Chronograph / Chronometer

A chronograph is a watch that has a stopwatch function. Typically, the top pusher will start and stop the chronograph. The bottom pusher will reset it. The chronograph generally can not reset in the running state. Special Flyback models allow the chrono to be reset at any time.

A chronometer is watch that has passed a series of tests, and is a superior timekeeper. Many watchmakers will put their movements through this test to illustrate their accuracy. The dial will typically have the word "Chronometer" or "Chronometre" on the dial.

To become a chronometer, the watch movement must pass 15 days of severe tests. The accuracy of the movement is checked in 5 different positions at varied temperatures. This simulates conditions under which the watch might be worn. The watch must average between +6 and -4 seconds per day in order to earn the certification.

If a watch is described simply as a "chrono", it is generally safe to assume it is a chronograph.

Different Types of Movements Available

Automatic Watches: A rotor on the movement keeps the watch powered by the motion on your wrist. If worn everyday, an automatic watch will run for life (or until it breaks). Automatic watches generally have 100´s of parts inside their small cases. If an automatic watch has stopped, it is best to wind it via the crown 20-30 times to give it a good kick start. If not wound manually, wrist motion is generally not enough to keep it running accurately.

Quartz Watches: The quartz movement became common for watches in the 70´s. They are powered by a battery and need little maintenance except for a battery swap every year or so. They are highly accurate compared to mechanical watches.

Manual Wind Watches: A manual wind watch must be wound every one or two days by the crown in order to run. Even with that perceived inconvenience, they are still produced in Switzerland and can even be found on watches well over $5000. Many collectors find them highly desirable. It is easier to make a thinner and lighter watch without the self-winding mechanism. Some unique movements can reserve up to 8 days of power and will usually have a power-reserve indicator on the dial.

Operating an Automatic Watch

With a new watch, wear it every day for at least two weeks.

Wind the watch first, and then set the hands with the crown.

Wind an automatic watch 30 to 40 times to power the main spring. This helps guarantee optimum torque.

If you wear the watch daily, and only take it off at night, there should be no need to wind the watch.

Note: Many watches have a screwdown crown that must be released.

Watches Company Owners

Audemars Piguet

Independent

Breitling

Independent

Bulgari (Italy)

Bulgari

Daniel Roth

Gérald Genta

Fossil (USA)

Zodiac

Grovana AG

Revue Thommen

LVMH (France)
Louis Vuitton - Moët - Hennessy

Chaumet

Fred

Tag Heuer

Zenith

OMAS

Dior

The Movado Group (USA)

Concord

Esquire

Movado

Ebel

Patek Philippe

Independent

Richemont - Vendome Luxury Group

A. Lange & Sohne

Baume & Mercier

Cartier

Dunhill

IWC

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Montblanc

Officine Panerai

Piaget

Vacheron Constantin

Van Cleef & Arpels

Sandoz

Parmigiani Fleurier

Scheufele (Germany)

Chopard

Sowind Group

Daniel JeanRichard

Girard-Perregaux

Swatch Group

Blancpain

Breguet

Calvin Klein

Certina

Eta (Movements)

Hamilton

Glashütte Original (Germany)

Jaquet Droz

Mido

Longines

Omega

Rado

Swatch

Tissot

Union Glashütte (Germany)

Stelux Holdings Intl. (Hong Kong)

Cyma

Universal Geneve

Wilsdorf Foundation

Tudor

Rolex

Watch Crystals

Sapphire, Mineral, and Plexiglass (typically called plastic) are the three main crystals used on watches today.

Plastic is the least expensive and commonly found on vintage watches and many modern watches. These crystals scratch easily, however they are cheap to replace and easy to buff scratches out. Sapphire is the most expensive and the most scratch resistant. It can only be scratched by diamonds and other surfaces with a mineral hardness of 10. They are generally over $100 to replace and basically impossible to buff any scratches out. Since they are so hard, they are more likely to shatter on heavy impacts than a plastic crystal. A mineral crystal is between plastic and sapphire in cost and scratch resistance. It is virtually impossible to tell the difference between mineral and sapphire without taking a steel knife to the crystal to test it (not recommended!).

Water Resistance

Water resistance is normally expressed in meters. This rating is only theoretical and refers to the depth that a watch will keep water out if the watch and water are both motionless. These conditions never really exist in real life because the user´s arm movement dramatically increases the pressure on the watch, along with the water moving itself. The chart below should help you understand how deep you can really go with your watch.

Measurement Units: 1 meter is about 3.3 feet / 1 ATM (atmosphere) or bar is about 10 meters
Technically, 1 atm = 14.7 psi = 1.03 kilograms per square centimeter = 1 bar

If a watch is labeled only "water-resistant." It can withstand splashes of water but should not be submerged in any water.

50 meters: suitable for brief water exposure
100 meters: suitable for standard swimming pools
200 meters: suitable for recreational scuba diving
1,000 meters: (roughly three-fifths of a mile).

Watches should not be put in a sauna or a hot tub since the exposure to heat can easily make the gaskets lose their shape and ability to keep water and dust out.

Watches should not be worn in the bath/shower. The soap suds reduce the surface tension of the rubber gasket in the watch, which allows water to get in. The soap can also damage the seal itself. So we highly recommend you do not bathe with your watch.

Hack Seconds

Many watches today have a "hack seconds" feature. When the crown is pulled out to adjust the time, the seconds will stop. This allows accurate synchronization with another clock. On most hack movements, when the crown is pulled out, a lever is moved which contacts the rim of the balance, which causes the movement to stop.

Watch Forums

Listed below are useful watch forums. They contain discussions between members, articles, photographs, and plenty of watch related material.

Poor Man's Watch Forum
Watch-U-Seek
Timezone
Watchnet
The Purists
Equation of Time

Jewels in Watch Movemeents

Jewels are man-made artificial rubies or sapphires that have been drilled, champfered, and polished to serve as bearings for the gears and as stones for the pallet-arms. This reduces the friction of mechanical parts against each other to a minimum. Most Swiss watches today will have 19 or more Jewels. A quality mechanical piece needs at least 15.

The popular ETA 2824 has 25 jewels. It's more presigious sibling, the ETA 2892 only uses 21 jewels.

Breaking In A New Watch

Most new mechanical watches will go through a short burn-in period. Nothing special needs to be done by the owner, the watch should take care of itself...

Before a watch makes it to your wrist, it has likely been sitting in the jewelers store or a warehouse. Oils and lubricants can pool in certain areas. It takes 1 or 2 months for the oils to be distributed to their proper locations. The moving of the parts will also wear away and microscopic imperfections that most parts have. After a couple of months the watch will be properly broken in and run with more precision.