The Doctor’s Chronograph

The Pulsometer

In the world of mechanical watches, the chronograph, complication is by far one of the most desired and well known. Why? Simple, really. They’re just cool. But if you have one, I sure hope you didn’t just buy it because it looks cool. And for the sake of your investment, I really hope you looked up how to read a tachymeter and work your chronograph properly and not break it. You have? Well that’s brilliant, pat yourself on the back for me. For those yet uninitiated, here’s a crash course.

As opposed to the more commonly known tachymeter chronograph watch, that’s used to measure speed – here’s something that you might not have seen before:

I’m a little disappointed, I fell grossly short of finding more details on this piece of gorgeousness. So if anyone has any details, drop me a line please. The picture is from a post on the watchtalkforums.info, where a lucky chap was asking the community for advice on buying the watch from a dealer.

From what we can tell about the Longines piece, it appears to be from the Admiral, Five Star line. It’s not a chronograph, but there are two chrono-scales on both halves of the watch face, with the words ‘gradatus ad xv pulsus, ‘ Latin for, ‘graduated for 15 pulsations‘. The American Medical Association logo, at the 6 o’clock mark, then confirms that this is a watch intended for medical professionals – to measure pulse.

If you’ve got any sort of a soft spot for mechanical tool watches, you have to admit, this one’s a pretty awesome piece of tool. And so simple! Because the watch doesn’t have a chronograph function, Longines has placed two scales on either halves of the watch face. So that even with just hour, minute, second functions, you’re never left waiting for a whole minute to pass before you can count a patient’s pulse, starting at the 12 o’clock start mark, or the one at 6 o’clock.

How Does a Pulsometer Work?

It’s very simple really. From the zero mark of the scale, count 15 pulses (for the particular Longines watch above) on the patient, and observe where the seconds hand is at the point you count the 15th pulse. Read the number off the pulsometer scale, and there you have it – that’s the pulse rate of the patient, per minute. A healthy pulse rate should fall between 60 to 100-ish beats per minute.

The more traditional way to calculate this is of course that the medical professional, counts how many pulses occur on a patient in 15 seconds, and multiply it by 4, to get the patient’s pulse rate per minute. It might not be terribly difficult math, but hey! Any seconds shaved off examining a patient can have a significant impact in the medical profession.

You Want One?

If you’re thinking of getting yourself the Longines, featured above, I’m afraid it’s round about from the mid 20th century and not easy to get a hold off (but if you ever see one, TELL ME). So here are some present day options for medical professionals, or just regular Joe tool watch enthusiasts.

1. Longines – Pulsometer Chronograph

Bravo, Longines. That’s a very sexy piece of watch. ‘Gradue pour 30 pulsations’, this one’s telling us in French that the pulsometer on this watch is graduated for 30 seconds. Lovely red, easily read pulsometer scale, blued steel hands, what’s not to like?

Unlike the initial Longines we looked that, this one is a column-wheel chronograph, a mono-pusher at that – care of the ETA A08.L11. Automatic, with 54 hours’ power reserve (approximate). Should be noted that the crystal on the front and back of the watch is sapphire, with several layers of anti-reflective treatment. Up to 3 bars of water resistance, because, you know, medical profession, fluids.

2. Patek Philippe 175th Anniversary, Multi-Scale Chronograph 5975

Need a Patek? That’s got a regular tachymeter, a telemeter and a pulsometer? Patek thought of you for their 175th anniversary. The 5975 which is available in white/yellow/red gold and platinum is also available in a version more suited for women (ref. 4675, white/red gold). It’s got an automatic, column wheel chronograph and vertical clutch (minimum 50 hour power reserve). Best be quick if you’re looking for one in any one of the iterations, they are a limited run of 400 pieces per version.

3 bar water resistance,

3. Ball Watch Trainmaster Doctor’s Chronograph

TY showed me this one a while back. I don’t know, can’t say I was blown away. It’s got the pulsometer function. Interesting chronograph engage switch at the 2 o’clock mark and all, but it’s all a little too busy for my liking. The Longines and the Patek are 40mm, this one’s a 43mm. Available in yellow/rose gold and platinum, these are also a limited run of 199 and 99 pieces respectively.

Summing It Up

Perhaps an uncommon feature in watches, but with all these health monitoring personal devices coming out in the market, perhaps there’s a consumer bracket here that’s drawn to the pulsometer. I am highly drawn to these, and of course there’s a story there (but not here, not now).

While skimming through the web for a additional information to make part of this post, I came across this:

The Swatch Pulsometer GA106, from 1987. Especially with how good the Sistem 51 is doing, I’m calling it now – Swatch, you guys need to bring this one back.