OK, let me set the stage here...I have known many folks who own pick up trucks to rave about how capable they are in terms of hauling gear, pulling trailers, and being an off-road machine. Yet the vast majority of their owners have never towed anything, and the tires have only even met pavement...no off-roading in that rig! I think most truck owners like the idea of having that capability at the ready, if ever called for... Which leads me to my question: Do you actually use your chronograph function? I'm going to assume that some enthusiasts are going to hop on and tout that they of course use their chronographs, heck, maybe daily...but I'm suspecting the majority don't use the chrono often. Be honest with me now folks...
I had a Speedmaster for rmore than a decade. I used the chrono perhaps a dozen times. Got a Seamaster Professional instead. I use the bezel for the timing I need.
Not often, but a handful of times each year I really need a capable off-road vehicle with high clearance and a climbing gear. Unless you've been there before, you really don't know in advance what the terrain will be like. I have dozens of chronographs, and almost never use that feature except for fun.
I'll be the first to admit that the chrono on my Speedy is mostly just a cool toy. However, I do find it useful for little things like getting that perfect poached egg or keeping track of elapsed time on my parking so I don't cop a fine. Nothing really important like timing retro rocket burns (à la Apollo 13) or lap times around a racetrack...
I like to cook. I frequently use the Speedmaster to time my cooking. Still can't figure out how many miles per hour that steak is going. If I am wearing a diver I advance the bezel to the minutes I am waiting for.
I use it for long shutter releases (mechanical shutters) - click chrono and cable release at the same time. Very handy for very long release in the multiple minutes range. I did a series of exposures (on film- can’t do it in digital), where I left the shutter open for a series of long exposures (in the hours each range) of the night sky in the open desert of Arizona- you could see the Stars spiraling around the North Star. Speedy timed each of those.
I use mine daily. Probably the most frequent use is to track my water intake. I try to drink 8 cups a day. Whenever I pour the water, I move the chronograph hand for each cup; some of my mugs are 8 ounce (so one tick on the chronograph), and some are 16 oz (2 seconds on the chronograph). Since I have the 3576, the “reward” for drinking water each day is moving the seconds hand to see the moon phase more clearly. This actually motivates me to drink more water in the morning than I would otherwise. I also use it to time lunch breaks. I also have 1-2 days a week where I have meetings in the morning/afternoon and then a meeting at night. On those days, I get a later start and/or take a longer mid-day break. So I use the chronograph to track my 8 hours of work – running it when I’m working and turning it off during breaks. I also use it occasionally for other things: to time my kids running for fun; to time my kids sledding down the hill to see who can go the longest; to time my kindergartener when he does his ten minutes of reading per day (we have to sign off that he did the ten minutes); to track my home time zone when I travel (I set the watch to the destination time zone and set an alarm on my phone to remind me to start the chronograph at noon in my home time zone, then leave it running during the trip); sometimes I use it as a date indicator, since the date indicator at 12 o’clock is so tiny. Just this weekend we were doing a family yard clean up day, and my daughter and I were playing 20 questions while we worked. It was hard to remember how many questions each person had asked on their turn, since our focus was split with the yard work, so I used the chronograph to track how many questions I or my daughter had asked on each of our turns. (Basically, I find that I often will use the chronograph to count things - each second equals a unit of whatever I’m counting.) I also will run it for various amounts of time until I like the geometric pattern created by the subdial hands, just for the aesthetic pleasure of seeing different variations. For example, if I run the chronograph for about 50 minutes, I can get the minute and hour hands to point right at each other. Then sometimes I stop the chronograph seconds hand right between them. Another whimsical use is that sometimes I charge the lume with my bike light before going to bed. In bed I start the chronograph, and the seconds hand looks like a tiny spaceship traveling in space. I’ll watch it in the dark for a while to slow my mind down and fall asleep - like how some people “count sheep.” After 4.5 years of owning this watch, I don’t think I’d be happy without a chronograph as my daily wearer, since I find fun and useful ways to use the chronograph daily.
It's nice to see it on a watch but I don't think I've ever used it before. I think using it to regulate/habitualize water consumption is a pretty good idea lol
I utilize the chronograph function of my modern Speedy quite a bit...probably at least two or three times per day. The utilization that occurs most often is for recording seat time regarding cycling. Because I don’t road race any more, I don’t do any hard training requiring the recording of watts and/or heart rate...but I still like to keep track of my seat time and enter it into my Training Peaks log. Also, I’ve become fairly tired of relying on my electronic gizmos [Wahoo head unit, Stages power meter, Garmin heart rate strap] that require updates, downdates, sidewaysdates, calibrations, charging and batteries. I just wanna ride my bikes, know how long I’ve ridden and know what time it is...and my modern Speedy is pretty good for that. My modern Speedy mounted to my 1989 Schwinn Waterford Paramount...
As a music teacher, I use the chrono all the time. Time bonding in lessons and timing performances in rehearsal so that I can plan concerts. The rest of the time, it’s just a toy. But one I love playing with.
I use the chrono often. Generally for actually timing things like time left in car parks; sometimes because I can’t be bothered getting the phone out of my pocket, like when I’m refereeing junior football matches. Also, in boring meetings I find it soothing as I reflect on my wasted time.
Yes. Mainly for stupid and unimportant things though. Like I was at the Interactive Van Gogh exhibit last week in Chicago, and wanted to see how long the show was...
