Guide 3
Use a chronograph
A chronograph is a stopwatch built into a watch. One pusher starts and stops it; another resets it to zero. The watch keeps telling the time throughout.
- Start / stop pusher (2 o'clock)
- Reset pusher (4 o'clock)
- Crown — sets the time
- Chronograph seconds hand
- Elapsed-minutes counter
- Running seconds of the watch
A generic layout — positions and functions vary by model.
Before you start
- Identify the pushers — start/stop is usually at 2 o'clock and reset at 4 o'clock, but check your model.
- Unscrew screw-down pushers first, and never press pushers underwater.
- Mechanical chronograph? Check whether your manual says anything about resetting while running.
Try the pushers
Ready. Press the top pusher to start.
- Large red hand
- chronograph seconds
- Right sub-dial
- elapsed minutes (up to 30)
- Left sub-dial
- the watch's normal running seconds
Step by step
11. Start
Press the top pusher (usually at 2 o'clock). The large chronograph seconds hand starts moving. On screw-down pushers, unscrew them first — and screw them back before getting the watch wet.
22. Stop
Press the same top pusher again. The hands freeze so you can read the result.
33. Continue (optional)
Press start again to carry on adding time to the same measurement — useful for pausing during a break.
44. Reset
With the chronograph stopped, press the bottom pusher (usually at 4 o'clock). All chronograph hands return to zero. Unless your manual says the watch is a flyback, don't press reset while it's running.
Reading elapsed time
Add the registers together, largest unit first:
- Hours sub-dial (if your watch has one): whole hours.
- Minutes sub-dial: whole minutes. A 30-minute counter often jumps once per minute.
- Central chronograph hand: seconds, read against the outer track. Many tracks are divided into fifths or tenths of a second.
Example: minutes hand just past 12, central hand on 45 → 12 minutes 45 seconds. Don't confuse the chronograph sub-dials with the small running-seconds dial, which keeps moving all the time.
Mechanical chronographs: some makers say running the chronograph continuously adds wear and shortens power reserve; check whether yours recommends it.