Watches can come to have a lot of features that will cost you or simply do not know how to distinguish one from the other. That is why we present two of the functions that you can find in the market, chronographs, and stopwatches, so that you can get out of any doubt at the time of purchase; remember that each one covers a different need.
Would you be surprised if we told you that the chronometer is not what everyone thinks it is? Hence the importance of differentiating these accessories, the terminology is very easy to confuse; in fact, not even the dictionary provides a completely clear definition of chronographs and chronometers when they are terms that are used as equivalents and it is not so. It is necessary that you know the watches in a promotion that you are acquiring so that you get the most out of them in any occasion.
Chronograph
The chronograph is a function of the watch, not the watch itself, which you can usually find in different kinds of watches, whether they are for men or women, analog or digital, classic or sporty. What the chronograph does is to measure the time of events elapsed in a given period, for example, if you do a round trip race, you can measure the time it took you to go all the way, how long it took you to go and how long it took you to come back, with great accuracy. What is normally known as a “stopwatch” is actually a chronograph.
How to identify it? In both digital and analog watches, it is presented mainly through three small dials located inside the watch face, although they can also be two, which give the accessory a great touch of distinction and elegance, especially analog ones. Each of these subdials measures a part of the time: hours (12), minutes (30 generally), and seconds.
This is where the interesting fact about these sports watches comes in: when you go to check the time, the seconds are not given to you by the thinnest hand of the watch (a fact we are used to), but by the seconds subdial.
Why does this happen? Because this hand is the one that will be in charge of measuring the seconds of the time intervals that you are going to calculate with the chronograph mode.
To control it, the watch has two pushers on the side of the case, one above and one below the crown. The upper pusher activates and deactivates the chronograph mechanism, allowing the calculation of split times (if necessary), while the lower one resets all indicators, i.e. brings them to zero. A variety of Tissot watches have this feature, as do Diesel watches.
Chronometer
On the other hand and contrary to what many think, chronometers can be considered a quality since this term is only used in watches that provide the time with very high accuracy and have been certified after being subjected to rigorous temperature and position tests for 15 days in an official neutral body and have satisfactorily met the ISO 315 standard which includes, for example, not to deviate in -4 / +6 seconds per day, as well as not to deviate by temperature induction in -0.6 / +0.6 seconds.
Most of these certificates are issued by the C.O.S.C. (Official Swiss Chronometer Control). They are so rigorous that only 3% of Swiss luxury watch production has these certificates, which are usually inscribed on the dial, whereas Tag Heuer watches have several models recognized as chronometers. Of course, the degree of precision of these specimens is such that they can be used in scientific exploration, global navigation, and astronomical observation; that’s another level.
