In the 1960s and 1970s, the golden age of the chronograph, the complication was found on only the most exceptional timepieces. Today, chronographs are ubiquitous—and rightly so. Aside from the date, a chronograph—translated literally as “time writer”—is considered the most useful feature on a watch because it allows wearers to measure elapsed time. Powered by movements featuring a coulisse lever or the more technically challenging column wheel, chronographs are universally belo…