Chronograph Watches for Men: What You Need to Know

Chronograph watches combine a normal watch with a stopwatch. The result is a hybrid tool that can be worn on the wrist and is useful in a variety of situations. Most chronograph watches have an independent second hand that can be started, stopped and returned to zero by the user.

Chronograph Watches for Men: A Brief History

Chronograph watches were invented in 1816 by Louis Moinet. They were first designed for timing horse races. In the early part of the twentieth century, chronographs began being sold with fixed bezels. In 1958, a rotating bezel was introduced for use in making complicated calculations.

Chronographs soon found their way into aviation. Aviators used them to make rapid calculations and to time things. The demand grew and as a result, the popularity of chronograph watches also grew. Soon even sailors were using them to perform calculations at sea. Models with multiple hands and waterproof cases were introduced, allowing the watches to be used in a greater variety of situations.

Men’s Chronograph Watches: Functions

All chronograph watches have the basic function of telling time. Their primary use is as a watch. Hundreds of patents have been taken out for upgrades to the original chronograph watch design. Modern chronograph watches work by simply pressing a start button – usually at the 2 o’clock position – and then pushing the same button to stop recording.

Types

The original chronograph watches for men were made of tape that was dragged along at a controlled speed. When activated, a hidden pen would press down on the tape to begin the “recording”. The pen would lift when the recording was stopped.

Specialised types are used by deep sea and scuba divers. They have longer straps to wear over diving equipment and are made to be water proof. The covers are rounded to prevent catching and the face has luminous dials for reading in dark sea water. There is also a large bezel that has 1 luminous marking. At the beginning of the dive, the diver rotates the bezel to a specific place to mark the amount of oxygen being carried. They can refer to the watch to see if it is safe to continue diving or if they need to return to the surface.

Other types of modern chronograph watches for men include the automatic chronograph and the digital chronograph. The automatic version uses kinetic energy as the power source while the digital uses a more traditional battery power source.

Chronograph Watches in Fashion

Men’s chronograph watches have worked their way into the world of fashion as well. The watches make excellent conversation pieces, particularly if they are used for a hobby outside of the work place. Chronograph watches are often just as attractive as other types of men’s watches and can be worn very discreetly with normal clothing.

For those that wish to wear their chronograph watch as a regular everyday timepiece, a leather band can be added. The simple addition of a band can turn a chronograph watch into an everyday accessory. You can find chronograph watches at specialty stores or online. Shopping online will give you the most options and best prices. Go online today and see what types of chronograph watches for men you can find.