Our Recommended Merchants To Buy Chronograph Watches

Swiss chronograph watches belong to one of the longest standing, and most respected, types of watch. A chronograph watch operates like the common stopwatch.

History
The chronograph was introduced as a wristwatch almost one hundred years ago (way back in 1910). This type of watch took off immediately, and proved to be very popular. In 1990, the famous watch making company “Swatch” helped to create a public frenzy for chronographs.

Swatch is a Swiss company, based in Biel. Many people choose to buy their watches from Swatch because of their high quality.

However, unlike many other watches, Swatch combines finely balanced Swiss movements with affordability.

In fact, they are so popular they account for around 25% of all watch sales in the world. The chronograph was invented by a Frenchman, called Rieussec, in 1821. So it actually took eighty-nine years before someone thought of making it into a wristwatch.

It is also the only timepiece that bears the name chronograph with full accuracy. In fact, the watch actually wrote on the dial (the face of the watch) with a small pen attached to the index (an index is a device, such as the pointer on a scale, that serves to indicate a value or quantity).

The time that had passed was displayed by the length of the arc of the circle, and the index was fixed while the dial turned. The word chronograph derives from the Greek words “chronos” which means “time”, and “graph” which means “writing”.

However, the chronograph should be more accurately called a chronoscope nowadays, as there is no real writing involved anymore. Swiss chronograph watches can measure time in different ways, which is why a good quality one is often quite expensive.

Functions
Besides general timekeeping on the main dial, they also have subsidiary dials which have a variety of scales on them, meaning they can be used for very specific time measurements. The number of dials on a chronograph watch varies depending on the design. There can be up to four dials, each one designed for a slightly different function.

However, it is very common for one of the dials to be situated on the number nine of the main watch face, showing continuous seconds. A chronograph watch is activated as a stopwatch when a button is depressed on the side. One of the miniature dials (normally the one near the number nine) will start to record the seconds gone by.

Purpose
Towards the beginning of the century, many Swiss chronograph watches were used by the military and sports people. This was because swiss watches were renowned for their accurate timekeeping and durability – and they still are.

In fact, they are still used in the modern day for this purpose, but many of the mechanical watches have been replaced by quartz versions as they can measure time down to hundredths of a second.

In addition to this, the Swiss have actually combined the mechanical and quartz technologies in some of their watches. This gives the buyer the best of both worlds – an authentic looking mechanical watch, which has the ease of use of an electronic watch.

Today
Today, the wearing of a chronograph watch is more of a fashion statement than a professional practicality. The appeal of the Swiss mechanical watch seems to be its exciting, sporting image. It is desirable to the general public because it is the watch of Formula One drivers, astronauts, and sports stars.

Generally, chronograph watches are quite expensive and valuable. They usually cost more than a normal or automatic watch, due to the excellent craftsmanship and the complexity required in their manufacture.

Recommedation
You can pick up a good Swiss chronograph for around a couple of hundred dollars upwards. Of course, the price increases with the quality and make of the watch. Some of the most well-known Swiss brands that sell chronograph watches include the very famous Tag Heuer and Breitling watchmakers. Both of these companies make chronographs watches of outstanding quality.

In addition to this, companies such as Rolex make gold-plated chronographs, which are very rare.

If you bought one that was made in the 1950s, you would be looking to pay around $150,000 for it. Omega, Jaeger LeCoultre, and Breguet are also prominent Swiss companies that make good quality watches, although their prices are lower than the Rolex.

Although a Swiss chronograph watch won’t come cheap, you get what you pay for when you purchase one – excellence above any other in the market. In order to choose the right chronograph watch, you need to determine what purpose you need it for.

If you want a watch for practical reasons (such as timing laps) then you would be best suited to a quartz chronograph watch, as they are extremely accurate and can measure down to fractions of a second.

However, if you are a collector of Swiss watches, you may want to go for a mechanical watch, which has numerous dials for you to study. The insides of these watches are a veritable chaos of springs, coils, and dials.

Those who are more fashion conscious would be wise to look at the jewel-encrusted or platinum watches that are available on the market. Perhaps the best known for these types of watches is the Swiss company, Rolex.

Whatever type of chronograph watch you decide to buy, you can rest assured that you will be purchasing a piece of history. Swiss watches are known for their excellent craftsmanship, and nowhere is this better shown than in their chronograph watches.

If you are you ready to buy watches online, let us tell you where and how to buy.