While the functions of complications like the perpetual calendar or the moon phase display on watches can be guessed by their names alone, the rattrapante is different. Other common names for it like split-seconds hand or double chronograph are not particularly informative either. That’s why we want to tell you a little more about the workings and history of one of the most sophisticated complications in the world of haute horlogerie.
What is a rattrapante or split-seconds chronograph?
A chronograph with a rattrapante or split-seconds complication has a second hand that is positioned below the actual stop-seconds hand. When not activated, it lies under the seconds hand and is not noticeable. However, it stops when the first button is pressed, marking an intermediate time. When the corresponding pusher is pressed again, it immediately catches up with the position of the chrono center hand. This process is described in French with the verb “rattraper”, which means “to catch up.”
The Development of the Rattrapante Mechanism
The roots of the rattrapante complication can be found in the first half of the 19th century and were significantly influenced by two watchmakers. In 1831, Joseph Thaddäus Winnerl developed a pocket watch with “free seconds” (French: “seconde independante”), in which the seconds hand could be stopped and started independently of the movement and as often as desired. Seven years later, in 1838, Winnerl presented the first watch in which two superimposed second hands marked the beginning and end of the measurement. The problem with both mechanisms, however, was that the seconds hand was very slow to return to its starting point. Charles Victor Adolphe Nicole solved this problem in 1844 with a patent for a mechanism that enabled the chrono hand to be reset immediately. The “zero setting heart” was a small heart-shaped disk that was attached to the shaft of the fourth wheel. When the pusher was pressed, the stop seconds hand connected to the movement and was set to zero. An English patent was issued for the zero setting of chronographs in 1862. However, that mechanism was developed by Henri Féréol Piguet, one of Nicole’s employees.
The Rise of the Rattrapante
Double chronographs took on their current appearance in 1880, when the double-hand pincers were placed above the movement, making them visible. Characteristic of the appearance of a rattrapante chronograph is the additional pusher, which is either mounted as a third pusher on the case (traditionally at 10 o’clock) or is located in the crown and is operated from there. However, back then that technology required a lot of space, which meant that for a long time double chronographs were only available in pocket watch format. As the wristwatch gradually became the standard form of watch, the demand for complicated luxury watches also increased. In the 1920s, the time had finally come: Patek Philippe presented the first double chronograph in the form of a wristwatch. The construction of the model had already begun in 1903 and took 20 years to complete. The prototype with movement number 124824 and case number 235326 was sold at auction in 1999 for $1,918,387 and was the most expensive wristwatch ever auctioned at the time.
Difficult Years and a Brilliant Comeback
The sophisticated technology behind the split-seconds mechanism quickly made the complication popular. Other watch manufacturers also began to produce rattrapante movements. The likely most popular ones come from the Swiss movement manufacturer Fabrique d’Ebauches Vénus SA. Movements 179, 185, 189, and 190 are still highly sought after by collectors today. But perhaps this is also due to their relatively short production time. The movements were produced starting in 1940 but were discontinued in 1952. The Venus company became part of Ebauches SA, which later became ETA SA, the manufacturer of the well-known ETA 7750. Due to the quartz crisis, however, demand for luxury watches fell rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s. Then, at the end of the 1980s, Blancpain heralded the renaissance of the rattrapante mechanism with the caliber Piguet 1181. Its successor, the Piguet 1186, is supplied to Breitling, Omega, and Audemars Piguet, among others. ETA also returned with a new split-seconds mechanism. Based on the ETA Valjoux 7750, Ulysse Nardin and IWC presented their own special versions of the complication. The latter company has particularly elegant models, such as those from the Da Vinci Rattrapante collection. Inspired by old ship chronometers, the references exude a sophisticated vintage charm with their circular cases and detailed dials. If you are looking to purchase a timeless, classic luxury watch with a rattrapante complication, then the Portugieser Chronograph (Ref. IW371480) could also be of interest to you. The Omega De Ville Rattrapante, on the other hand, is modern and dynamic. With its Co-Axial caliber and a clear dial, the series presents the best arguments for reviving the rattrapante mechanism in the 21st century. Despite many new movements and models, one fact remained unchanged until 2004: The measurement of the split time during an ongoing measurement process was limited to the rotation of the chrono hand, i.e. a maximum of 60 seconds. A. Lange & Söhne succeeded in changing this in 2004. In addition to the chrono hand, the Double-Split model has a jumping minute counter that can be used to take intermediate measurements of up to 30 minutes.
The Mono-Rattrapante
In addition to the rattrapante, there is also what’s called the mono-rattrapante. This variant of the split-seconds mechanism is cheaper to manufacture. Since a mono-rattrapante has only one stop hand, it is strictly speaking not possible for the second hand to “catch up.” There are only two pushers on the case of such watches. The upper one triggers the start-stop function. The lower one then stops the hand and reveals the split time. Pressing the lower button again makes the hand jump to the position where it would have been if it had not been stopped. In the 1940s, the luxury watch brand Bovet in particular excelled in the production of timepieces with a mono-rattrapante. The Swiss company’s watches were based on the Valjoux 84 movement. These vintage models from Bovet are very popular today and prove once again that the technology of the past still knows how to inspire today.
