[yurumtin]

The chronometer was originally devised for maritime purposes and perfected by John Harrison, who solved the longitude problem with his marine chronometers. It might not seem like a big deal, but creating a clock in the 1700s capable of maintaining accurate time in a vessel - constantly pitching and rolling and exposed to changing temperatures and humidity - was no easy task. Accuracy was of the essence for the simple reason that for every 15 degrees that a ship travels eastward, the local time moves one hour ahead; moving west 15 degrees, the time moves back an hour. If sailors could establish the accurate time of Greenwich (GMT) on board, they could measure local time by observing the Sun and calculate the difference to see how far they had moved east or west. here

[DGCmagazine]

Since only 1.7 million official COSC certificates were issued in 2012 - which represents roughly 3% of Swiss watch production - the seal is highly esteemed. Rolex, Omega and Breitling are in the top three positions as certified chronometer producers. With various chronometers in its collection, including the classic Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch and Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller, the revered Swiss brand accounted for almost 800,000 of those certificates in 2012 and is clearly the leader of the pack, for the moment. Tissot has recently started to obtain COSC certificates for its chronometer watches, and with its colossal production facilities, could start to dislodge some of the top brands. here

[ninaheadley]

The chronometer has downsized and migrated to the wrist, where it performs its sole mission of precision, tested and approved by a series of strict exams.

[denger]

By Rebecca Doulton in Madrid

[giik]

First encounters with the Lilliputian world that makes watches tick is for many mortals like venturing into an alien galaxy where the locals speak a different language. There were some things that I thought I knew, however, and I was pretty sure that there was no difference between a chronometer watch and a chronograph watch - they were just interchangeable words for a watch with some buttons on the case used to measure elapsed time.

[sandos]

One thing that will surely be in everyone’s mind is whether a quartz watch can be called a chronometer or not.

[SkyN]

This prompted the British government to establish the Longitude Act. The Act’s purpose is to reward those that can find a good and reliable method of determining a ship’s longitude. more

[Pipa]

Automatic watch, on the other hand, is more special. Though it’s not as accurate as any quartz watch, it’s mechanical movement has deep character which was the culmination from centuries of innovation.

[nigz]

Just to clear up a point of confusion: you’ll hear terms like ‘chronometer watch’ or ‘chronometer movement’ thrown around a lot. While a watch can be known as a chronometer watch, it’s the movement inside that achieves chronometer status (think similar to how everyone calls the iconic clock tower ‘Big Ben’, when this is actually the name of the bell inside). more

[rainchains]

Do you want your watch to tell the time accurately? This isn’t a trick question.

[John Doe]

Today’s chronometer watches are smaller and more wearable than Harrison’s original developments, but the core challenges remain the same: they need to remain extremely accurate, wherever they are in the world, whatever they’re subjected to.

[jimmy]

But if you want bragging rights that you’re wearing a piece of precision engineering that won’t run out of battery after about 12 hours and has far more personality than any iPhone or Android, then your chronometer watch is a lasting statement. here

[bokab51]

Let's look at how watches with these titles or designations are similar. Simply put, they are both required to be certified chronometers and go through the standard COSC ISO 3159 testing before any further tests are done. COSC testing involves only the watch movement/caliber itself and for two consecutive weeks, the movements are tested at three different temperatures and 5 different positions.

[Xaxo]

With a benchmark like this, you can decide for yourself which is better. But first, for those who need it, let's answer the most popular questions around this topic. more

[osjak]

What is Chronometer? (pronounced chro·NOM·e·ter, similar to the pronunciation of thermometer) It is a pedigree of sorts that is awarded to highly accurate mechanical watches and some quartz watches by a chronometric institute called COSC. here

[Iron47]

Once this is accomplished the watch is ready to be shipped out with a new Superlative Chronometer designation. [links]