chronograph

This term is most frequently encountered in the luxury watch industry, where it refers to a watch capable of measuring elapsed time independently of the main timekeeping function. In this consumer context, it is often distinguished from a simple stopwatch by its ability to keep the current time of day while simultaneously timing an event.

In scientific or medical settings, the term shifts toward a recording instrument. Here, it describes a device that creates a physical or digital record of time intervals, such as those used in physiological measurements. This technical application emphasizes the recording aspect (graph) rather than just the measurement aspect.