A simple explanation of the evolution of the chronograph in chronological order

FEATURES Magazine article

2020.10.24

Breitling Rolex Longines

Chronographs with stopwatches are one of the most popular genres of mechanical watches. However, mechanisms such as flyback and 12-hour counters were not perfected until the mid-1930s, and the automatic chronograph did not appear until 1969. Chronograph movements have a particularly short history among mechanical watches. However, technological innovations have transformed this genre into one of the most attractive since the 1980s.

Photos by Eiichi Okuyama and Masaru Mitamura
Photographs by Eiichi Okuyama, Yu Mitamura
Masamasa Hirota (this magazine), Yukiya Suzuki (this magazine), Yuto Hosoda (this magazine): Interviews and writing
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan), Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan), Yuto Hosoda (Chronos-Japan)

Chronograph Timeline

1912	Longines introduces the Caliber 13.33Z wristwatch chronograph movement
1916	Valjoux announced the Cal.A23, also known as Cal.VZ (23), a downsized version of the Cal.22. Since the diameter was reduced to 30mm, it was adopted by many manufacturers.
1923	Breitling introduces the wristwatch chronograph with a single push-button that can start and stop independently. Minerva introduces the first wristwatch chronograph movement, the Cal. 13-20.
1931	Rolex unveils a unidirectional automatic winding mechanism with a rotor that rotates in all directions.
1933	Venus introduces its first chronograph movement, the Caliber 130. Martell introduces the Caliber 285 chronograph movement with a 12-hour counter (some say in 1934). This is probably the first chronograph with a 12-hour counter.
1934	Breitling patents the two pushers. Universal claims to have developed a similar mechanism in 1932, but Breitling patented it.
1936	Longines releases the Caliber 13ZN, a chronograph movement with two pushers. It is equipped with a flyback function required by aviation pilots. The later model released in 1942 evolved into a coaxial totalizer. Valjoux introduces the world's smallest chronograph movement, the Caliber 69. As chronograph mechanisms became increasingly smaller in the 1930s, they began to incorporate features such as 12-hour counters and flyback mechanisms.
1937	Dubois-Dépraz developed a cost-saving cam-operated chronograph instead of a column wheel. It was sold under the name Landeron Cal. 48. It is said that approximately 350 million of this movement were produced by 1970. However, unlike the column wheel type, it was not possible to install a brake lever.
1938	Valjoux announced the Cal. 72 VZH with a 12-hour counter. The combination of a 30mm diameter and a 12-hour counter made it highly versatile. Since then, various manufacturers have adopted this movement. Movado introduces the chronograph caliber M90, a pioneer of modular chronographs.
1939	Hanhart develops the chronograph movement
1940	Venus released the modern design of the Caliber 175 (Caliber 178 with a 12-hour counter). Along with Valjoux's Caliber 23 and Caliber 72, this movement was adopted by many manufacturers.
1941	Pierce released the Caliber 130, which used a vertical clutch for the chronograph's power transmission system. This was the first wristwatch chronograph equipped with a vertical clutch. However, the clutch, which was made of natural rubber, was not very durable. UROFA/UFAG announced the Cal.59 with a flyback mechanism. Its 34mm diameter allowed for ample space for the flyback mechanism.
1942	Breitling introduces the Chronomat, the world's first chronograph equipped with a rotating slide rule. Lemania introduces the 27mm Caliber 27 CHRO (later Omega Caliber 321) with a 12-hour counter.
1944	Universal released the "Tricompax" with a chronograph mechanism, triple calendar, and moon phase function. The movement was the Martell Cal. 285.
1948	Lemania prototyped an automatic chronograph for Omega. However, they abandoned the idea because the movement would have been too thick. Albert Piguet, who was involved in the design, commented that the movement would have been twice as thick.
1952	Breitling releases the Navitimer, equipped with an aviation-use circular slide rule. The movement is the Venus Cal. 178.
1957	Omega released the "Speedmaster." The movement was the Cal. 321 (27 CHRO C12) developed by Lemania. The structure in which the small movement was supported by an inner case provided excellent shock resistance. This model later became the official watch of NASA and accompanied the first manned moon landing (69).
1960	Zenith acquires Martell, a manufacturer of chronograph movements, and advances the development of automatic chronographs.
1964	Seiko announced the "Crown Chronograph" with the Cal. 5717 movement manufactured by Suwa Seikosha. Heuer announced the "Carrera."
1967	Citizen releases the Record Master, equipped with the Caliber 5700. It uses a simple vertical clutch for the chronograph connection mechanism.
1968	Omega adopted the cam-operated Cal. 861 for the Speedmaster Professional. This was the world's first cam-operated chronograph movement with a brake lever. Since then, there has been no difference between the cam-operated and column-wheel-operated movements.
1969	In January, Zenith announced the El Primero, also known as the Caliber 3019PHC. In March, Heuer Hamilton/Breitling announced the Caliber 11, an automatic chronograph movement with a micro-rotor. In May, Seiko released a model equipped with the Caliber 6139, an automatic chronograph movement. The Magic Lever and modern vertical clutch of the Caliber 6139 had a major impact on the design of automatic chronographs.
1973	Valjoux released the Cal. 7750, an automatic chronograph movement that later became the ETA 7750. It was used by many manufacturers as an inexpensive general-purpose movement.
1974	Omega announced the Speed Sonic tuning fork quartz chronograph. The movement used was the Omega Cal. 1255, also known as the ESA9210. The chronograph mechanism was a module with a simple vertical clutch using a friction wheel.
1978	Lemania introduced the automatic chronograph Caliber 5100, an improved version of the Omega Caliber 1045. Like its predecessor, it featured a full-fledged vertical clutch.
1983	Dubois-Dépraz introduces the Chronograph Module 2000 series. Originally designed for Lemania, the LWO283 movement was a key component in the chronograph boom that began in the 1980s. Zenith begins re-production of the El Primero at Ebel's request
1984	Breitling officially announced the Chronomat, powered by the ETA7750. Ebel announced a perpetual calendar chronograph equipped with the El Primero movement.
1988	Frédéric Piguet launches the automatic chronograph 1185. With its compact automatic winding mechanism and modern vertical clutch, this movement revolutionized the automatic chronograph.