been looking for a Chronograph with all of the following functions -

1. Split seconds (rattrapante)
2. Sub second (foudroyante)
3. Flyback (retour en vol)

Would anyone know one?

How about this -

 

Foudroyante and Retour en vol

 

Rattrapante and Retour en vol

 

Foudroyante and Rattrapante

 

My three special chronographs

 

If minute repeaters and grand sonneries are most complicated striking complication and perpetual calendars are most complicated astronomical complication, what is the most complicated chronograph (timing complication)?

 

Triple Split?

 

Just curious.

I can imagine the practical use of split and flyback. Even a foudroyante.

How about for a double split and triple split? What would be a practical use for them? Havent handled one. Is there a separate control pusher for splitting each of the minute hand and hour hand?

 

Hahaha I'm not sure this has been a consideration of manufactures in decades. Triple splits, double splits, repeaters etc. are a horological *&^% measuring contest. No doubt they are very cool. But practical? No.

 

True, horological flexing but not when they were invented.

Repeaters used to have a practical use. To tell time even when dark.

Even tourbillons used to have practical use. For pocket watches.

Since double splits and triple splits are recent innovations, not sure of their use. Certainly, if youre measuring elapsed time by the hour, a chronograph may not be the best tool.

For minutes, there may be a use for splitting the hand of the minute subdial. Nothing comes to mind though.

 

For the same reason you would split the seconds, but for things that require a longer duration.

 

^ for split seconds, i can imagine timing laps and the entire race. So the doppelchronograph really helps in timing splits in races.

As it would take a few seconds for me to record the lap time while still continuing to time the entire race, the rattrapante becomes handy. Once the second hand split, i can then record the time as the rattrapante hand is now stopped. Then once i record (maybe two or three seconds), i can have the two second hands combine again to continue timing the entire race.

For minutes and moreso for hours, i could not imagine an actual practical use. As i dont think it would take me a minute (much less an hour) to record the time split. Maybe to time the second finisher of a race who would be minutes or hours behind?

It’s nice to be able to do so.

 

So you think these are only for timing races? I think if you use your imagination a little more, you would see other uses for such things.

 

For timing what i can imagine, i dont need no more than two minutes. . And hours of rest in between.

Levity aside, i guess that’s why i am asking. My imagination is limited. I cannot fathom a use at the moment. Am not saying there is none. Am saying i do not know of one and am asking the group to educate me.

 

Doesn’t the double split make sense but if a lap takes several minutes?

 

^ i dont see how it will be used.

Take an F1 race. A lap is less than two minutes. A race is about two hours.

If you start the chronograph at the start of the race and lap 1, then activate the rattrapante at end of lap 1, it wont take a few seconds to record time of lap 1 (even if it took more than a minute to complete the lap) and then have the rattrapante hand catch up with main second hand that has been timing entire race. So lap time is irrelevant.

But if you want to time a middle lap with same chronograph, am not sure if the second hands can remain split beyond a minute (i dont think a split second hand can pass 60 second marker alone).

Maybe that’s where a double/triple split comes in? Havent handled one. So maybe a member with one can lend to me so i can study.

 

Incoming. Doppelchronograph.
Gift from a client. Who also now is a friend.

 

What a great looking watch.

 

Movement shots of the Doppel-Felix Date

 

Rattrapante Chronographs / Doppelchronographs / Split Seconds Chronographs



Clockwise (pun intended) from left: Blancpain Leman, Girard Perregaux Sport Classique, Omega Speedmaster, Habring2 Felix