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Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

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Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#131

Post by jhbadger »

QuercusMax wrote: post #120
jhbadger wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it a Seiko 5 (self winding)? Yeah, those aren't that accurate, but I wouldn't call them "junk" - they do lose or gain a minute or two a day in my experience - I generally correct mine every couple of days against my phone or computer though.

A minute or two a DAY??? I get pissed off that the microwave in my kitchen loses a minute a week!

Yeah, but I'm sure your microwave isn't mechanical. What makes a mechanical watch cool, even a cheap one, is that there are no electronics at all - just gears and springs and things. I think that's worth a trivial bit of inaccuracy even if a boring $10 digital watch can easily beat a $200 mechanical one in accuracy.

Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#132

Post by throw2ih020 »

jhbadger wrote: post #119
Cider9986 wrote: post #43

The 8th highest voted HN submission is on mechanical watches. I imagine that's the type the watchmaking school involves themself with because afaik all high end watches are mechanical. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31261533 4 years ago 413 comments They have a certain beauty in their intricate details working together for function. I do really like looking at the glass back which shows some details and you can…

Is it a Seiko 5 (self winding)? Yeah, those aren't that accurate, but I wouldn't call them "junk" - they do lose or gain a minute or two a day in my experience - I generally correct mine every couple of days against my phone or computer though.

If your Seiko is losing a minute a day it badly needs a service to adjust the timing.

Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#133

Post by throw2ih020 »

jhbadger wrote: post #131
QuercusMax wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A minute or two a DAY??? I get pissed off that the microwave in my kitchen loses a minute a week!

Yeah, but I'm sure your microwave isn't mechanical. What makes a mechanical watch cool, even a cheap one, is that there are no electronics at all - just gears and springs and things. I think that's worth a trivial bit of inaccuracy even if a boring $10 digital watch can easily beat a $200 mechanical one in accuracy.

My guy a mechanical watch should lose like a minute a _month_, tops. Get your watch serviced.

Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#134

Post by jhbadger »

throw2ih020 wrote: post #133
jhbadger wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, but I'm sure your microwave isn't mechanical. What makes a mechanical watch cool, even a cheap one, is that there are no electronics at all - just gears and springs and things. I think that's worth a trivial bit of inaccuracy even if a boring $10 digital watch can easily beat a $200 mechanical one in accuracy.

My guy a mechanical watch should lose like a minute a _month_, tops. Get your watch serviced.

A real, completely mechanical watch? No battery or crystal? I'm sure my Seiko isn't be best there is and maybe it could be improved with servicing, but I think electronics have given people unreasonable expectations of accuracy

Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#135

Post by rafski123 »

piskov wrote: post #75
Cider9986 wrote: post #43

The 8th highest voted HN submission is on mechanical watches. I imagine that's the type the watchmaking school involves themself with because afaik all high end watches are mechanical. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31261533 4 years ago 413 comments They have a certain beauty in their intricate details working together for function. I do really like looking at the glass back which shows some details and you can…

That’s why I eventually settled with gshock that has solar charging and syncs time twice a day with radio towers (or bluetooth if you are somewhere in the world where there is no time radio signal) Even rolex needs time setting, servicing to lube and clean metal parts, etc. Gshock on the other hand will work for 10-15 years without a single manual time adjustment or battery swap needed. Absolute unit. This gold metal…

In Japan they sell the Waveceptor brand Casio watches. I got a nice simple titanium (case back and strap) with solar, LCD alarms and radio control for around $200. It even auto re-centers the hands if they are exposed to strong magnets. You can also get these on eBay and Amazon though 3rd sellers.

Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#136

Post by technothrasher »

Cider9986 wrote: post #43

The 8th highest voted HN submission is on mechanical watches. I imagine that's the type the watchmaking school involves themself with because afaik all high end watches are mechanical. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31261533 4 years ago 413 comments They have a certain beauty in their intricate details working together for function. I do really like looking at the glass back which shows some details and you can…

What kind of timekeeping do you consider "junk"? I'm currently wearing a $50 Chinese watch with a knock-off Seiko automatic movement in it, and I just now timed it out of curiosity at -5s/day.

Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#137

Post by bluGill »

g8oz wrote: post #108
vlovich123 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can’t just say “no it isn’t” when your own link disagrees with you. From your link per capita GDP for Mississippi $55,877 in 2025 compared with $60,305 in 2026 for Canada [1]. That seems pretty similar. My point was that when the Canadian dollar is weak GDP in USD decreases while when it’s strong GDP increases without anything about the country’s output changing - that’s the challenging of comparing by normalizin…

When I see these GDP comparisons between Mississippi and Europe or Canada I have to ask does anyone honestly believe that life in Mississippi is better than in any of those other two places? Especially if you have any knowledge of Mississippi. If anything this example shows us the limitations of using this statistic.

It always depends. You get people in Mississippi who don't have electric, pump water by hand and use an outhouse. (They are not Amish or otherwise religiously against technology they just can't afford it) you also find engineers and doctors making as much as anywhere else in the US.

Mississippi has great weather year round. Canada gets really cold (most of those I know in Canada live in Manitoba). Your standard of living without electric is higher in Mississippi than in Canada in winter. If you are the typical person in Mississippi with electric service you have a nice life. Sure it is a little better elsewhere but not by much. You likely have more toys than someone in Europe.

Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#138

Post by bluGill »

DiscourseFan wrote: post #57
shit_game wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason that you bought your watch and the reason that other people buy these hand crafted mechanical watches are very, very different. Once upon a time, utility used to be what necessitated an accurate movement, and it came at great cost because of the skill, knowledge, precision, and artistic talent needed to make one; this justified further embellishing the movement with a beautiful case and band because it wou…

I think the fact that you can have a compact device on your wrist that accurately keeps time all without any battery or circuitry is really remarkable as well. Moreover that the “technology superior” smart watches are kind of distracting and don’t have a great deal of use value. My watch tells the time and the date, that’s really all I need it for

I long ago realized I hate how uncomfortable a watch on my wrist is. For a while I used a pocket watch until pocket sized cell phones became affordable.

Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#139

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

BoxOfRain wrote: post #124
jhbadger wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it a Seiko 5 (self winding)? Yeah, those aren't that accurate, but I wouldn't call them "junk" - they do lose or gain a minute or two a day in my experience - I generally correct mine every couple of days against my phone or computer though.

I have a 1950s mark 2 Shturmanskie as my main watch, the same model Yuri Gagarin wore into space. It's a 'frankenwatch' in that it's been assembled from parts of other watches, albeit in this case they're the right parts from the right period except the dial, which is a reproduction to avoid the considerable amount of radium the Soviets liked to put in their pilot watches. Now that is an unreliable watch! It'll usual…

Marshall from Wristwatch Revival has refurbished Soviet watches.

Re: Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

#140

Post by zuzululu »

bluGill wrote: post #137
g8oz wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I see these GDP comparisons between Mississippi and Europe or Canada I have to ask does anyone honestly believe that life in Mississippi is better than in any of those other two places? Especially if you have any knowledge of Mississippi. If anything this example shows us the limitations of using this statistic.

It always depends. You get people in Mississippi who don't have electric, pump water by hand and use an outhouse. (They are not Amish or otherwise religiously against technology they just can't afford it) you also find engineers and doctors making as much as anywhere else in the US. Mississippi has great weather year round. Canada gets really cold (most of those I know in Canada live in Manitoba). Your standard of li…

Most Canadians and Americans I'm guessing takes their cues from movies like My Cousin Vinny when they think Mississippi and probably have never ventured through it. I have. It is a very safe and clean city. There are ton of engineers and professionals out there making equal or more than what creme of the creme in Canada take home after taxes (another major point besides the exchange rate that puts Canadians behind America).

This is downtown Jackson, it looks to be in far better shape than many Canadian cities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQkKjiYu-qU

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