Portal: Watch Knowledge

The second stop-watch hand is dragged along with the chronograph hand. It can be stopped independently by pressing a button in order to measure lap times. After another push of a button it will bounce back under the chronograph hand to continue in conjunction with it. Hereby the measurement of other intermediate times becomes possible.

The rattrapante hand is a second hand that can be stopped independently of the central chronograph hand. After having been stopped (temporarily), it can be caused to instantly catch up the central chrono hand and continue together with it by pressing a button. Therefore the word “rattrapante”, which has its origins in the French verb “rattraper,” meaning “catch again”.

Rattrapante chronographs are regarded as particularly valuable because of the demanding complication; certain historical models are coveted by collectors and connoisseurs. For example a rattrapante wristwatch by Patek Philippe, produced in 1922, was auctioned at Antiquorium on 14 November 1999 for US$ 1,918,387. At that time this was the highest price ever reached for a wrist watch in an auction …

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