Watch collectors who own a chronograph may notice that it is a complicated timing mechanism to use. For people wearing a watch for fashion, this may not be a big issue. But those using a typical chronograph for its intended timing intervals might find it tedious to set.
You usually have to press a series of buttons start a new timing interval on a chronograph by stopping the current interval and restarting it.
A flyback chronograph, however, is much easier to use. It only takes a single press on its reset pusher to make the chronograph "fly back" to zero and reset.
In this blog, we will break down everything you need to know about the Flyback Chronograph.
How a Flyback Chronograph Works
Mechanically, a flyback chronograph as an extra gear and hammer assembly that lets it reset the running second hand on the fly.
In a normal chronograph, you must first stop the timer before hitting reset. In a flyback, pressing the reset pusher while the chronograph is running immediately brings the hand back to zero and re-engages the movement.
Essentially, the flying-hammer strikes the heart-shaped cam on the chronograph wheel mid-operation, momentarily disconnecting it and snapping the hand to zero before letting it run again.
This allows timing to continue smoothly without the gap you’d get from stopping.
This clever mechanism is why pilots and racers love flyback chronographs – they save precious time and keep focus on the mission, not on watch buttons.
Many brands incorporate this mechanism in their chronograph models, including Omega, Rolex and Patek Philippe.
How to Use a Flyback Chronograph
Operating a flyback chronograph is straightforward. In a typical two-button layout, the upper pusher (at 2 o’clock) starts and stops the timer, and the lower pusher (at 4) resets it.
To time back-to-back intervals, follow these steps:
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Start the timer: Press the top (2 o’clock) pusher. The central chronograph second hand will begin sweeping.
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Flyback reset: When your first timing interval ends, don’t stop the watch – simply press the bottom (4 o’clock) pusher while it’s still running. The chronograph hand will instantly snap back to zero and immediately start timing again. (That single press did the work of “stop + reset + start.”)
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Stop completely: After your final interval, press the top pusher again to stop. If you want to clear the counters, press the bottom pusher once more to reset to zero (now that it’s stopped, this is just like a normal chronograph reset).
This one-button “flyback” action saves the usual extra step. Timing successive events is fast and fluid: start, tap the flyback to replay, start again, and so on, all with minimal button work.
