More recently, the term has also been applied to the chronometer watch, a watch that meets precision standards set by the Swiss agency COSC.

A chronograph has a stopwatch complication, as explained above, while a chronometer watch has a high quality mechanical or a thermo-compensated movement that has been tested and certified to operate within a certain standard of accuracy by the COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres).