The world renowned Swiss watch maker, Louis Moinet has taken a step back in time, back to between 1815 and 1816, the time when his namesake invented the chronograph. The current CEO of the brand, Jean-Marie Schaller, announced the original brand chronograph was purchased in auction from Christie’s. Sold by a northern European family, the timepiece appears to have been well maintained and show the construction of the instrument started in 1815, and was completed the following year.
While the modern chronograph is seen as a single complication, reality shows it is a series of distinct inventions, and designed over a long period of time. The original idea behind the chronograph is attributed to one Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec, creating a device using ink to measure time intervals. The initial invention was used for timing horse races, and clocked intervals up to 10 minutes maximum.