We still speak of Watches! The split-seconds chronograph

Generally used in sporting competitions with numerous participants, before the advent of digital stopwatches, today is particularly appreciated for the complexity of its construction mechanics that make it a piece of fine workmanship and the cost of which places him among the objects intended for amateurs.

Its function is, therefore, to detect the time of multiple events that begin at the same instant, but which terminate at different times.
Constructively, the chronograph features two clock hands stopwatch, centered on the main axis and perfectly sopvapposte.
At start of the measurement of the time (made by pressing the button located above the crown), the clock hands start to go simultaneously, perfectly superimposed.

As soon as the first event concludes its the period of time that we are measuring, by pressing the "split-seconds" (usually positioned at hours "eight" or "ten"), one of the two clock hands itself will stop while the seconds of the chronograph , continue to advance .
Done reading this intermediate time, by pressing the button again "split-seconds",the clock hand that had stopped instantly will reach the other who had remained on the move and they will continue to travel so superimposed.

At the end of the second event, a new button press "split-seconds" will again stop the clock hand, so you can read the new split time.
The procedure can be repeated as many times as there are of course the participants.
After the detection of the times, the clock hands will be return in the initial configuration of overlapping, on hours "twelve".