What Is a Chronograph and How Do You Use It?
By World of Watches •
A chronograph is a watch with a built-in stopwatch. You start, stop and reset it with the pushers on the side of the case, and read the elapsed time on the hands and sub-dials. It runs separately from the normal time.
How To Use It
- Start: Press the top pusher. The central chronograph hand starts to move.
- Stop: Press the same pusher again to stop and read the time.
- Reset: Press the lower pusher to return the hands to zero.
- Do not press while stopped: Never press the reset while the chronograph is still running.
Reading The Dial
The central chronograph seconds hand shows elapsed seconds. Small sub-dials show elapsed minutes and sometimes hours. Another sub-dial may show running seconds for the normal time.
Why People Like Them
Chronographs look sporty and are useful for timing. They are often thicker than plain watches, so try one on. Find out more in our chronograph collection.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a chronograph do?expand_more
It works as a stopwatch.
Can I use it all the time?expand_more
Yes, with quartz. Running it constantly on a mechanical may reduce power reserve.
Do the sub-dials show the time?expand_more
Some show running seconds. Others show elapsed time.