The 24hr indicator is the most useless complication of all, change my mind if you can.
I have to give credits to Seiko for being consistent. The 24Hr complication that they like so much is present on most of their solar or quartz chronograph movements and on ALL of their meca-quartz, including the bi-compax layout where it displace the second's hand. It takes a lot of commitment to decide that having it on the dial is more important than making it easier to keep the time on a chronograph.
I heard the excuses that justify the 24hr indicator as something that may be useful for people who can't stick their head out of the window and check if the sun is shining, or for those who lives in the arctic. But you see, even if it was true (which it isn't), then this is a minuscule minority that would not even merit a marketing survey.
The truth is much simpler: It's a cheap alternative to the traditional hour counter that is just "good enough" to avoid making something more useful which will cost a bit more.
The 24Hr indicator is, for me, as useless as tits on a bull or a conscience for a politician. It provides no meaningful information and it sole purpose is to make the dial look nicer, Seiko could have just made a blank with a dummy hand and it would have served the same purpose.
Seiko could un-slave the hand and enable it to track a different time zone, or go one step further and use the register as an alarm/second time zone like they did with the old SNA Flightmaster. Instead they decided to be as cheap as possible and force on us a useless complication, simply because the meca-quartz chrono module can't run for more than 60 minutes and they had to find something else (and cheap) to fill in the space taken usually by the hour counter.
I like my Dan Henry 1962, but the 24hr complication is the reason why I'll never own another meca-quartz, and why I'm not even tempted by the new all white version, despite the well engraved Maserati on the back.
I'm a big fan of watches that are interesting because they are either unique, have interesting features, well designed or simply offer a great value for their price.
You can use it as a compass 🤓 (can't remember exactly how 😅)
Minorly useful if you're setting the date on a mechanical watch as you don't have to wind forward until the date clicks over at midnight to establish AM vs PM. Only helpful if you frequently change watches.
You can use it as a compass 🤓 (can't remember exactly how 😅)
Just what I was going to say!
It's actually very simple, point the 24 hr hand at the sun and the 12 o'clock index on the main dial will point north. (Convert +/- 1hr for daylight savings as applicable)
I find it useful on mechanical watches with a date. When I pick up a mechanical watch that has stopped, I don't know if it's am or pm on the watch so I have to advance it to 12 to see if the date changes to set the time properly.
Minorly useful if you're setting the date on a mechanical watch as you don't have to wind forward until the date clicks over at midnight to establish AM vs PM. Only helpful if you frequently change watches.
This and if you are spelunking too😂 Afterall Rolex made a watch just for that purpose ( 1655 - Freccione ) and is one of most desired Rolex of them all
Thats a very earlybird post :) I can tell by the 24hr hand :)
Just what I was going to say!
It's actually very simple, point the 24 hr hand at the sun and the 12 o'clock index on the main dial will point north. (Convert +/- 1hr for daylight savings as applicable)
Useful, thanks.
Just what I was going to say!
It's actually very simple, point the 24 hr hand at the sun and the 12 o'clock index on the main dial will point north. (Convert +/- 1hr for daylight savings as applicable)
It only work in the Northern hemisphere and if I ever get stuck in the great wilderness and the only tool I have to find the north is my watch, then (a) I don't need a 24Hr hand for that and (b) I'm probably in such a pickle that finding the North is the least of my problems.
I find it useful on mechanical watches with a date. When I pick up a mechanical watch that has stopped, I don't know if it's am or pm on the watch so I have to advance it to 12 to see if the date changes to set the time properly.
Minor problem and would you be willing to sacrifice the second's hand to solve it? Because this is exactly what Seiko did on their bi-compax meca-quartz.
This and if you are spelunking too😂 Afterall Rolex made a watch just for that purpose ( 1655 - Freccione ) and is one of most desired Rolex of them all
Ah yes, the great myth of the Explorer II invented for spelunking. It's almost as credible as the Explorer 1 being worn by Hillary and Norgay.
Yes, the 24 hour sub dial makes me run away now. Online my DH62 as well, but never again will I buy something with it on there. Bad enough I buy date watches lol
Minor problem and would you be willing to sacrifice the second's hand to solve it? Because this is exactly what Seiko did on their bi-compax meca-quartz.
