The chronograph used to calculate the time interval is one of Patek Philippe’s most popular watches. Patek Philippe totally has eight mass-produced chronograph movements that are not only innovated in terms of layout and design, but also in terms of function and appearance. No watch has ever revealed the purpose of a timepiece so profoundly and clearly as a chronograph. If this function is combined with a suitable scale, the chronograph can even become a mechanical calculator on the wrist, performing calculations based on the measurement results. As the name suggests, this ‘multi-scale’ commemorative chronograph has three scales: a logarithmic scale for calculating speed, distance and heart rate. It was not until the mid-to-late 1960s that wristwatches with tachymeters, rangefinders, and pulse meters began to spread and were widely used in professional fields. Patek Philippe’s limited-edition ‘multi-scale’ chronograph is a tribute to the history of this brand and its timekeeping function.

No watch has ever revealed the purpose of a timepiece so deeply and clearly as a chronograph.

   Wrist time calculator is a decisive factor for many physical units. Speed ​​is just the distance traveled within a certain time; distance can be calculated according to the speed of sound; and the heart rate of a person is also expressed as the number of heart beats per minute. As long as the appropriate scale is available, the chronograph can directly display such calculation results, and there is no need to perform calculations after obtaining a reading.

Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Multi-scale Chronograph Platinum Edition Limited to 100 pieces

   The secret weapon of this kind of scale is ‘logarithmic operation’. The concept of logarithms was once known for the popularity of slide rulers. Logarithms can transform multiplication and division operations into addition and subtraction operations, thereby simplifying the process of mathematical calculations. Indian mathematicians discovered the mystery of logarithms more than 2000 years ago. In the seventeenth century, Swiss watchmaker Jost Bürgi (1552-1632) invented a new computing system based on logarithms. In 1622, he published the world’s first logarithmic formula table. Before the popularity of calculators, all pre-university students and many prominent scientists used this logarithmic formula table. After the advent of wristwatches accurate to the second, dial makers also relied on this logarithmic algorithm to invent dials that read speed, distance and heart rate directly from time interval data. This requires that each data item be unified into a special unit of measure.

Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph, Ref. 4675 Women’s Watch with Long Diamonds

   Pulsometer Medically, heart rate is expressed as the number of heartbeats per minute. Patek Philippe’s ‘multi-scale’ chronograph is equipped with a pulse meter that measures 15 heartbeats. It can quickly measure heart rate without waiting for a full minute. As long as the ‘multi-scale’ chronograph captures 15 consecutive heartbeats, the pulse meter can display Heartbeats per minute. Doctors check the heart rate of hundreds of patients every day during a round, and a watch with a pulse meter can save them more than an hour a day.

Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph in platinum, limited to 150 pieces

   1. The Patek Philippe ‘multi-scale’ chronograph is equipped with a 1,000-meter rangefinder. When a vehicle is driving, passengers can usually start counting at the beginning of a kilometer mark and stop it at the end of the kilometer mark. The chronograph hands show the time it takes the car to pass a thousand meters, while the tachymeter scale directly shows the average speed of the car over that distance. Therefore, the tachymeter does not directly measure the “distance”, but measures the time required to complete a known distance.

   Rangefinder Patek Philippe’s ‘multi-scale’ chronograph is also equipped with a rangefinder in kilometers. This calculation requires two known speeds and relies on both visual and acoustic signals. Since the speed of light in the atmosphere (300,000 km / s) is much faster than the speed of sound (about 333 m / s), we always ‘see’ something in the distance, and then ‘listen’ To ‘sound. In the 1960s, this distance calculation method was still widely used in the military. For example, if you hear gunfire 5 seconds after seeing the enemy muzzle flash, the rangefinder will show the enemy’s distance as: 333 meters / leap second x 5 seconds = 1675 meters.

Precision movement, precise measurement

   The ‘multi-scale’ chronograph not only has a distinctive dial, but also uses the Caliber CH 28-520 movement, which is specially designed for this watch. This is a self-winding movement with a classic star wheel structure to start / stop the chronograph function; a disc clutch with almost zero friction ensures that the chronograph hands can also be used as a continuously running second hand.

   The accuracy of the movement of this new movement is also very interesting. With the Patek Philippe imprint, it can be shown that the daily error of this chronograph will not exceed -3 to +2 seconds. The higher the accuracy of the movement, the more accurate the readings displayed by the pulsimeter, rangefinder and rangefinder.

Classic look, timeless beauty

   Patek Philippe’s commemorative “multi-scale” chronograph reflects this Geneva watchmaker’s consistent pursuit of perfection, inheriting tradition and integrating innovation. The simple and elegant case, with beautifully designed layered lugs, is fixed to the outer edge of the case and the bezel in a low-key manner to play a fixing role. This design is slightly more complicated but practical, ensuring that the case can be completely removed, simplifying the decoration and repair process. The dial has three concentric dials, which represent the three functions of this multi-scale chronograph. Men’s watches are range finder, pulse meter and tachymeter from outside to inside. Women’s watches are arranged in the reverse order. Ref. 5975 men’s watches are limited to 400 pieces, made of 18K yellow, white, rose gold, and 100 pieces in platinum. Women’s watches feature long diamond hour markers and are limited to 150 pieces, including white and rose gold. All ‘multi-scale’ chronographs use hand-stitched crocodile leather straps with gold folding clasps and the words ‘Patek Philippe 1839 – 2014’ are engraved on them to complement the case.

Read More »