Every person is missing something. One money, another attention and love, the third health. But what is definitely lacking for everyone is time. That is why people have always dreamed of inventing a device with which they can accurately calculate the time in order to rationally dispose of it.
However, most of the early hours were very unreliable and dependent on environmental conditions. But once an ultra-precise instrument for measuring time was invented - a chronometer. Strange as it may seem, this amazing invention not only affected the lives of ordinary people. First of all, the invention of this device helped sailors to better navigate on the high seas.
What is a chronometer?
The word "chronometer" itself came from a combination of two Greek words: "time" (chronos) and "measure" (meter).
From the name of the device it becomes clear that its purpose is to measure time. In other words, a chronometer is
a watch, however it is very reliable, able to continue to work in any conditions, both in frost and in tropical heat.
Chronometer History
Chronometers were not the first mechanical watches. However, the watch mechanisms before them were very fragile and easily broken under adverse environmental conditions. Moreover, even in ordinary circumstances, the watch began to βlieβ over time.
But everything changed in 1731, when a British watchmaker by the name of Harrison invented the chronometer. This invention has become very important for the development of maritime industry. Since the Harrison instrument continued to show absolutely accurate time in any conditions, this helped the crew to determine the longitude, and then the coordinates of the vessel.
Despite its high cost, the chronometer began to be used quite often on ships, and with the development of aeronautics and on airplanes.
It is noteworthy that the construction of Harrison was so perfect that over the past years it has not practically changed. The only thing that replaced some of the materials of the chronometer with more modern, light and durable.
Marine chronometer
Harrisonβs invention (before it was supplanted in the twentieth century by simpler and cheaper marine watches with a course of stabilization using quartz resonators, as well as GPS) was the most reliable means for sailors to determine their location.
As a rule, all marine chronometers had an identical standard design. A clock mechanism was placed in a special (most often wooden) case . Thanks to the design of the case, in any situation he kept the chronometer in a horizontal position. The case protected the watch mechanism from exposure to temperature extremes, as well as a change in the position of the device.
Wristwatch Chronometers
With the invention of ultra-precise watches, many private individuals began to dream of having the same at home. Based on the invention of Harrison, at first they began to make wall and table ultra-precise clocks for the home. A little later, technology allowed to reduce the mechanism and create wristwatch, so necessary for busy people, for whom every second is worth its weight in gold.
Since the appearance of wrist watches with chronometer accuracy, several decades have passed. And today every self-respecting watch company has models with a chronometer in its lineup. Despite this, the most accurate and high-quality, of course, is the Swiss chronometer.
Moreover, it is in Switzerland that they are engaged in checking watch movements from around the world that claim to be chronometers. A specialized quality standard ISO 3159-1976 has also been developed for such watches.
How do I know if a watch has a chronometer?
Everyone wants to have a very accurate watch. And although most wrist accessories for measuring time indicate whether there is a chronometer in a watch, there are exceptions. Therefore, you can yourself verify its presence or absence in your own accessory.
To check, you need to make sure that the watch has a fresh battery or how long it has been wound up so as not to disturb the purity of the experiment. Next, you need to set the exact time. After that, the watch needs to be put into position with the dial down and left in this form for twenty-four hours. After the expiration of the time period, you need to turn the clock upside down and leave it for another twenty-four hours. Now you can check with real time. If in two days of non-standard position the watch began to βlieβ for only +/- 8-12 seconds - this is a chronometer. At high values ββ- an ordinary watch.
You can try to conduct a home check in other ways. For example, hanging a clock on a wall - twenty-four hours in the normal position and the same amount on the contrary. You can also check with temperatures. However, it should be borne in mind that the clock should not be cooled for a long time less than eight degrees above zero and more than twenty-five degrees.
Chronometer and chronograph: what is the difference?
Speaking of watches, many often confuse such similar concepts as a chronograph and a chronometer. And although the words are very similar, their meaning is completely different.
If the chronometer is a watch with a special mechanism design that allows you to accurately show the time under any conditions, then the chronograph is a tiny additional dial in a watch with autonomous mechanisms. Sometimes chronographs show a separate time or are designed for a second hand.
More than two hundred and fifty years have passed since the timepiece was invented. Since then, it is no longer so popular in the maritime industry, especially with the invention of GPS navigation. However, its incredible accuracy still remains unchanged. Therefore, many still dream of having a Swiss watch with a chronometer and always know the exact time.