I haven't thought about what I'd be willing to sacrifice. I was just saying I have a use for that complication. :)
I haven't thought about what I'd be willing to sacrifice. I was just saying I have a use for that complication. :)
Well I don't. But me is me and you do you.
Just echoing some comments above, on a mechanical movement with a date, it’s marvelous. Granted it’s not the mecha-quartz madness you’re dealing with. I just completely appreciate not having to wind around the time to determine am/pm.
Just echoing some comments above, on a mechanical movement with a date, it’s marvelous. Granted it’s not the mecha-quartz madness you’re dealing with. I just completely appreciate not having to wind around the time to determine am/pm.
I do have several automatics that are kept in a box and with my rotation schedule I have to set the time and date before wearing them. Therefore I'm not a completely clueless about setting mechanicals.
However my conclusion is completely different. Turning the crown to see the date change and then adjusting the time and the date is a non issue for me. It also happens only once when I set the watch.
By contrast, looking at the useless 24hr indicator is a constant annoyance because it's always THERE.
But since we are already on this subject, what are the mechanical watches that you own that features an AM/PM indicators?
I do have several automatics that are kept in a box and with my rotation schedule I have to set the time and date before wearing them. Therefore I'm not a completely clueless about setting mechanicals.
However my conclusion is completely different. Turning the crown to see the date change and then adjusting the time and the date is a non issue for me. It also happens only once when I set the watch.
By contrast, looking at the useless 24hr indicator is a constant annoyance because it's always THERE.
But since we are already on this subject, what are the mechanical watches that you own that features an AM/PM indicators?
Yeah, having it always there not being used is probably annoying.
The only mechanical I have with a 24hr subdial is the Orient Defender II.
It only work in the Northern hemisphere and if I ever get stuck in the great wilderness and the only tool I have to find the north is my watch, then (a) I don't need a 24Hr hand for that and (b) I'm probably in such a pickle that finding the North is the least of my problems.
A similar process can be used in the southern hemisphere to find South. Personally though, I find myself using it surprisingly often when someone gives me directions in cardinal and I want to orient myself.
Agree. I find it useless too. Would prefer it to be a 12 hour indicator for a chronograph or even a 10th of a second indicator found on some chronographs or just 2 dials. The 24 hour dial put me off the Bulova Parking Metre, wish they went with the original Bulova even though I no longer see mechanical parking metres.
Completely agree, absolutely useless complication. I sold my Seiko Speedtimer and the 24hr sub dial was one of the reasons why (poor date window and purple sub dials as well).
I also sold a Yema Reallygraf for the same reason.
I don’t just find the 24hr complication useless it actually annoys me.
This and if you are spelunking too😂 Afterall Rolex made a watch just for that purpose ( 1655 - Freccione ) and is one of most desired Rolex of them all
If Rolex was actually interested in making a watch for that purpose the obvious solution could not be more glaring
Minorly useful if you're setting the date on a mechanical watch as you don't have to wind forward until the date clicks over at midnight to establish AM vs PM. Only helpful if you frequently change watches.
Yeah. It would be nice to not have to guess
Ah yes, the great myth of the Explorer II invented for spelunking. It's almost as credible as the Explorer 1 being worn by Hillary and Norgay.
As much as I appreciate the modern Explorer 2, the lack of a rotating bezel shows the limitations of traveler GMTs
You wake up in a dimly-lit room next to a woman you don't know, with no recollection of the last 24 hours. The 24-hr indicator will tell you whether it's time to get up.
You wake up in a dimly-lit room next to a woman you don't know, with no recollection of the last 24 hours. The 24-hr indicator will tell you whether it's time to get up.
It took me some time to reply because I had to give this a considerable amount of thought.
In the end my initial response is basically the same, I'm reaching the age where just the thought of being able to wake up, and with a woman, is enough to make the 24Hr irrelevant.
Please also note that this just reinforce my opinion about the useless 24Hr indicator which isn't even able to tell me if I need to pay this woman and how much.
It took me some time to reply because I had to give this a considerable amount of thought.
In the end my initial response is basically the same, I'm reaching the age where just the thought of being able to wake up, and with a woman, is enough to make the 24Hr irrelevant.
Please also note that this just reinforce my opinion about the useless 24Hr indicator which isn't even able to tell me if I need to pay this woman and how much.
I have to admit that the above scenario was far more relevant in my younger years. So yes, very limited use for a day/night indicator on a quartz watch.