setting the seconds, with a non-hacking hand?

[darron]

the speedmaster professionals manual winds do not have a hacking second hand. How do you syncronize? What are typical accuracys per day? Is there a threshold, where omega would re-regulate if it was too slow or too fast?
thanks again.

[doc_colton]

When you pull out the crown and turn it slightly backwards you can stop the second hand, in fact sometimes you can get it to run backwards a few seconds. With a little practise you can synchronize fairly well, it's one of those things you have to do, it's hard to actually explain. Mine runs about 5 seconds slow per day. Since it's not a certified chronometer I'm not sure about any kind of theshold, never had one serviced by Omega yet so I don't know what they do around regulating.

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by doc_colton

When you pull out the crown and turn it slightly backwards you can stop the second hand, in fact sometimes you can get it to run backwards a few seconds. With a little practise you can synchronize fairly well, it's one of those things you have to do, it's hard to actually explain. Mine runs about 5 seconds slow per day. Since it's not a certified chronometer I'm not sure about any kind of theshold, never had one serviced by Omega yet so I don't know what they do around regulating.

I am far from an expert on this and really don't know much about the Omega movement in question. That said, I would caution you to check into this procedure before doing so. VC and others strongly discourage this back pressure to stop the second hand and it causes excessive wear and tear. I will see if I can find more on the subject.

[Dan Pierce]

I don't think that'll work for my vintage Tudor DD. So I just determine the difference in time when set then add that to the next days calculation.
dP

[doc_colton]

Right from the Omega manual.........

Note: calibres 1861, 1863, 1866 and 3604 do not have a stopsecond
mechanism. To synchronise, the crown should be gently
turned backwards and pressure maintained to stop the seconds
hand. Release when the display corresponds to the timing signal
and push crown back to position 1.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by doc_colton

Right from the Omega manual.........

Note: calibres 1861, 1863, 1866 and 3604 do not have a stopsecond
mechanism. To synchronise, the crown should be gently
turned backwards and pressure maintained to stop the seconds
hand. Release when the display corresponds to the timing signal
and push crown back to position 1.

I have a Speedy Patch with the Lemania 1861 and it is only a couple of seconds fast per day, however, it can be slowed down by about the same amount each night by leavint it crown up.

This makes it an extremely accurate timepiece.....

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by doc_colton

Right from the Omega manual.........

Note: calibres 1861, 1863, 1866 and 3604 do not have a stopsecond
mechanism. To synchronise, the crown should be gently
turned backwards and pressure maintained to stop the seconds
hand. Release when the display corresponds to the timing signal
and push crown back to position 1.

Great !! Sounds like these watches are made for it. Found a couple of things searching for the guidance NOT to do it with a VC but couldn't find it.


It's true that Patek has said that they think stopping the balance is bad for timekeeping and that's why they don't put a hack mechanism in their watches. The is also true though that they know their customers will use the improvised hack method of stopping the balance with some backwards pressure on the crown when setting the time so they instruct their watchmakers to set the tightness of the cannon pinion to facillitate this.


Whether or not a non-hacking movement can be made to stop the second hand with some retrograde pressure on the crown is dependent on the tension on the cannon pinion, the slipping clutch that allows the hands to be set independently of the driving train. In short, if there is enough friction on the cannon pinion, you can stop the watch by putting enough pressure on it in the backwards direction to overcome the power of the mainspring. If it's a little too loose however, you won't be able to overcome the driving force except perhaps when the watch is only partially wound.

[darron]

Thanks for all your responses. Yes I saw this instruction in the omega manual so thats why I asked. It sounds like from the NON-hacking mechanism is actually a preferred method for patek, so the lack of this feature doesn't appear to be a fault in the movement?

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by darron

Thanks for all your responses. Yes I saw this instruction in the omega manual so thats why I asked. It sounds like from the NON-hacking mechanism is actually a preferred method for patek, so the lack of this feature doesn't appear to be a fault in the movement?

The VC, AP and Zenith El Primero chrono movements are all stellar movements and non-hacking. I wouldn't make a value judgement based on this attribute alone. The small sub-dial where the seconds tick off continously is so small anyway. As a practical matter, once I checked the watch for basic accuracy I just started to set the minute if/when adjustments were required.

[RW16610]

Originally Posted by BigHat

The VC, AP and Zenith El Primero chrono movements are all stellar movements and non-hacking. I wouldn't make a value judgement based on this attribute alone. The small sub-dial where the seconds tick off continously is so small anyway. As a practical matter, once I checked the watch for basic accuracy I just started to set the minute if/when adjustments were required.

Exactly. Glad the OP got the info he was looking for, never fails on this forum

[Genevapics]

Originally Posted by doc_colton

Right from the Omega manual.........

Note: calibres 1861, 1863, 1866 and 3604 do not have a stopsecond
mechanism. To synchronise, the crown should be gently
turned backwards and pressure maintained to stop the seconds
hand. Release when the display corresponds to the timing signal
and push crown back to position 1.

I am a little late to the conversation, but the above method is what I have been doing since I purchased my Speedy Pro in December 2007. I have had no problems so far. My watch runs about 1.5 - 2.0 fast per day. Totally acceptable to me. Enjoy your Speedy Pro.