Drag pointer
A split-seconds or rattrapante (of French. Rattraper , again, seek to capture ') is a second second hand at mechanical chronograph and earlier accurate stopwatches . The pointer is synchronized with the "normal" pointer and thus dragged along. To stop the time, this synchronization can be interrupted by the user, the drag pointer then remains in place. Thus, each can meanwhile be read without the movement to stop.
The clockwork with the name Rattrapante - formerly also known as the “trailing second” - was invented by Adolphe Nicole in the 18th century. Around 1880 clockworks were created in which the double-hand pliers were visible above the clockwork. Only later, in the 1930s, could the movement be reduced in size so that it could also be built into a wristwatch case.
In 1922, Patek Philippe launched the first rattrapante wristwatch. Nowadays, split-seconds chronographs or rattrapante can be divided into two groups: on the one hand there are movements (calibres) from our own manufacturing workshop and on the other there are movements based on the Valjoux 7750 ETA movement .
The group of manufactory movements begins with the Venus calibers 179, 185, 189 and 190. These have not been built since 1952 and have the split-seconds pusher on the crown. Paul Picot made special features based on the caliber 179 by integrating the moon phase on the 6th and an annual calendar . The watch manufacturer Franck Muller expanded the caliber 179 with a moon phase on the 3, perpetual calendar and a tourbillon .
In 1992, a split-seconds mechanism based on the ETA-Valjoux 7750 caliber was presented at the Basel watch fair, making it the first chronograph rattrapante system with an automatic winding mechanism. Today this caliber is still the basis of many Rattrapante watches. In addition to a few technical refinements, the built-up movements differ primarily in the split-seconds push-buttons on the 10 or 8.
Drag pointers are also used in pointer measuring mechanisms, for example in thermometers , hygrometers and torque wrenches . The maximum or minimum measured values are recorded here, while the measuring pointer shows the current value. Mechanical tachometers were also often equipped with drag pointers in order to record the maximum speed.
literature
- Fritz von Osterhausen: The great watch lexicon . ISBN 3898804305 .
- Helmut Kahlert , Richard Mühe , Gisbert L. Brunner , Christian Pfeiffer-Belli: Wristwatches: 100 years of development history. Callwey, Munich 1983; 5th edition, ibid. 1996, ISBN 3-7667-1241-1 , p. 504 ( Chronograph-Rattrapante ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.motorsport-info.de/Damals___/1974/1974.php ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
