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Watch GlossaryStopwatch

A stopwatch function in mechanical watches is used for calculating elapsed time, assisted by start/stop, reset pushers, with sub-dials

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What Is A Stopwatch?

A stopwatch function in mechanical watches is used for calculating elapsed time. It takes continuous accurate measurements upto the smallest units for one or multiple tasks or competitive events. Mechanical stopwatches are powered by a mainspring that must be regularly wound up. These watches are chronographs featuring a start/stop pusher and a reset pusher, along with sub-dials to count the elapsed minutes and hours. The user can start, stop, and reset the central chronograph seconds hand to measure time passed accurately, assisted by one/ two pushers or start/stop button. The 44mm Jacob & Co Epic X Chronograph, featuring black DLC titanium satin-finished case and orange anodised aluminium pushers around the crown, is used to operate the inner rotating bezel with its 60-minute countdown timer or stopwatch.

Jacob & Co Epic X Chronograph 44mm stopwatch orange pushers crown chronograph seconds hand
The 44mm Jacob & Co Epic X Chronograph, featuring black DLC titanium satined case and orange anodised aluminium pushers around the crown, is used to operate the inner rotating bezel with its 60-minute countdown timer or stopwatch

Stopwatches can feature more than two pushers as in the case of the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph that features three pushers and a crown. Here, the quartz movement powers a 1/100th-of-a-second stopwatch—sub-dial at three o’clock—precise up to +/- 15 seconds per month. Pushers at two o’clock and 10 o’clock start, stop, and reset time. Upon pressing the ‘mode’ pusher at eight o’clock, the hour hand instantly slides under the minute hand as the chronograph times up to 60 minutes. Simultaneously, the nine o’clock sub-dial gives you the 1/10th of a second, while the 12 o’clock counter features running seconds.

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph 42mm stainless steel case 100m water resistance
In the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph, pushers at two o’clock and 10 o’clock start, stop, and reset time. Upon pressing the ‘mode’ pusher at eight o’clock, the hour hand instantly slides under the minute hand as the chronograph times up to 60 minutes

What Is The Use Of A Stopwatch?

Stopwatches are used to determine the time, and perhaps even the speed of an activity. Analogue or digital stopwatches record accuracy in timekeeping for sports as the games are highly competitive, and even 0.0001 second can count. These watches are used for various sporting purposes. First, to determine performance and resulting rank. For instance, the time it takes an athlete to go from the starting point to the finish line. It can even record, for instance, the duration the athlete takes to run each lap. Plus, it can record both instances: time taken to run each lap and the entire race overall. And what was the time difference between the timings of first and second runners up? Second, the stopwatch function improves training as the sportsperson can track their individual performance and progress. Third, stopwatches are used to calculate the time required for timeouts in certain games like football.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph stopwatch panda dial octagonal bezel Super-Luminova
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph features two pushers and the screwed-in crown, emblazoned with the ‘GP’ logo, connects with the automatic calibre GP03300, assembled in-house
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Girard-Perragaux Laureato Chronograph Shop The Collection

As the title sponsor of the Porsche Formula E Team, Tag Heuer recently unveiled Tag Heuer Carrera Chronosprint X Porsche. Just as the very first Porsche 911 car took 9.1 seconds to go from 0 to 100km/h, so does the watch’s seconds hand. Press the chronograph pusher at the top right to start the acceleration from the chronograph hand as it runs through one third of the dial in 9.1 seconds.

Tag Heuer Carrera Chronosprint X Porsche 911 stopwatch 9.1 seconds hand
Just as the very first Porsche 911 car took 9.1 seconds to go from 0 to 100km/h, so does the seconds hand of the Tag Heuer Carrera Chronosprint X Porsche 911

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