Method for determining a distance to a retroreflective target, comprising • generating a transmission radiation, • modulating the transmission radiation, wherein a basic modulation of the transmission radiation with a basic modulation frequency is provided by modulation means in the optical beam path of the transmission radiation, • emitting the modulated transmission radiation to the target, and • detecting a measurement signal on the basis of part of the modulated transmission radiation returning from the target, referred to hereinafter as reception radiation, and wherein detecting the measurement signal is carried out in such a way that information regarding the absolute distance to the target is attached to the measurement signal by means of at least one reference point of a frequency-dependent signal profile of the measurement signal, on the basis of a modulation phase of the reception radiation with respect to a set basic modulation, characterized in that the distance to the target is determined continuously, on the basis of a measurement process with defined steps corresponding to the temporal order below: • initially determining an initial distance to the target on the basis of ∘ an identification of a first and a second reference point of the signal profile of the measurement signal, on the basis of a sweep of the basic modulation frequency over a defined frequency range and/or by means of defined adaptation of a sequence of frequency steps of the basic modulation frequency, ∘ a tracking of the first and second reference points, and ∘ deriving the initial distance on the basis of the identified first and second reference points, • continuously determining a respective current distance to the target on the basis of a setable basic modulation frequency, on the basis of ∘ a tracking of the first reference point as long as the latter lies within a tolerance range defined within the defined frequency range, and ∘ a continuous derivation of the deviation of the frequency value of a set basic modulation frequency with respect to the first reference point, wherein the continuous derivation of the deviation is based on a wobble of the basic modulation frequency, said wobble being provided by a wobble generator, wherein • the wobble represents a continuously rising or continuously falling frequency profile at least in sections, in particular wherein the wobble is provided as a triangular signal, a sawtooth signal, or a sinusoidal signal, • the detected measurement signal is Fourier-transformed, and • the current distance is determined on the basis of the Fourier-transformed measurement signal, wherein for a set basic modulation frequency the deviation of the frequency value of the basic modulation frequency with respect to the first reference point of the signal profile of the measurement signal is derived, namely the frequency offset and the offset direction with respect to the reference point. • generating a transmission radiation, • modulating the transmission radiation, wherein a basic modulation of the transmission radiation with a basic modulation frequency is provided by modulation means in the optical beam path of the transmission radiation, • emitting the modulated transmission radiation to the target, and • detecting a measurement signal on the basis of part of the modulated transmission radiation returning from the target, referred to hereinafter as reception radiation, and • initially determining an initial distance to the target on the basis of ∘ an identification of a first and a second reference point of the signal profile of the measurement signal, on the basis of a sweep of the basic modulation frequency over a defined frequency range and/or by means of defined adaptation of a sequence of frequency steps of the basic modulation frequency, ∘ a tracking of the first and second reference points, and ∘ deriving the initial distance on the basis of the identified first and second reference points, ∘ an identification of a first and a second reference point of the signal profile of the measurement signal, on the basis of a sweep of the basic modulation frequency over a defined frequency range and/or by means of defined adaptation of a sequence of frequency steps of the basic modulation frequency, ∘ a tracking of the first and second reference points, and ∘ deriving the initial distance on the basis of the identified first and second reference points, • continuously determining a respective current distance to the target on the basis of a setable basic modulation frequency, on the basis of ∘ a tracking of the first reference point as long as the latter lies within a tolerance range defined within the defined frequency range, and ∘ a continuous derivation of the deviation of the frequency value of a set basic modulation frequency with respect to the first reference point, wherein the continuous derivation of the deviation is based on a wobble of the basic modulation frequency, said wobble being provided by a wobble generator, wherein ∘ a tracking of the first reference point as long as the latter lies within a tolerance range defined within the defined frequency range, and ∘ a continuous derivation of the deviation of the frequency value of a set basic modulation frequency with respect to the first reference point, • the wobble represents a continuously rising or continuously falling frequency profile at least in sections, in particular wherein the wobble is provided as a triangular signal, a sawtooth signal, or a sinusoidal signal, • the detected measurement signal is Fourier-transformed, and • the current distance is determined on the basis of the Fourier-transformed measurement signal,