Its just listing the minutes rather than the hours, so I don't see an issue... still relevant and a bit different!
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So a 60 minute dial is "a bit different" but an extra zero on digits of a convectional dial is too different?
I know what the poll is showing and I have voted; but my opinion is that I don't like the 60 minute dial and I think that the 120 dial is quite within the bounds of "a watch inspired by a speedo". Indeed, I think it's also a bit different and much nicer.
I think the 120 dial also works well too... in one colour. I'm not that keen on the grey number myself. I just used the 60 example in my versions as that seemed to be ahead in the polls!
Yes, the 60 min dial is a bit different to the norm whilst still being functional –*probably more so than a conventional dial displaying the hours, in so much as we generally know the hour when we glance for the time, so what we're really looking for is the minute, and a confirmation of the hour.
For me the 12(0) is just a bit of a gimmick, if I showed the watch to someone they'd probably ask why it has 120 on the dial, and the only reply is 'It's supposed to look like a speedo' and to me that seems a bit naff. I feel that people who know the Smiths Dials from that era, and Vincent Bikes will see the connection with the second hand, black face, date wheel, branding, polished bezel and unique minute track without the need to bee to literal and put 120mph on the watch face.
I feel the same about the 120 version.
That's fine; I think we'd best agree to differ on this point.
I haven't seen "mph" on any 120 version, nor have I noticed "minutes" on any 60 version. I just don't have a problem with seeing 120 as 12 o'clock, so perhaps I'm not the one being too literal?
This debate rather begs the question: Why not just have conventional 1 through 12? The speedo inspiration is preserved and no danger at all of veering into naffness (10 to 120) or questionable usefulness (5 to 60). The rest of it in this latest incarnation looks great. I really like the steel bezel and crown matched to PVD case. If this ever made it to production, with 1 to 12 and without any other gimmicks, there's the very really possibility that a Timefactors watch might find its way onto my wrist :)
Martin
Have started saving for both this and the Seafire ...but please keep both under 40 mm
Expensive hobby :-)
Love the 120 dial - great idea!
I'm not a fan at all of this, anything that serves no purpose and is just to look interesting, quirky etc etc rather than do a job isn't for me
I like the 120mph with greyed out zero - it makes it more distinct IMHO :-)
Big date at 6 with minimal clutter elsewhere and this is a winner.
Any news on the Speedo watch? Motorcycle season starts soon again....
I'm still waiting for a modified design ;-).
Eddie
Motorcycle season fully underway now....any news on this watch
It's likely to be this:
http://www.tz-uk.com/pics/vincentfinal.jpg
PVD case with a polished steel bezel to replicate the look of a vintage speedo.
Eddie
I am going to have to standby my mouse.
Thought I was set on a Seafire but after seeing the latest revision of this I'm quite torn.
Pic 4, PVD with 3 digit greyed zeros for me please
To quote Clarkson
"I think I'm having a trouser moment"
When will it be available?
Its a very nice looking watch - however, why does its say 5 atm on the front but then 100m water resistant on the back (which is 10 atm - or 9 atm depending if you want to allow surface as 1 atm)?
I think I'll remove the WR rating on the dial anyway.
Eddie
I like it a lot. The only doubt is about the day-date window, in the pic it looks to be a bit too close to the centre of the dial.
Cheers,
Christian
The day/date window won't be there, just look at any other 40mm watch.
Eddie
I've just been offered some ETA2830 for this watch, it's the forerunner of the 2836 and was used extensively in Bucherer chronometers and also by Eherhard.
Eddie
Thanks Eddie, excellent, the latest design plot with the missing 120 is so nice and now it replicates the speedo without compromise or odd greyed out numbers.
When the WR is gone, even better. PVD with "chrome".
On the case back, I am not so sure about the "picture" Without the Vincent it could appeal to a wider group of watch + vintage vehicle owners.
Even old Series Land Rover drivers with Smith dials would be attracted.
I really like this design (and the extra '0' is good too now it's not greyed-out) but there's just one thing that I miss from the original designs: the triangular hour markers.
It's only a small detail but I thought triangular markers were a really good feature to keep from the original speedometer dials, and also having a triangle at every hour made it stand out a bit from the regular "rail track" markers you see all over the place. Funny how such small details like that make the difference between "that's a nice watch" and "I need one of those"....
Like the last iteration without the 120, but it looks a little unbalanced.
Agee with those who wanted to remove the 5Atm. It's not particularly useful and nothing to boast of.
Day and date are too close to the middle, so it's a big case and a small movement. How about putting the Smiths logo at the top filling the gap with Day and Date vertically below?
Toodlepip
I'm not a biker but I appreciate the iconic status of the Vincent Black Shadow and it would certainly not put me off purchasing the watch if it had the picture on the case back.
I also really liked the triangular markers.
+1 from me too… it gave the watch a distinct character. Nice to really go for a different design with this one!Quote:
one thing that I miss from the original designs: the triangular hour markers.
Hmmmm – Ok so I know I’m about to say something stupid; but hey-ho:
I love the look of the watch (although I agree with those who prefer the triangular markers) however, I can’t help but think that the lack of being able to know the minutes between 11 to 1 might transpire to be a bit frustrating.
I’m aware that a make, Giulian Mazzuoli http://www.giulianomazzuoli.it/conte...d_categoria=16 makes a jump hour watch that goes from 1 to 12 and then jumps back again.
Would it not be possible to keep the dial design how it is (with the gap at the top) but have numbers going from 10 to 120? Of course the problem is what to do about the minutes – and finding a reasonably priced movement.
I agree, it's a great look but the gap between 10 and 110 is a bit too weird for my taste as is the lack of any indicator at all at 12 o'clock which is fairly fundamental. Be nice to see it either going 0-110 or 10-120, or at least with a marker of some sort at 12 o'clock.
Case-back is superb.
So how about calling it the PRS 48 - the year production of the Black Shadow started?
To try and keep more people happy, the minute markers could extend into the 110 to 10 gap as with this speedo:
It MIGHT me (not that I have anything against Black Shadows, I'm just not a biker). Any chance of the option of a blank caseback?
For example, I'd love a Marcos logo engraved in there and I'm sure MG, Triumph, TVR, etc owners would too.
By contrast, the blank space at the top is rather good imo.
M.
Looks good to me.
There's a superb 'blog post on the Smiths Chronometric Black Shadow speedometer here, which includes some scans of the original odometer / tachometer / speedometer designs. I'm not sure if all of these designs were used.
Interesting to note that on one dial variant, the Smiths Motoring Accessories logo appears alongside the words "ENG. JAEGER PATENT".
Attachment 6294
By the way, doesn't the word "chronometric" just roll off the tongue? Good name for a watch? Or would it imply that the watch has passed a chronometric / chonometer test?
^Some good info there, thanks.
I might try adding the triangle markers back having seen this.
When I did the last edit I tried this but thought it looked a bit odd, now I've seen that Smiths actually produced this dial I'll have another go.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_206TETOgLd...ue,+page+9.jpg