Wednesday Hump Day Fun Fact # 47 !!!
Posted by Daubin Barshtak on April 30, 2014.
Mechanical Chronograph, what is it?
(Breitling Chronospace Chronograph A2336035/BA68-1LT)
The mechanical chronograph is perhaps the most recognizable complication to be seen on the wristwatch since the late 1960's. It is also one of the least understood. Often confused with a chronometer, the chronograph is simply a stopwatch integrated into a wristwatch. The first things you'll notice about chronographs are the extra sub-dials and the buttons, also known as pushers, along the side of the case. These pushers start, stop, and reset the timing function, while the rest of the watch runs as usual. A press of the top pusher brings the chronograph dials to life, starting with the long, centered seconds hand. Every trip that hand makes around the dial will be recorded in one of the sub dials. Some record up to 30 minutes, while others go a step further and record up to 12 hours with the help of an additional sub dial. Another press of that top pusher stops timing and the bottom pusher resets everything. Many modern chronographs use moveable bezels as tachymeters for rapid calculations of speed or distance. Chronographs were also used heavily in artillery fire in the mid to late 1800s. More modern uses of chronographs involve piloting airplanes, car racing, scuba diving and submarine maneuvering.
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