Every year without fail, the top watch makers and designers in the industry try their best to get our attentions with beautifully designed pieces, and state of the art features. With the New Year around the corner, watch makers everywhere are getting ready to hit the markets with their 2015 models. It’s a great year to get a luxury watch, since the market offers such a great array of Chronograph choices. But many people might be asking themselves: What is a Chronograph Watch? How is it different from a normal wristwatch?

So today we shall look at the history and main differences between wristwatches and chronographs, and we’ll look at some examples for great chronographs you can easily purchase today. And after we’re through you’ll be able to buy one without first asking the retailer What is a Chronograph Watch. Let’s begin!
Definition and Examples

Firstly, to answer exactly What is a Chronograph Watch, a chronograph is a very specific type of watch that is used as a combination of stopwatch and display watch. Normally, a chronograph has an independent sweep second hand which can be started, stopped, and returned to zero by pressuring the stem multiple times. More complicated chronographs use additional features and can have multiple independent hands to measure seconds, minutes, hours and even tenths of a second. In addition, many modern chronographs use moveable bezels as tachymeters for rapid calculations of speed or distance.

The term chronograph is often confused with the term chronometer. Where "Chronograph" refers to the function of a watch, chronometer is a measure of how well a given timepiece performs: in order to be labeled a chronometer the watch must be certified by the COSC, the official Swiss Chronometer testing institute, after undergoing a series of rigorous tests for toughness, accuracy and precision under extreme conditions.

The History

The term “Chronograph” comes from the Greek word for time, "chronos", combined with the Greek word for writing, "graph". History has the first modern chronograph invented by Louis Moinet in 1816, solely for working with astronomical equipment. It was Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec who developed the first marketed chronograph, which he built for King Louis XVIII in 1821. The King greatly enjoyed watching horse races, but wanted to know exactly how long each race lasted, so Rieussec was commissioned to invent a contraption that would do the job: as a result he developed the first ever commercialized chronograph.

Today a lot of watchmakers offer the best Chronograph watches both as a way to improve their brand presence, and as a statement to their customers that they strive to always offer the best. Models such as the Panerai Luminor Flyback Automatic Ceramica chrono watch and the TechnoMarine Cruise Original Chronograph 40mm White Dial 4pc watch are changing the way we look at watches in a significant and innovative manner.

Thank you for reading! We hope this has helped you understand exactly What is a Chronograph Watch. Be sure to share this with friends and family, and we wish you have a very meaningful holiday season. Goodbye!