Looking for a Watch With Both a Stopwatch and a Timer? Here are Some of the 10 Best Chronograph Watches for Women you can Buy in 2021

In very simple terms, a chronograph is a very fancy name for a stopwatch or a timer. A chronograph watch records time in seconds, minutes and hours at the push of specific buttons without interfering in the functions of the regular watch. The recorded time can be read from a time register set in the dial. Some chronograph watches can record only 30 minutes while some other can record time of up to twelve hours.

The word chronograph, literally translated, means "time writer". It is formed after joining two Greek words "Chronos" meaning time and "Graph" meaning writing. It was named such because the earlier versions of the chronograph required marking the dial with a pen and using the length of the pen mark to determine how much time has elapsed.

The invention of the first modern chronograph can be attributed to French watchmaker Louis Moinet. In 1816, he invented a watch that could measure time accurately to 1/60th of a second. No other timepiece during that time could measure time with this much precision. He intended the watch to be used along with astronomical instruments for ease and accuracy of astronomical research. Even though Moinet was the inventor of the first chronograph, it was the invention of Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec in 1821 that would be the first marketed chronograph watch. Nicolas was the watchmaker of King Louis XVII. One of the king's favourite time pass was to record the lap time of horse races. He commissioned Nicolas to produce a timepiece that will allow him to do that and the first commercialized chronograph watch was born as a result.

Nicolas' timepiece however had one major drawback and that it was heavily dependent on ink. This made the watch ineligible to be used multiple times and in different situations. This drawback was corrected by Adolphe Nicole's upgradation in 1844 that allowed measurements and recording of time successively without the use of ink. This upgradation was a turning point in the history of chronograph watches and it began to be used in a wide variety of fields from the military to sports to everyday life. Longines made the first chronograph wristwatch in 1913 and other watchmakers followed suit bringing out their own versions of a chronograph wristwatch. The latest revolutionary addition to the chronograph watch was the tachymeter in the early 20th century. The tachymeter increased the utility value of the watch and made it an invaluable tool in naval operations, submarine navigation and aviation.

In the era of smartwatches, a question might arise in our mind about the relevance of chronograph watches. After all, how can a mechanical multi-functional watch stand against a digital watch that allows you to take phone calls? The reason is that technology is a testament to human genius but mechanical brilliance is a testament to human craftsmanship. Following four reasons will elaborate on the desirability of chronograph watches further:

Simply put, chronograph watches are very attractive. They have a classy and impressive design that make it more than just an accessory; it makes a statement about your taste and personality. The many features visible through the dial, the casing, the expensive materials with which it is made, the many knobs and buttons all together look highly intricate and sophisticated. It immediately draws attention to it.

Due to their sophisticated, outstanding design and functionality, chronograph watches have always been the choice of successful people and achievers. As such, they have been a part of many iconic moments that increased their brand value even more. Jacques Cousteau, a deep sea diver who is renowned all across the world had worn the Omega Seamaster Diver 300 in many of his successful diving expeditions.

Deep-sea diving success got associated with that watch and it is still considered one of the best watches for divers. Similarly, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona which was sported by legendary actor and racing enthusiast Paul Newman got associated with professional success and wealth. Its brand value increased so much that in 2017 it sold for a whopping $17.75 million.

Chronograph watches have very high utility value. They are like multiple watches in one watch. Now, who wouldn't want that? Multifunctionality is always desirable. Traditional chronograph watches perform two functions that are of a regular watch and a stopwatch.

But modern chronograph watches do more than that. Nowadays, chronograph watches are equipped with telemeter, pulsometer, tachymeter and much more. It not only does the primary function of a watch which is to tell the time but also measures your heart rate, calculates how much you have walked today, shows the date, functions as a stopwatch and keeps track of two events at the same time. A chronograph watch is truly proof of human craftsmanship.

A chronograph watch scores top points not only in utility value but also in design. A watch is more than just a useful object to us, we wear them as an accessory to what we are wearing. It is part of our style statement and fashion besides showing us the time of the day. A chronograph performs both the above functions with equal competence. Its sophisticated design makes it a stylish accessory while the multitude of features assist you in your day to day activities. Thus it provides a complete watch experience.

You have read about the utility and aesthetic value of the chronograph watch. Now its time to invest in one. This BP Guide lists 10 chronograph watches for women. Go through them and get the best one for yourself:

This suave and sophisticated watch from Fossils is equipped with an analogue watch enclosed in a circular case with a stainless steel base. The dial is white in colour and the hour and minute hands are inlaid with glow in the dark feature. The other features that come with the watch are a date aperture, a three-faced chronograph display and a screw and two push buttons to adjust the time and the equipped features. The watch has a water resistance count of 50 meters meaning you can wear it to swimming in shallow depths.

