Chronograph

A chronograph or - graf is literally a time recorder ( from Ancient Greek χρόνος chronos "time" and γράφειν gráphein "write" ). The term describes today mainly watches, especially analog watches, with an additional stopwatch function. Not to be confused with the concept of the chronograph chronometer, which is a quality award for an officially tested, particularly high accuracy clock, but need not have a stop function.

• 2.1 Patents and Utility Models

Wristwatches and pocket chronograph

Bracelet chronograph are typically characterized by two arranged next to the crown button ( " pushers " ) and several additional small dials ( " totalizers ") on the main dial on which the elapsed minutes and hours are displayed during a stop process about. The elapsed seconds are measured with a pointer to the main dial, which usually corresponds to the appearance of the second hand of a normal wristwatch. Since this is not the normal display of seconds the time of day during the stop operation available, these usually by an ever revolving pointer to one of the small auxiliary dials ( totalizers ) are displayed. The top handle has the function of a start and stop button, the lower button sets - which only stopped stopping process is usually possible - the big stop hand on the main dial back to zero position or 12 clock back. In the resting state, so if no stop is in progress and the pointer has been reset after the last stop operation, the big stop pointer is fixed at 12 clock.

It is also possible to constantly make the stop pointer run along, so that it has the function of a normal second hand. Because of the greater number of moving parts in the movement, however, decreases in this case, often the power reserve of a mechanical clock, which is the time until they need to be wound (without automatic winding movement with by automatic watches ). In addition, the accuracy of the normal time display can be influenced less valued mechanical watches in this case.

There are wrist chronograph with mechanical movement, often combined with automatic winding, or with quartz movement, the latter are usually much cheaper. Quartz chronographs are often designed so that in addition to the great stop-second hand of a small pointer to the totalizers per second performs a full revolution, so it moves relatively quickly. Thus it can be stopped exactly on tenths of a second, which is typically not possible with a mechanical chronograph. A significant proportion of high-priced watches and luxury watches for men are mechanical chronograph ladies watches every price range, however, are generally rarely equipped with stop functions.

Special shapes

A special version is the Rattrapante (also called " split-seconds chronograph " ), in which a tracking seconds hand can be stopped by pressing a button to take an intermediate time. After releasing the button, the drag pointer snaps back to normal and can again show a split.

Less expensive is called a "flying second," also flyback or retour -en -vol. Normal chronograph must be stopped for a new measurement to zero and started again. In a flyback chronograph the zero position is " in flight " without first stopping possible.

Occasionally scales as tachymeter, pulsometer or Asthmometer are printed on the dials or embossed into the bezel.

Pilot Watch

So-called pilot's chronographs are designed to provide impeccable readability, including through clean lines and sleek or sans serif numerals on a dark dial. They are often designed in the style of cockpit instruments on board the aircraft and are distinguished in the higher price segment, partially offset by technical extras such as lower compressive strength and specific resistance to vibration, shock and large accelerations.

Historical development

Patents and utility models

The following patents are at the German Patent and Trademark Office searched:

• CH- 544 964 Swiss patent from 1971, which describes an alternative scales can be used instead of the time for measuring the heart rate, respiratory rate, or the drip rate.
• DD- 239289: DDR - patent from 1985, in which a calculator is protected with the additional function stopwatch
• DE- 556 980: The patent of 1930 describes a stopwatch with two pointers to take several laps.

Professional Applications

As a chronograph, instruments and special writer for the graphic or digital registration of star passages are referred to in the astro- geodetic determination of time. It differs depending on the technical principle band and printing chronographs.

In sports Chronoprinter be used to the times to be documented in competitions. Some modern digital stopwatches have for PC interfaces (automatic data flow ).