Chronometers And Today’s Luxury Watches

By Author: Dukwin Watch Winder
Total Articles: 9
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That’s not the case. Quality and certification separate luxury watches from all others. An authenticated luxury watch that elite watchmakers manufactured is actually called a chronometer.

What exactly is a chronometer and why is there a distinction? Let’s begin with the past.

Chronometers

Travelers who cross time zones must adjust their timepieces and biological rhythms (e.g., eating and sleeping habits). For some, the change can be confusing. Technological advancements and modern circumstances help us adapt. Especially when it comes to our timepieces – many simply make the change without our even noticing. Moving across time zones also affect proper navigation and longitudinal understanding. GPSs and other modern advancements help ships, planes, and other travel modes adjust.

Let’s now go back three hundred years, when sailors used the sun and stars to navigate the oceans. Flawed timekeeping methods often caused many ships to go off-track and led to shipwrecks. In 1714, to resolve this problem, Britain passed the Longitude Act and offered prizes for inventions that ...
... determined a ship’s location.

Some sources initially credit reference Christiaan Huygens with the first chronometer. He used a spiral spring and balance wheel, rather than a pendulum, to measure time. Though he obtained a patent, his invention remained inaccurate at sea.

Additional sources reference Jeremy Thacker. His device used a vacuum, which locked out air and improved timekeeping precision. In writings, Thacker actually used the term “chronometer.” While Thacker’s chronometer was correct to six seconds a day, the act required accuracy to three seconds a day and did not win the top prize.

Then John Harrison came along. Most sources agree that he was the chronometer titleholder. He came up with various designs, including a five-inch pocket watch. Captain Cook (yes, there was a real Captain Cook) used one of his devices and, today, many timepieces still use his balance and caged roller bearing technology. He took most of the act’s prize money and earned what today would exceed millions of dollars. His inventions made sure Britain governed the seas for over one hundred years.

In upcoming blogs, we’ll further examine this past and how it impacts today’s luxury watches.

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