4 ms·

i'm continuously astounded by how accurate the Omega Aqua Terra is. it will be within 90s over a 30 day period after 4 years of daily use with no servicing. the

i'm continuously astounded by how accurate the Omega Aqua Terra is. it will be within 90s over a 30 day period after 4 years of daily use with no servicing. the fact that something mechanical and so tiny operating at 3.5hz can do this is mind blowing to me. it has a cool [8800] co-axial escapement: https://www.kapoorwatch.com/blogs/through-the-scope-the-omega-co-axial-escapement-for-dummies/ https://www.kapoorwatch.com/blogs/through-the-scope-the-omeg...

CydeWeys 4y ago
If you want absurd accuracy in a watch powered by mechanical energy (without just resorting to a battery-powered quartz), look into Grand Seiko's spring drive. It's super interesting technology, and the result is a smoothly sweeping second hand (as in it's actually continuous, not merely a higher number of beats per second).
- leeoniya 4y ago
  yep, i've considered that one; insane engineering for sure. but the watch's aesthetics don't do it for me. also, it does feel a bit like cheating ;), if an EMP were to go off, i dont think the Spring Drive would come out okay like a purely mechanical watch would. another crazy one is Zenith's all-silicon oscillator: https://masterhorologer.com/2017/09/14/zenith-defy-lab-the-worlds-most-accurate-mechanical-watch-equipped-with-a-new-oscillator-that-beats-at-108000-vph-15-hz/ https://masterhorologer.com/2017/09/14/zenith-defy-lab-the-w... https://monochrome-watches.com/zenith-defy-lab-revolutionary-oscillator-technical-review-video-price/ https://monochrome-watches.com/zenith-defy-lab-revolutionary...
  - CydeWeys 4y ago
    To be clear, there are literally hundreds of different models of Grand Seiko watches that are powered by spring drive that have been produced over the past two decades plus, with wildly varying looks across the range. It's not just one watch I'm talking about here.
    - leeoniya 4y ago
      i probably would not get a watch model from two decades ago, let's limit it to maybe past 5yrs. most (all?) that i've seen have a power reserve gauge. if it's a daily wearer, that needle will be pegged to max and basically useless clutter. complications for their own sake are not my cup of tea. most (all?) that have a date function have the extra-wide single digits, which i'm not a fan of. (i could go on) i know it's not one model, but there's certainly similar design language to them (as there should be, perhaps), likely due to the geometry of the movement itself. i havent seen anything wildly varying, as you say.
      - CydeWeys 4y ago
        Here's one example of one without a date or a power reserve gauge: https://www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/sbgy007g https://www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/sbgy007g If you do want a date, but it's specifically the font on the date wheels they use that you don't like, then you're probably SoL.
vmurthy 4y ago
Ha! I followed a rabbit hole and found this gem : Listen to how 3Hz sounds like. It's hypnotic https://www.omegawatches.com/en-au/watch-omega-speedmaster-moonwatch-professional-chronograph-42-mm-31130423001005 https://www.omegawatches.com/en-au/watch-omega-speedmaster-m... (Search for 3 Hz and click the Audio icon)
- leeoniya 4y ago
  i put on some decent headphones to listen to this and can tell you that at least on my 8800 movement (and the common ETA 2824-2 in another watch i have), this clip misses some important nuance. both movements have an audible "twang" of the hairspring at each tick -- you can hear it in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYCujza8JU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYCujza8JU. the sound is somewhat different for each watch, since the 8800 has a Si14 hairspring and the cheaper 2824-2 is metal. if you want another rabbit hole: [1] what's interesting is that if you leave the watches on a hard flat surface, like a table or nightstand, the entire surface amplifies this twang, so you can hear it from several feet away. [1] https://watch-insider.com/reportages/omega-defeats-mechanical-watchs-enemy-no-1/ https://watch-insider.com/reportages/omega-defeats-mechanica...
andrewgleave 4y ago
Interestingly, I met George Daniels a number of times (creator of the co-axial escapement). He asked me to record a video on my phone of a model he created to illustrate how the escapement works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVhSQ_Azkr8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVhSQ_Azkr8 Not the best video you'll find on it now, but he was a fascinating man.

CydeWeys 4y ago

If you want absurd accuracy in a watch powered by mechanical energy (without just resorting to a battery-powered quartz), look into Grand Seiko's spring drive. It's super interesting technology, and the result is a smoothly sweeping second hand (as in it's actually continuous, not merely a higher number of beats per second).

leeoniya 4y ago
yep, i've considered that one; insane engineering for sure. but the watch's aesthetics don't do it for me. also, it does feel a bit like cheating ;), if an EMP were to go off, i dont think the Spring Drive would come out okay like a purely mechanical watch would. another crazy one is Zenith's all-silicon oscillator: https://masterhorologer.com/2017/09/14/zenith-defy-lab-the-worlds-most-accurate-mechanical-watch-equipped-with-a-new-oscillator-that-beats-at-108000-vph-15-hz/ https://masterhorologer.com/2017/09/14/zenith-defy-lab-the-w... https://monochrome-watches.com/zenith-defy-lab-revolutionary-oscillator-technical-review-video-price/ https://monochrome-watches.com/zenith-defy-lab-revolutionary...
- CydeWeys 4y ago
  To be clear, there are literally hundreds of different models of Grand Seiko watches that are powered by spring drive that have been produced over the past two decades plus, with wildly varying looks across the range. It's not just one watch I'm talking about here.
  - leeoniya 4y ago
    i probably would not get a watch model from two decades ago, let's limit it to maybe past 5yrs. most (all?) that i've seen have a power reserve gauge. if it's a daily wearer, that needle will be pegged to max and basically useless clutter. complications for their own sake are not my cup of tea. most (all?) that have a date function have the extra-wide single digits, which i'm not a fan of. (i could go on) i know it's not one model, but there's certainly similar design language to them (as there should be, perhaps), likely due to the geometry of the movement itself. i havent seen anything wildly varying, as you say.
    - CydeWeys 4y ago
      Here's one example of one without a date or a power reserve gauge: https://www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/sbgy007g https://www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/sbgy007g If you do want a date, but it's specifically the font on the date wheels they use that you don't like, then you're probably SoL.

vmurthy 4y ago

Ha! I followed a rabbit hole and found this gem : Listen to how 3Hz sounds like. It's hypnotic https://www.omegawatches.com/en-au/watch-omega-speedmaster-moonwatch-professional-chronograph-42-mm-31130423001005 https://www.omegawatches.com/en-au/watch-omega-speedmaster-m... (Search for 3 Hz and click the Audio icon)

leeoniya 4y ago
i put on some decent headphones to listen to this and can tell you that at least on my 8800 movement (and the common ETA 2824-2 in another watch i have), this clip misses some important nuance. both movements have an audible "twang" of the hairspring at each tick -- you can hear it in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYCujza8JU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYCujza8JU. the sound is somewhat different for each watch, since the 8800 has a Si14 hairspring and the cheaper 2824-2 is metal. if you want another rabbit hole: [1] what's interesting is that if you leave the watches on a hard flat surface, like a table or nightstand, the entire surface amplifies this twang, so you can hear it from several feet away. [1] https://watch-insider.com/reportages/omega-defeats-mechanical-watchs-enemy-no-1/ https://watch-insider.com/reportages/omega-defeats-mechanica...

andrewgleave 4y ago

Interestingly, I met George Daniels a number of times (creator of the co-axial escapement). He asked me to record a video on my phone of a model he created to illustrate how the escapement works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVhSQ_Azkr8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVhSQ_Azkr8 Not the best video you'll find on it now, but he was a fascinating man.