The strap is brown in colour and is made of leather. It closes around the wrist with a tang clasp. The width of the dial is 35 mm and the width of the strap is 6 mm. This watch is the perfect accessory for the professionally powerful boardroom ladies. It is a great complement to their fine cut formal suits. You can buy this watch for a price of Rs. 9,495 on Myntra

This analogue quartz watch is powered by a battery and is equipped with a chronograph, time reset buttons and date aperture. The dial is round in shape and is made of stainless steel. A water resistance count of 50 meters ensures that you can wear it while swimming. The dial is bracelet style with fold-over closure. The most attractive feature of this Michael Kors is the colour. Sans the dial rim and watch hands, the rest of the watch is dark pink in colour. So it will go well with your pink outfit on your weekend outings or dates. The rim, hands and push buttons are gold coloured and the rim is embedded with diamond-shaped glass; so is the top of each hour sign. This attractive watch comes with a price tag of Rs. 19,995 on Myntra

A trendy looking analogue watch to go with your informal t-shirt and jeans, it comes with features like reset time and chronograph. This quartz watch is battery powered and has a round dial with is made of plastic. The water resistance count is just 30 meters meaning the watch cannot withstand more than splashes of water. The strap is made of silicone and has a tang closure. The dial and the strap are black in colour while the watch hands, numbers, hour signs and indicators of the other features are blue in colour. The inside of the strap is also blue in colour. The design and colour of the watch make it the perfect accessory for your everyday college wear or outing with friends. Buy this Swatch watch for Rs. 11,100 on Myntra

This watch from Giordano is a versatile one meaning you can wear it in an office space and also at a cocktail party. The dial is round in shape and white in colour and the features of this watch are the chronograph and time reset button. There is no confirmation as to the watch's waterproof characteristic so keep it away from water to be on the safe side. The strap is a metallic one with fold-over closure. The strap, the dial rim, watch hands and hour signs are beige in colour. Its colour can complement your light-coloured outfit and accentuate your dark coloured one. Buy this versatile watch for Rs. 5,990 on Amazon

This watch from Tommy Hilfiger looks both funky and sophisticated at the same time, and hence can be an accessory to both formal and informal wear. It is equipped with features like a chronograph, a date dial, buttons to reset time and other equipped features. Water-resistance count is 30 meters so it is safe against splashes and sprinkles of water. The dial is round in shape and is white and gold in colour. The other elements with the dial is also gold in colour. The strap is metallic, blue in colour and has a clamp closure. This watch is priced at Rs. 11,995 on Amazon

This watch from Balmain has a futuristic design. The dial is rectangular in shape, black in colour and is made of stainless steel. The watch hands, numbers and other indicators in the dial are made of stainless steel and are of the same colour as the dial rim. The features of the watch include a chronograph, date aperture, and buttons and a screw to adjust time and the remaining features of the watch. You can wear this watch while swimming as it has a water resistance count of 50 meters. The strap is made of black coloured leather and clamp closure. The black and steel colours contrast each other and add to the beauty of the watch. It will be a great accessory to black attires and emo fashion style. This watch comes with a price tag of Rs. 43,200 on Ethoswatches

This watch from Seiko is the perfect blend of modern and classic. It has a round-shaped dial made of stainless steel and the rim is rose gold in colour. The glass on the dial is hardex crystal. The features of this watch include a chronograph, a date aperture, a screw and buttons to adjust time and the other included features of the watch. The watch is highly water-resistant what with 100 meters count. You can even go snorkelling while wearing it. The strap is made of metal and its colour is a combination of silver and rose gold. It has a fold-over closure. You can but this watch for Rs. 37,000 on ethoswatches.com

This watch from Clause Bernard is a classic metal watch. It has a round-shaped white dial, metal base and rim which is rose gold in colour and the glass on the dial is sapphire crystal. The watch has a chronograph, a date aperture, a screw and buttons for adjusting among its features. The water resistance count is just 30 meters. The strap is made of metal, is rose gold in colour and has a folding clasp closure. Buy this watch for Rs. 39,590 on Ethoswatches

This graceful and classy multi-functional watch from Lee Cooper is the perfect companion to your feminine charm. The quartz watch has a circular dial is placed in a stainless steel case. The glass on the dial is mineral glass. The watch has a chronograph among other features. The water resistance count is 30 meters only. The strap of the watch is made of steel and has a fold-over clasp closure. The entire watch has a silvery sheen that looks beautiful. Wear this watch at official parties and dazzle everyone with it. This watch comes at a price of Rs. 5,250 on titan.co.in

This quartz watch from Tag Heuer features a chronograph, date aperture and a unidirectional rotating bezel. The dial is circular and is placed in a stainless steel base. The glass on the dial is sapphire crystal. The water-resistant count of the watch is a whopping 200 meters meaning you can even go scuba diving while wearing it. The strap is made of ceramic and steel and has a fold-over clasp closure. The watch has a lustrous silver colour that goes well with black attires. Buy this watch for Rs. 1,64,000 on ethoswatches.com