I have 2 Chronographs at present and I purchased them for their looks and the detail on the face. I wasn't really interested in the crono function and what it could do and it didn't influence my decision when I bought them. However I find recently Im starting to use the stopwatch to time journeys, cooking dinner and a few other bits. Im really liking it! Has anyone else had the same experience?
I mainly have them for the look. I have timed some cooking and a couple of journeys but, if I'm honest, it wasn't strictly necessary. Then again, who really needs a perpetual calendar, or any watch functions...?
They're unbeatable for timing eggs.
haha so true, I have boiled many eggs with themQuote:
Originally Posted by nickwray
Looks only here.
If I want to time something, I will use a digital watch.
I've timed my mate on track days but not much else and I've seven chronos!
Love the look of them, and yes, I do use them for work activities.
Looks only for me.The most complications I use are to align the second hand with the sweeping hand.:pride: The digital clock on the cooker does the rest
Yes, looks primarily but I do actually use them. I also use the divers bezel on my non-chrono watches for similar.
For the look and WIS value. I have hardly used the chronograph, and I have a few! I have a perpetual calendar and why have a chronograph on it as well! Because they can and it is cool?
I love the look and use it for cooking my dinner ;)
Do they make you a better cook or just encourage OCD! :biggrin-new:
the extra pushers on the watch don't go amiss either, i like the look of chrono's, best looking pushers are on the Breitling superocean (the older screw down one's) i think Breitling make excellent chrono's.
Rarely use mine :(. I usually end up using something with an alarm for timing. Just can't get into the habit of checking and using it.
Mainly for the looks, but I do use it for the usual timing in the kitchen, takeway delivery timing and duration of walks.
I like the looks but especially the movements that power them. I'm fond of the Lemania 5100, Valjoux 7750, Venus 178, Omega 321, Zenith El Primero 36.000 and Seiko's 6138 and 6139 column wheel to name a few. I actually do use the chronograph function, I like to measure how long I'm behind the wheel of my car or how much sleep I've had for a night for instance. Therefore I do need a chrono with an hour-totaliser, I have no use for short-term chrono's, even though their twin-subdial layout can be very pretty indeed.
Purely looks. And something to fiddle with when bored in a ra ra meeting.
never use them
Used to use for computer response times when developing applications, now cooking steaks and to watch the hands go round.
My good lady calls them "boys toys" and she's probably right. We love things that we can play with! I've used my chronos to boil eggs and time my parking. Nothing that I couldn't do by using my brain and an ordinary watch. Chronos do look good.
Mike
I use them to time pointless things, i.e. pretty much just play with the chronograph
Free Dominos Pizza if its longer than 30 Minutes :)Quote:
Originally Posted by SlimJim16v
When was the last time any of us used a rotating diving bezel either? Purely for looks IMO.
Use mine: mainly for timing film developing. But then I use the bezel on my dive watches too.
Never leave home without one of my chornos when I go to Le Man. The lap times are 3 minutes plus so a chorno is a must.
As soon as the 4th officials board goes up at The Etihad I time the accuracy with the chrono. :)
I don't use the chrono on the two I have. Never even learned how to use the chrono or the alarm on an old quartz seiko I have.
Use the facility quite a lot underwater, above water less so.
R
When people say they are using them for timing eggs etc., how exactly are you doing this? Just starting the stopwatch feature and then waiting for the 4 minutes or whatever to tick over? Because a countdown timer (ideally with alarm!) would be ideal for this, but you don't get these on standard chronos?
So is it a spurious 'use' of the function? Fair enough whatever you do but I'm trying to understand how to 'use' correctly a chrono for accurately timing such things.
Yeah, I don't get it either.Quote:
Originally Posted by scarto
It's no different from just checking the time.
Unless you're not capable of remembering what time it was when you started.
I do not own a chrono as I have no need for one.
After reading the replies so far the majority have them because they like the looks of them.
But at the end of the day you pay your money and take your choice. :drunken_smilie:
Indeed; I've been using my Omega Dynamic chrono over the last couple of days to do some network acceptance testing.Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyCasper
I have 4 Chronos. Never used any of them to time anything. Two of them have silly screw down crowns. Great for keeping water out, but a PITA if you suddenly did need to time something.
I'm not sure I bought them for how they look, although there is no doubt that would have figured somewhere in the equation.
More I think for what they are. Mechanical Chronos are still a bu$$er of a complication to make well.
I use a dive bezel almost daily to time cooking/ parking meters etc. Actually I'd be lost without one. But I've never seen the point of Chrono's - I haven't owned one in years. Last one I had was a Speedy pro, I know it's a WIS darling but honestly - handwound, no date, low WR meaning you can barely get it wet, and a chrono on diddly little hands that whizz around. I used to be into high end hi-fi, most of the good stuff has an on/off switch, a volume control and that's your lot. Chronographs remind me of those old Pioneer/marantz etc mini systems - lots of lights, graphic equalisers and switches to keep you busy - all of which add nothing to the sound quality.
