Greek words "chronos" and "graf" mean "time" and "record". Chronograph represents a chronometric device that contains mechanism allowing stopping hand and fixing time interval. Chronograph was invented by a Frenchman named Rieussec back in 1821. In 1822, Rieussec received a patent for his product.
In 1910, chronograph became known as stopwatch and was presented as a wristwatch. Soon, watches with chronograph gained high popularity. Currently, almost every self-reliant watch enterprise has a variety of watches with chronograph.
Watches
Design of chronometric devices depends on a whole of subsidiary faces. There may be two, three or even four faces. In increasing to seconds hand, some chronographs can display date and lunar calendar.
Development of chronographs began almost simultaneously with invention of watches. In the 1930's, manufacturers presented the first waterproof watch. In 1933, they released the first waterproof quartz chronograph. Strangely enough, invention of a self-winding device took years. The first pocket watch with self-acting mechanism was invented in 1778 by Louis Abraham Perrele. After 150 years, John Harwood received a patent for a watch with self-acting winding. The first chronograph with self-acting movement came on the store only in 1969.
Recently, manufacturers also released a new type of watch - split-chronograph. Split or "rattraper" chronographs (from French rattraper - "to return, restore") appeared as a result of traditional chronometric mechanism evolution. They were designed for timing of simultaneous events with distinct duration, such as any speed sporting event. In increasing to main hand, split chronograph is also adequate with other (returning or dual) hand located under the base. It can be stopped to measure intermediate time interval. Then, it obeys the command and immediately catches up with the main one.
Just recently, split-chronographs were produced in very puny quantities. One of the main reasons included high cost of production, affected by complexity of manufacturing and assembly of mechanism. Yet, magic of seconds hand, which stops and catches up with the main at a command, made these arrangements "welcome visitors" in the market. Now, the question for them continues to grow. Amelioration of developed efficient mechanisms supports this offer at an standard level.
Like other ones, this highlight also requires complex execution. In case it is implemented and adjusted in a wrong way, it may cause some drawbacks and unwanted disturbances in mechanism operation.
There are following types of chronograph scales:
- chronograph with a straightforward stopwatch scale;
- chronograph-tachymeter;
- chronograph-telemeter;
- chronograph-pulsometer;
- chronograph-asthmometer;
- chronograph to monitor manufacturing processes;
- chronograph to detect tides;
- chronograph to resolve direction;
- chronograph with logarithmic scale;
- complex chronograph.
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