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Mechanical Watch (2022)

ciechanow.ski

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Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#51

Post by shimonabi »

Rudism wrote: post #36

I have a relatively inexpensive Seiko 5 mechanical watch that I really like, but as much as I love the idea of mechanical watches I simply don't have the patience to tend to it. Accuracy is a big problem (at least with my specific watch). Half of the time it's magnetized and running a few minutes fast per day, and the other half (shortly after de-magnetizing it) it's running a few minutes slow per day, meaning I need…

I'm the same. I had several Seiko 5 watches in the past and even modded one of them with a hacking mechanism. I would monitor the accuracy every week with a timegrapher app on the phone and try to make small adjustments.

The convenience of having a modern Bluetooth-syncing cheap Xiaomi fitess watch is so great I don't believe I'll ever go back.

Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#52

Post by gurchik »

DeathArrow wrote: post #37
neor wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Spring Drive movement is amazing, very accurate, very high quality and that smooth sweeping seconds hand is mesmerizing. Availability is good, and the price is a lot better than the high-end Swiss brands. Rolex these days is a joke, even the authorized dealers will rip you off shamelessly. They will either refuse to sell you a watch they have in store, or they will force you to buy 30 grand in extra jewelry just…

Since it has electrical components, I think Spring Drive isn't a mechanical movement.

It's a mechanical movement regulated by quartz. In a traditional mechanical movement, the escapement prevents the main spring from unwinding all at once. It is done with a fork which ticks at a certain rate governed by the balance wheel. In a Spring Drive movement, the escapement is replaced with an electromagnetic "brake" governed by a quartz crystal. So it still has many of the characteristics of a mechanical watch: it's still powered entirely by a main spring which can be wound or automatically wound by your body movements, it needs regular maintenance like other mechanical watches, and it isn't as durable as most quartz-only watches.

Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#53

Post by ddingus »

bigie35 wrote: post #10
pyr0hu wrote: post #6

This post is what got me into mechanical watches as I've always wondered how the analogue clocks/watches work but couldn't bother myself to actually read upon it. But after the article, I even got myself a clean Seiko 5 automatic, not because I wanted a fancy watch, but I wanted to own a piece of mechanical wonder.

I feel like most watch folks have at least 1 Seiko in their watch case at least once in their collecting journey. Fantastic watches, enjoy!

Seiko fan here. Seconded.

Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#54

Post by WillPostForFood »

Rudism wrote: post #36

I have a relatively inexpensive Seiko 5 mechanical watch that I really like, but as much as I love the idea of mechanical watches I simply don't have the patience to tend to it. Accuracy is a big problem (at least with my specific watch). Half of the time it's magnetized and running a few minutes fast per day, and the other half (shortly after de-magnetizing it) it's running a few minutes slow per day, meaning I need…

Half of the time it's magnetized and running a few minutes fast per day, and the other half (shortly after de-magnetizing it)

Wow, that's bad. Do you know what is magnetizing it? A cheap Seiko 5 should be able to keep time within a few seconds a day. Minutes a day means it is broken. It isn't a just tuning issue, there is something else going on.

Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#55

Post by bluescrn »

graphe wrote: post #50
fellerts wrote: post #32

This blog is what got me into the fabulous hobby of watch repairing. Well, this blog and Marshall's awesome repair videos over at Wristwatch Revival: https://www.youtube.com/@WristwatchRevival Watch repairing is a very rewarding hobby. It requires copious amounts of patience, but there's something fundamentally satisfying about disassembling something to its individual components, cleaning them and reassembling them…

Guns, small engines, and 3D printers are its larger modern cousins.

3D printers have very little mechanical complexity. It's all in the software.

If it wasn't for the computing power/software complexity required, hobbyist 3D printers could probably have been a thing in the 70s or 80s

Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#56

Post by graphe »

bluescrn wrote: post #55
graphe wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Guns, small engines, and 3D printers are its larger modern cousins.

3D printers have very little mechanical complexity. It's all in the software. If it wasn't for the computing power/software complexity required, hobbyist 3D printers could probably have been a thing in the 70s or 80s

They’re not complex, just easily taken apart and meant to be repaired by humans. The software isn’t particularly complex either, the reason for their surge recently was due to patents expiring for additive manufacturing. https://futurism.com/expiring-patents-set-to-improve-3d-worl...

Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#57

Post by ce4 »

j4yav wrote: post #44
sricciardi wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> These things are designed to be taken apart, and it shows. I'm hard-pressed to think of other modern day objects that are meant to do this. A mechanical film camera (say, a Leica) is similar. They are also meant to be opened, cleaned up, lubed, etc...

Espresso machines, as well, and vintage stereo equipment. I have really come to appreciate the zen of user-serviceable physical stuff.

I can relate - i took repairing espresso machines as a hobby since the pandemic. The parts are not complex at all and even 60+ years old E61-machines can be serviced easily (apart from not so cool stuff like asbestos as boiler insulation, leaded solder for boiler + fittings and mercury pressure switches).

But even todays machines (depending on manufacturer and origin) are very serviceable. Especially italian made ones.

Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#58

Post by HPsquared »

steezy13 wrote: post #14

I have been torn between wearing mechanical watches and smart watches. I don't need/want/like notifications on my wrist, but I really enjoy the activity and heart rate tracking of the Apple Watch. I have been reluctantly wearing a Samsung Withings watch that looks mechanical but is actually smart, but a mediocre compromise (you need to wear it higher up the wrist than I usually do, and I don't believe it gives accura…

I have a Pixel Watch and I must say, I enjoy the sweeping second hand.

Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#59

Post by CamperBob2 »

fellerts wrote: post #32

This blog is what got me into the fabulous hobby of watch repairing. Well, this blog and Marshall's awesome repair videos over at Wristwatch Revival: https://www.youtube.com/@WristwatchRevival Watch repairing is a very rewarding hobby. It requires copious amounts of patience, but there's something fundamentally satisfying about disassembling something to its individual components, cleaning them and reassembling them…

Watch repairing is a very rewarding hobby. It requires copious amounts of patience, but there's something fundamentally satisfying about disassembling something to its individual components, cleaning them and reassembling them meticulously. These things are designed to be taken apart, and it shows. I'm hard-pressed to think of other modern day objects that are meant to do this.

'1337 watch-repairing skillz qualify you to work on nukes: https://apnews.com/article/nuclear-warheads-military-bomb-pl...

   There are thousands of tiny parts inside each warhead, 
   so steady hands are key. That’s why technicians go 
   through a skills assessment that includes disassembling 
   and assembling a mechanical wristwatch.

Re: Mechanical Watch (2022)

#60

Post by MeImCounting »

fellerts wrote: post #32

This blog is what got me into the fabulous hobby of watch repairing. Well, this blog and Marshall's awesome repair videos over at Wristwatch Revival: https://www.youtube.com/@WristwatchRevival Watch repairing is a very rewarding hobby. It requires copious amounts of patience, but there's something fundamentally satisfying about disassembling something to its individual components, cleaning them and reassembling them…

Pocket knives! Nice modern pocket knives should be disassembled and maintained regularly.
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