Bonehead Question No. 73

[Strange]

What is the mechanism that allows a watch to hack? Is it some sort of clutch? And for the love of Jeebus why does anyone make watches with seconds hands that *don’t* hack? It’s such an obvious feature you’d think all three handers would have it.

Edumucate me, this ig’nance is a killin’ me.

[tribe125]

Imagine the balance wheel is a car wheel, and then imagine brake shoes.

But I think there’s more than one way of doing it.

[Strange]

Imagine the balance wheel is a car wheel, and then imagine brake shoes.

So there’s something that physically impinges on the balance wheel? Does that stress the mainspring?

[tribe125]

So there’s something that physically impinges on the balance wheel? Does that stress the mainspring?

That I don’t know. I can’t imagine it would in the time it takes to set the time, but for extended periods? Maybe.

I don’t know why every watch doesn’t hack, either. I can understand it in cheap movements, but there are Patek movements that don’t hack too.

[tribe125]

Ah, Google suggests that Patek believes that hacking can cause rate variation.

[is that my watch]

basically it's a lever that is on the movement that comes into contact with the balance wheel on pulling the stem out to setting position causing the balance wheel to stop

[crownpuller]

FFWD to about 4:30:



As Alan says: There are other ways but this is the most basic.

[Strange]

FFWD to about 4:30:



As Alan says: There are other ways but this is the most basic.

Outstanding, just what I wanted to know. There's something satisfyingly simple about this lever mechanism. I imagined it would be much more complicated.

Thanks for the vid!

[tribe125]

Fortis once had a watch with a pin that popped up through the dial and stopped the hands.

And now I’ve given away the subject of one of my future ‘Five Things’...

[mlcor]

VC feels the same way as Patek--my Overseas does not hack, either. It can be annoying, but it also is pretty handy if you're traveling, since you can just reset the hours without having to worry about the seconds hand.