The first automatic chronograph movements weren’t brought out until 1969. TAG Heuer Carrera, Image: Bert Buijsroggeįor a long time, a lot of chronograph movements were hand-wound, and some still are today. However, like the Daytona and Speedmaster, most chronographs have a relationship with racing. Most of the time these were watches with a specific “unit” scale to measure the duration of specific (production) tasks. Aside from sports, there has been some industrial use for chronographs. The Rolex Daytona and Omega Speedmaster are perhaps the most famous chronographs and were initially meant for race car drivers. Most chronograph watches were at some point introduced for a specific purpose. You would have never noticed these moves without high-definition images. The large second hand will make some crazy moves when it jumps back to its starting position. Try to search online for a slow-motion video that shows a mechanical chronograph resetting. A chronograph movement must deal with a lot of force, such as when the large seconds hand is being reset and needs to stop at 0. Forget about perpetual calendars or tourbillons – the chronograph is incredibly demanding for the engineers working at manufactures. It is also one of the most complex movements to construct and develop.

The chronograph is probably one of the most sought-after complications.

Best chronograph watch