If I want a gadget watch I get myself another G shock :-)
My mobile has a stopwatch function, and I've never used it. This is why I'll never own a chronograph watch.
I do use my chrono's,
for timing cycles or certain routines in the factory, for doing some navigational dead reckoning and interval training on the racebike....
next to that the old ones ( from the 30'ies) are seriously cool dresswatches.... and the more modern ones (autavia, zenith's) are classy stuff also
http://www.xs4all.nl/~rjhopman/autavia1.jpghttp://www.xs4all.nl/~rjhopman/Compur.jpghttp://www.xs4all.nl/~rjhopman/BCA1.jpg
http://www.xs4all.nl/~rjhopman/t1.jpghttp://www.xs4all.nl/~rjhopman/longines1.jpghttp://www.xs4all.nl/~rjhopman/prs122.jpg
I use my chronos at work for timing task sequences, data transfers, back ups and such.
Every Saturday multiple times a day to mark half time for various football games I may gamble on; I can then do some exercise and just glance at my watch every now and then.Quote:
Originally Posted by demonloop
I also use my countdown timers on my Pro-Trek and Baby G for HIIT/exercising. And my Riseman is great for predicting the local weather.
That said, I wouldn't use an analogue chronograph watch to time a boiling egg. The water would boil dry as I'd forget to check the timer. :D
i use it once a year..let it run 3 rounds..just to check if it's working..lol
I have 4 mechanical chronos, and 3 quartz watches with a stopwatch function (see signature block). The only one I bought with the stopwatch being a requirement was the Breitling Aerospace Advantage that I wear every day and as I used to fly for a living it was a requirement - though seldom used. My Citizen Aqualand dive watch has a stopwatch though I don't recall ever using it. The last time I used a chrono for anything remotely professional was around 25 years ago for IP to target runs when flying. Nowadays the only time they might get used is if my niece and nephew are having a race around the garden and they want me to time them.
(I think my niece may have a bit of the WIS bug; she could tell the time perfectly at 5 and wears a watch most of the time - Uncle Skier has a lot to answer for!)
I only use a chrono function very occasionally.
It's just that some of the watches I really like happen to be chronographs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...s/_DSC4708.jpg
I use my dive bezels pretty much every day for things like timing my lunch break or similar - very handy little bit of functionality.
Chronos I very rarely use - so much so that it took me a fortnight after arrival to realise that the hour register on my speedmaster wasn't resetting :( still need to send it to genesis for fettling at some point
Purely aesthetic for me. I virtually never use a chrono to time anything.
when I bought Speedie reason was pure aesthetics - I really liked the watch. I never had chronograph before and I found that chrono function is very useful. In fact now my speedie is at watchmaker and I find that seamaster GMT bezel I used before for timing is very awkward.
I use mine occasionally, timing cooking and car parking mainly.
I don't use it for boiling eggs. For this, I favour a saucepan.
:)
Purely for looks and only if its Tricompax
I've used my chronographs to time the length of time my coffee brews (3 minutes); cooking; parking; my lunch break; keeping track of where I am on a long haul flight; the olympics 100m final; and I'm ready at short notice to time a mid-course correctional burn to re-establish a free return trajectory if needed. I mean if you've got buttons to push you might as well use them.
Don't have a real use for them, so it's just aesthetics for me. I have the same preference for a GMT hand - just looks nice to my eyes. Combined, it's just visual perfection:
Quote:
Originally Posted by andy tims
Andy, is that a replacement insert on your GMT, was your original one scratched but brighter or is my memory deserting me? It looks superb.Quote:
Originally Posted by andy tims
Most of my watches have chronographs, the exceptions being a couple of Electroquartz Omegas (and a Megaquartz) which I like for the technology and design and two or three Seamasters. I don't dive. I hardly ever go in the sea.
Chronographs for me look good, I have various Heuers and Seikos which are not only good designs and a size I get on with but in the case of the Heuers have the motor racing association to go with them. I've had the same watches worn by Jo Siffert and Derek Bell (and have 1960s/70s factory Porsche posters on the walls at home), I even have a Jacky Ickx Heuer. I also have old cars and use the chronograph functions to time how fast I'm going, other cars are going and how long food is taking to cook!
ohhh nooooo - "fergie time" - do you also have a drinkers florid face? :-) lolQuote:
Originally Posted by thegoat
EDIT : forget the reply to op - i use diver bezel a lot, but find chrono dials a bit too small to look at.