The Story of Chronograph

The term chronograph comes from two Greek words: "chornos" and"graphos". The Greek word "chronos" means a break of time or intervalwhereas the word "graphos" connotes to illustrate, to record or tonote. If we factually describe the English word chronograph, itsetymological import would be " to record or note a space of time or anperiod. The English word Chronograph is used as a noun and would mean amechanism recording or noting a space of time or interval. When we hearof a contemporary chronograph, straight away we get an idea of not justa tool but also, more exclusively, a time giving device. So a morecomplete definition of a present chronograph should be "any timekeeping machine which is used to record intervals or spaces of time".

 Some times, a chronograph is also defined as a time keeping device,which has the purpose of a stopwatch. In actual fact, a stop watchrecords or notes gap of times but may not be time keeping. So thedistinction between a chronograph and a stopwatch is that a chronographis a standard time keeping device like a wristwatch, pocket watch,clock etc that has an extra role of a stopwatch. Technically speakingall chronographs are stopwatches but all stopwatches are notchronographs.

The primary chronograph is believed to have beeninvented in 1821 by a French master Russak that wrote time merely by apen attached to index hand. Present Chronographs are more highlydeveloped and advanced in terms of accuracy, style and designs.Virtually all reputed brands in the watches industry make chronographs.

Chronograph may have a display, which is analogue, digital or mixed. Ananalogue chronograph is one, which shows both time and stopwatchfunctions with analogue hands. In analogue chronographs the center maindial shows the time keeping functions while the three sub-dials usuallyshow the stopwatch function.
In a digital chronograph, themachine shows the time keeping and the stopwatch functions by means ofa digital display. Present digital chronograph watches are extremelycomplex and may show the functions either with separate displays or byswitching modes on a single display. Chronographs can be mixed i.e.digital-digital displays. Such chronograph watches use the analogue anddigital displays independently.

There are many brands, which makechronographs analogue, digital or mixed. The best-known chronographsare Swiss Made, which have been well liked since centuries for itsdurability, accurateness, styles, designs, functions, and value formoney.
With the advancement of time and the progress of Science, therequirement of Chronometers and chronograph watches has significantlyincreased and shall last in the future. The subjects of Aviation, Spaceexploring, Scuba Diving and scores of other fields necessitatecertified chronometers to be used in their ordinary operations. In factaccuracy is the most essential requirement in the present scientificera.