Whilst perusing the usual high street watch stores a little while ago (yes I like looking at the lower end of the market as well), I came across a Sekonda chronograph.
The chronograph hand was ticking away, and I frowned somewhat. I looked more closely against the window and observed it. It was ticking in a staccato way that only identified it as a manual wind (not even auto as it was too staccato if that makes sense).
Now looking like Tom who had just caught Jerry, I almost dragged the salesperson over, frantically pointing it out in the window and digging for my wallet. It was quite a handsome watch as well.
Wiping the slobber from my mouth, I said to him "What manual wind movement is in that?"
"Manual wind?" he responded. "I'm afraid that's quartz. Sekonda have just made it look like a manual wind, you know, to give it that effect."
I didn't buy it, but it is still on my mind. Is it that expensive to produce cost effective manual wind watch movements anymore. I seem to remember that Timex were masters at it, and if you see one of their movements, they must have taken no time to produce and put them together.
Yes they may cost somewhat more than a quartz watch, but probably still affordable.
Anyway, still considering if I can live with a quartz that ticks like a manual wind...
Sorry to respond to the least most important bit - but I've never noticed my manual wind watches ticking differently to my autos. The central seconds hands on the two manuals I've had that ticked at 28,800 moved identically to those on my three autos that tick at 28,800.
Interesting. The manuals that I have are all "cheap" except my Speedmaster, and even that is staccato. My auto's are all higher end eg, my Rolex's "tick" with almost continual smoothness, without seeing the tick at all. My other autos are far smoother too.Originally Posted by Der Amf
The Sekonda day/date manual, that I'm wearing now is nowhere near a smooth ticker as my autos and this has been my experience.
Maybe it has the Seiko Hybrid-mecaquartz VK64?
The Speedmaster movement has, I think, a frequency of 21,600, whereas Rolex 3xxx auto movements are 28,800.
Here's a link to a Worn and Wound article, Chronography 8 Meca-quartz is it really the poor relation...and the video shown in that article:
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