How the Watch Works – Chronographs | Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers

The chronograph – or stopwatch – in addition to standard time and date, is likely one of the most common complications found in a watch. The intricacies of creating this useful complication are, in fact, very fascinating and storied.

While watches have been noted to exist back in the 1500’s it was not until 1816 when Louis Moinet invented the first modern chronograph. However, these were specifically chronographs; they did not tell time. It was TAG Heuer, the Swiss avant-garde manufacturer, who created the oscillating pinion in 1887. This invention made it possible for a watch to tell time concurrent with the chronograph function. TAG Heuer then went on to create the first dashboard chronograph in 1911, naming the complication, “Time of Trip”.  Shortly thereafter, TAG created the first wrist chronograph in 1914, the micrograph (accurate to 1/100^th of a second) and the Semikrograph (accurate to 1/50^th of a second) in 1916. TAG then went on to brand themselves as the sports chronometers in the 1920’s and was the official timer for several Olympics.

At the same, Breitling, the luxury Swiss manufacturer most closely associated with the world of aviation, was also working on their own chronographs. In 1915, Breitling invented the first independent chronograph push-piece located at the 2 o’clock position. In 1923, Breitling separated the start/stop function from the reset function allowing for timing successive times without resetting the hands to zero. In 1934, Breitling added the second independent push-piece at the 4 o’clock position, thus putting the final touches on the face of the modern-day chronograph.

So how does a chronograph work? In the case of the more sought after and watchmaking finesse, the column wheel works when the chronograph push-piece’s “finger” activates the column wheel. This “finger” falls between the teeth (which “looks like ‘a small castle turret’ that rotates one increment with each click of the chronograph pusher” [Gear patrol]). The benefits of this complication - are smooth activations and generally precise readings. The coulisse-lever movement, while easier to produce, engages the chronograph function using a lever instead of a finger, thus requiring more effort to activate. These are both, at their simplest, how a chronograph works. Obviously, many manufacturers have improved on this complication as well as added additional complications to this. Breitling for example, offers a vertical clutch in their in-house B-01 movements that virtually has no delay during the activation of the chronograph. Other common complications of the chronograph are: fly-back chronographs (rapid reset), rattrapante chronographs (split seconds) and tachymeters (speed over fixed or variable distances).

Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers is proud to be an exclusive dealer for both storied brands, TAG Heuer and Breitling. Stop by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin to see the latest watches from these exceptional manufacturers.