Stopwatches are handheld timepieces which are designed to measure elapsed time during various sporting and racing events. They are basically timers which can be used for events associated with biking and auto racing. Stopwatches are different from stopclocks. Although they are both used in the measurement of elapsed time, stopclocks are specifically designed to be viewed at a distance at live sports events. Although there are some watches (Uhren) such as Esprit watches (Esprit Uhren) which have timer functions as well as an hour hand and second hand, a stopwatch might be more accurate to use particularly for official games or races.
A traditional stopwatch or timer typically has timing functionalities which can be controlled by two buttons. Through pressing the top button, the timer starts running, while pressing it a second time would stop it, displaying how much time has elapsed between the two presses. When the lower or the second button is pressed, the stopwatch is reset back to zero. This lower button is also used in recording lap times or split times. When the second button is pressed as the watch is running, the timer’s display freezes. This allows the time elapsed at that point to be read, while the mechanism of the stopwatch continues to run to record the total elapsed time.
Aside from the traditional stopwatch, there is also the mechanical stopwatch. They basically function the same way but the mechanical version is powered by a mainspring that should periodically be wound up through turning the knurled knob which can be found on the top of the watch.
Another type of stopwatch would be the digital electronic stopwatch. This type of stopwatch is more accurate than the mechanical one because it has a crystal oscillator timing element. It also has a microchip, which is why it has additional functions such as date and time. There are also some models that have connectors for external sensors, which allow them to be easily triggered by external events, measuring elapsed time a lot more precisely than just being triggered by pressing on the buttons of the timer.
Some of the more commonly used stopwatch brands today would be Robic and Allstar, which both offer timers that are equipped with useful features and functionalities.