What is a Tachymetre in a Watch?

Many modern watch options are equipped with a fairly easy-to-use device, which is called a tachometer. We will tell you in more detail what a tachymeter is in hours and how to use this function correctly. The presence of this accessory in the watch makes it multifunctional and indispensable. First of all, the tachometer is designed to measure the speed and number of repetitions of cycles for a certain period of time.

The metric scale is motionless and is located on a rim of hours. Also next to the scale, you can find numerical marks, which allows you to better navigate in the tachymeter. Standard tachymeter options allow you to calculate the speed in kilometers per hour or the necessary time it takes to overcome one kilometer. You can also use a tachometer to measure heart rate per minute or to perform certain cycles that take place at the same time intervals.

On the tachymeter scale, which is located on the rim of the clock, you can see the mark 60, located opposite 12 hours and the mark at 120 opposite 6 hours. Depending on the particular modification of the watch, the tachometer can use either a separate hand or a special system that, when this function is activated, transfers the hour or minute hand to the 12 o'clock position. After completing the use of the tachometer, such an arrow returns to its original position.


Using a tachymeter scale is not difficult. You need to press the function activation button and the arrow located at 12 o’clock will begin its movement. After passing a certain section of the path, you need to stop the tachometer and calculate the number of values passed by the arrow. By simple calculations, you can get the speed in kilometers per hour or the time needed to overcome one kilometer. On the Internet you can find a thematic video that tells what a tachymeter is in the watch and how to use it.

In most cases, there is no difficulty in using the tachometer. You just need to learn how to correctly calculate the number of times the scale has been crossed by the arrow and to count as accurately as possible the distance traveled or the time required to complete a specific action. All this will allow you to get the most accurate calculations.

When choosing a watch with a tachometer, you must first pay attention to the specific model and manufacturer of the watch. The fact is that today it is not uncommon when watch manufacturers offer a not very high-quality mechanism, the measurement accuracy of which is far from ideal. In this case, not only the accuracy indicators are affected, but also all the available functions for a particular watch model. All this leads to the fact that the tachometer shows inaccurate data, and the error in the calculations can be about 15-20%.


The choice in this case of a mechanical or quartz system is uncritical. With a poor-quality mechanism, the tachometer may show incorrect data, while with fine tuning of the quartz watch, the tachometer can produce perfectly accurate measurements. Therefore, even before making a purchase, it will not be superfluous to read reviews about a particular model and familiarize yourself with the technical specification in which the manufacturer sets the maximum tolerances for deviation from perfectly accurate measurements. This will allow you to choose a model of watches, which will be equipped with a total station and other functions that are important to you.

It must be said that today the functionality of modern mechanical watches has significantly expanded. If previously it was enough that they showed the time and date on the calendar, today high-quality watches can be equipped with built-in accurate stopwatch, chronographs, perpetual calendar and various other functions. Undoubtedly, this leads to the inevitable complication of the technology of the mechanism, which in turn increases the cost of the watch itself. Therefore, acquiring a particular model, you need to decide which functions in the watch are critical for you, and for which you would not want to overpay. This will allow you to correctly determine the necessary model, and you will select exactly such a watch that will fully satisfy you in terms of its functionality, accuracy and price. The tachymeter, although it is quite an interesting function in the watch, but still has limited use. However, today, many manufacturers are already using a standard mechanism that allows you to use a tachometer without any increase in the cost of a particular model