris-based watchmaker invented a system for measuring short periods of time, which he patented in 1821. His invention consisted of a rotating dial and a pointer with a small ink container attached to it. The time period to be measured could be determined from the ink streaks left on the dial.
- 1831
- the Austrian Breguet employee Joseph Thaddäus Winnerl (1799–1886) developed a watch with a second hand that could be stopped separately. Winnerl also invented a chronograph with two superimposed seconds hands that could be stopped one after the other and the measured time span calculated as the difference. To do this, the watch must have two separate, but coupled, stop mechanisms. This double pointer mechanism is also known as the “ trailing second”, rattrapante or split-seconds pointer .
- 1844
- the French owner of the company Nicole et Capt and patent applicant (patent 1862), Adolphe Nicole, presented the "zero setting heart ", which his colleague Henri-Féréol Piguet had invented. The zeroing heart is a heart-shaped disk attached to the shaft of the seconds wheel together with the pointer, which allowed the pointer to be reset to zero by pressing a button. Finally, the first pocket watch fully suitable as a chronograph was presented to the world in 1862.
- 1868
- Auguste Baud built the additional mechanism commonly used today for the stop hand as a cadrature on the clockwork side.
- around 1910
- the first wristwatches with chronographs were available.
- since 1933
- Due to a development in Breitling wristwatches with two separate push-buttons, one for starting and stopping, the other for zeroing, prevailed. This made it possible to stop the measuring pointer several times and then let it run again.
- 1937
- developed Universal Genève a chronograph with more than 30 minutes stop time.
- 1937
- was of Dubois-Dépraz introduced an alternative mechanism for more complex column-chronographs, equipped with a punched heart-shaped cam and cam lever.
- 1946
- developed Albert Piguet together with Lémania a chronograph with automatic elevator as prototype .
- 1969
- there was a race between Zenith (with the "El Primero" movement), Seiko (caliber 6138/39) and a cooperation between Heuer , Breitling, Dubois-Dépraz and Büren for the first series-produced chronograph with automatic winding.
- from 1970
- These complicated and expensive structures were largely displaced by the advent of quartz watches , which were smaller, cheaper and offered much greater functionality (see quartz crisis ).
- from the mid-1980s
- began a renaissance in the manufacture of high-quality mechanical chronographs.
Patents and utility models
The following patents can be searched at the German Patent and Trademark Office:
- CH-544964: Swiss patent from 1971, which describes alternative scales that can be used instead of time to measure pulse, respiratory rate or drip rate.
- DD-239289: GDR patent from 1985, in which a pocket calculator with the additional function of a stopwatch is protected
- DE-556980: The 1930 patent describes a stopwatch with two hands to take multiple split times.
Professional applications
As chronograph , instruments and special writer for graphic or digital registration of stellar passages in the astro-geodetic timing designated. Depending on the technical principle, a distinction is made between tape and pressure chronographs .
Chronoprinters are used in sport to document the times in writing during competitions. Some modern digital stopwatches have PC interfaces for this ( automatic data flow ).
literature
- Albert Boy: Overview of the Chronograph. In: The clock. 1953, pp. 11-14.
- Gisbert L. Brunner : On the history of the chronograph. In: The most beautiful watches. 1990, pp. 58-63.
- Gerd-Rüdiger Lang , Reinhard Meis : Chronographs - wristwatches. Munich 1992.
- Wolfgang Salm: What is the value of my chronograph? Duisburg 1992.
- MH Chaponnière: Le Chronographe et ses applications. Biel / Besançon 1924.
Web links
- https://agentlemans.world/de/2017/10/die-besten-chronographen/
- History and detailed explanation of the wristwatch chronograph
- Manufacturers, types and functioning of chronographs
- Cronosurf - the online chronograph
Individual evidence
- ^ Helmut Kahlert , Richard Mühe , Gisbert L. Brunner , Christian Pfeiffer-Belli: wrist watches: 100 years of development history. Callwey, Munich 1983; 5th edition, ibid. 1996, ISBN 3-7667-1241-1 , p. 504 (cited).
- ^ R. Haider, O. Jacobs, A. Zimmermann: Mechanical wrist stopwatches - Chronographs. Vienna 1988.
- ^ GA Berner: Illustrated technical dictionary of watchmaking, keyword chronograph . Retrieved January 9, 2012.
- ^ Helmut Kahlert , Richard Mühe , Gisbert L. Brunner , Christian Pfeiffer-Belli: wrist watches: 100 years of development history. Callwey, Munich 1983; 5th edition, ibid 1996, ISBN 3-7667-1241-1 , p. 504.
- ^ GA Berner: Illustrated specialist encyclopedia of watchmaking , keyword Piguet (Henri-Féréol) "(electronic version). Retrieved on February 17, 2013.
- ^ Helmut Kahlert, Richard Mühe, Gisbert L. Brunner, Christian-Pfeiffer-Belli: wrist watches: 100 years of development history. 1996, p. 504.
- ↑ William Pogue's Seiko 6139 Watch Flown on Board the Skylab 4 Mission, from his Personal Collection ... The First Automatic Chronograph to be Worn in Space. , accessed June 22, 2014
- ↑ The “Colonel Pogue” Seiko 6139 , dreamchrono.com, accessed February 23, 2015.
- ↑ Hans Kocher: The history of watchmaking in Büren. Munich 1992.
- ↑ The automatic chronograph ( Memento of the original from January 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. UJS 1999
