“Chronograph” is probably the most popular feature besides the date and month, among the “complications” added to watches. True to its name in Greek – “chrono” meaning “time” and “graph” meaning “record”, a chronograph watch is used to time and measure events – originating from the practical needs of many sports activities and races. Therefore, the chronograph function is often associated with strong, sporty watch designs.
However, today there are many watch designs with different styles equipped with this feature (including women’s watches) as a display of mechanical proficiency with super complex movements with a series of added levers and lever mechanisms. A typical example is Patek Philippe – the famous Geneva luxury watchmaker, which does not share too much passion for racing, but owns an extremely unique collection of chronographs throughout its 175-year history.n
Patek Philippe 5271P – Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
Not only is it a special watch because the case is made of platinum or the top level of gem setting with 58 baguette diamonds mounted on the bezel and strap, this grand complication also stands out because it carries almost all of the most complex features of a mechanical watch.
The hand-wound CH 29-535 PS Q movement is equipped with conventional timekeeping with small seconds hand, perpetual calendar with repeating day, month and year displayed by shutter window, date display by hands, shutter window for day and night indication, moon phase and of course chronograph function. On the glossy black lacquer dial, the watch is also equipped with tachymeter numbers that help measure speed based on the time it takes to cover a certain distance.
All of the above “huge” features are cleverly arranged in a case with a diameter of only 41mm with an elegant and elegant design, accompanied by a glossy black crocodile leather strap and folding clasp also encrusted with 22 baguette diamonds.
Patek Philippe 5204R-001 – Split-seconds Chronograph & Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
nIf all the above features of the Ref. 5271P is not enough, the Ref. This 5204R will make even the most discerning collector fall in love. Maintaining the complex features of the perpetual calendar, the Patek Philippe 5204R also adds a function that can be said to be the highest peak of chronograph watchmaking: split-seconds chronograph – chronograph with the ability to split seconds. Patek Philippe is one of the pioneer watch manufacturers when it comes to bringing features that are only available on pocket watches to wristwatches.
nThe clock has 2 second hands arranged coincidentally on top of each other. When starting the chronograph function, the two hands move simultaneously as one. But at one point when the split-seconds feature is activated, one hand will stop while the other separates and continues to glide across the dial to record the time of two parallel events. With one more press of the button, the stopped second hand quickly catches up with its companion in the blink of an eye, ready for the next “split second” request.
nThis entire unbelievable performance comes from the perfect coordination between the jaws, gears and signature levers right at the heart of the hand-wound CHR 29-535 PS Q. Surely admiring hundreds of tiny metal details working harmoniously in this unique watch will be one of the breathtaking experiences that any watch enthusiast wants to experience at least once.
Patek Philippe 5960/01G Flyback Chronograph, Annual Calendar
Forget the elegant style and complicated perpetual calendar, the Ref. 5960/01G is another representative in Patek Philippe’s rich stopwatch collection. Except for the 4 shutter windows to display the yearly calendar including day, date, month and day and night indicator, most of the remaining functions are displayed by neatly clustered hands at the 6 o’clock position. With a dark blue varnished dial, contrasted with mono-counter hands and bright red chronograph hands, looking at the dial of this watch is like looking at the dashboard of a classic racing car: elegant yet powerful.
There is no complicated split-seconds function, but Ref. 5960/01G is no less interesting with its fly-back chronograph function. You will not need to stop (stop – knob at 2 o’clock position) the chronograph hand and restart (reset – knob at 4 o’clock position) before starting a new measurement. Instead, just press the reset button while the needle is still running to “jump back” to the 12 o’clock position and start a new measurement immediately. This mechanism simulates real-life situations that require continuous lap times to be measured. In addition, the mono-counter counter is linked to the stopwatch function, with measurement limits of up to 60 minutes and 12 hours.
The watch is designed with an automatic winding CH 28-520 IRM QA 24H movement with a time reserve of up to 55 hours, a hands-on reserve display and is housed in an optimal 40.5mm polished white gold case.
Patek Philippe 7150/250R Chronographn
Sports watches are not a popular item for women, but that doesn’t mean Patek Philippe lacks chronographs for women in its collection. Ref. watch model. The 7150/250R is a prime example. With the ladies’ small wrists, the size of 38 x 10.59 mm creates a beautiful masterpiece on the wrist, hidden inside is a mechanical symmetry. The CH 29-535 PS movement provides a watch/chronograph function that is activated and adjusted via a set of 2 pushers and a crown made from rose gold with sunburst cone guilloche and the famous Calatrava cross. The delicate dial made from silver-coated opaline forms a modest backdrop for the classic gold-coated Breguet hour markers.
And, if that is not sophisticated and luxurious enough, the 7150/250 also has a bezel set with 72 diamonds (~0.21 ct) and a clasp with 27 diamonds (~0.78 ct). The watch is finished with a brown alligator leather strap that matches the rose gold case, making the 7150/250 model a luxurious and luxurious piece of jewelry for ladies who truly love watchmaking.
Of course, the chronograph feature of this women’s watch also contains a small interesting thing with the pulsimeter number line – which is used similarly to the tachymeter feature but instead of measuring speed, it measures the number of heart beats per minute. It is unclear whether this is Patek Philippe’s useful intention for female physicians or a romantic implication for lovely ladies who easily “arrhythmia”, but indeed this watch is a masterpiece that any woman would want to have on her wrist.
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