Does non-hacking bothers you?
I understand that some watch does not hack and i am not ocd for my watch to start at the right second. But does it bothers you when the watch cost 5 grand and above and does not hack? I’m not sure about the technicality or cost involves that watch brands can’t just include a hacking function when watches at below 1 grand have such function???
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Christopher
Welcome to my WatchCrunch profile.
Singapore
Member since
Last active: 1 week ago
6.61” / 16.80 cm
If the dial doesn’t have a minute track I’m ok without hacking seconds
It shouldn't because I know that luxury timekeeping is pretty much a joke, but this is really laying bare the obsolescence and lack of effort.
Of course functionally it's pretty irrelevant except for:
some poor shlub that will lose his job if he's less than a minute late
neurotics tracking the watch's accuracy, of which they are rightfully suspect
I'm totally fine with it on vintage. I could sort of pretend to accept it as a nod to the old ways or whatever, but if the movement was designed since, you know, WWII, they are deliberately not progressing.
Setting a watch to the second is part of my routine, and I like to see how much a given watch slowly phases out of sync with the Multi Band 6 G-Shock that chimes on my desk every hour.
So, not being able to hack makes this much more difficult.
I'm not bothered at all with the lack of hacking on my cheap Amphibias because it's just another quirk that goes with the whole package of a cold war era soviet watch.
I would be more concerned if it manifested in a movement for a 5KUS$ watch because it will automatically lead me to think about what else is missing there and what is the problem with the design of this movement if it can't even accommodate a simple mechanism that is in use since before WW2.
The only practical issue I can think of is that it's less convenient if you need to demagnetize a watch. With a non hacking movement this will require to wait until the main spring is fully unwounded.
It depends on the watch for me. Something vintage or cheap, no big deal. Something newer/higher end, I feel like it should hack. But overall not a deal breaker.
It shouldn't because I know that luxury timekeeping is pretty much a joke, but this is really laying bare the obsolescence and lack of effort.
Of course functionally it's pretty irrelevant except for:
some poor shlub that will lose his job if he's less than a minute late
neurotics tracking the watch's accuracy, of which they are rightfully suspect
I'm totally fine with it on vintage. I could sort of pretend to accept it as a nod to the old ways or whatever, but if the movement was designed since, you know, WWII, they are deliberately not progressing.
Yeah, it’s just laziness at this point.
I have just one non-hacking watch, and it's my Phylida Speedy homage with the ST19 movement. I bought that watch specifically to find out whether I could stand having a watch that was manual wind without hacking (a la the 1861 Speedy). I'm still largely trying to figure it out, but I do know that I miss the hacking feature when it's not present.
I'm going insane if my watch is not within a couple of seconds of what the accurate time is.
Depends on the type of watch. Dress watch, couldn't care less. Tool watch, maybe but for me it is not a deal breaker. I have way too many vintage watches to really expect hacking.
I have a Tissot without hacking, and it's not the lack of to-the-second accuracy that bothers me, but trying to get the minute hand to hit the marker at 0 seconds. When I set the watch, I have to place the minute hand about 20 seconds ahead of the second hand. Then cross my fingers that the minute hand is aligned at 0 seconds.
I don't know how common that problem is with non-hacking watches, but it drives me nuts and is a blemish on an otherwise great watch.
Some of my watches have hacking and some don't. Not a huge thing, but if they do have hacking I'll set it to an atomic clock app just for the fun if it. Honestly, though, it's more about where the minute hand is in relation to elapsed seconds that matters to me, i.e. if it's 30 seconds past the minute, the minute hand should be halfway between minute markers. Tougher to do without hacking.
I bought a Zenith Chronomaster revival with an el primero movement thinking it wouldn't bother me.
Oh was I wrong! It bothers me, it bothers me a lot. 😅
Unless you’re a tier 1 operator where you’re syncing too your team, then I literally couldn’t give a flying fcuk, especially when it comes to a small seconds complication.
And now most would use a digi countdown anyway.
It’s not like you can’t sync with the atomic clock, hacking or not.
Guilty. I set my automatics to atomic time about twice a week. This is the biggest turnoff with my Vostok - still looking for an inaccurate hacking watch that I can have the joy of setting once a day (or more!!!).
Don't even get me started on non-hacking quartzes...
No, it's a minor irritant. Mostly because I've been told it should. What bothers me more is lack of hand winding.
No, it's a minor irritant. Mostly because I've been told it should. What bothers me more is lack of hand winding.
The simple pleasures of a hand wound no seconds watch 👌
5K for non-hacking?! Are there any watches above $250 USD, that don’t hack? Surprised 40% don’t mind a non-hacking watch.
Depends on the watch and what its purpose is. For an everyday wear watch, I want it to have hacking. Only have a few non-hacking watches an Omega Speedmaster with the Cal 1861 movement and three Seikos with the Cal 7S26 movement. And I've gotten fairly proficient at getting them going by either winding the crown or doing the Seiko shuffle so as to get them as close to on the minute as possible.
I bought a Zenith Chronomaster revival with an el primero movement thinking it wouldn't bother me.
Oh was I wrong! It bothers me, it bothers me a lot. 😅
Really like the zenith, but knowing it can’t hack too makes me really think extra hard if it will bother me in the future, hence this poll. Me now looking at your comment make me think even extra harder🤣
As you know, I set my watches to the second and I regulate every mechanical watch I purchase. (I don't purchase luxury watches, obviously - I wouldn't dare open one of these.) The first several non-hacking watches I purchased drove me crazy. Especially the couple that were brand new releases. However, as I ended up with more of them, and realized that I would either have to break up with Vostok or get used to it, I chilled and now it doesn't bother me so much.
5K for non-hacking?! Are there any watches above $250 USD, that don’t hack? Surprised 40% don’t mind a non-hacking watch.
Yes i’m surprise at the poll too. At least i know that hacking is not required for 40%
As you know, I set my watches to the second and I regulate every mechanical watch I purchase. (I don't purchase luxury watches, obviously - I wouldn't dare open one of these.) The first several non-hacking watches I purchased drove me crazy. Especially the couple that were brand new releases. However, as I ended up with more of them, and realized that I would either have to break up with Vostok or get used to it, I chilled and now it doesn't bother me so much.
I do have none hacking watches too, but they are usually less than a grand and it doesn’t bother me too. Is the 5 grand above watches that make me think hard is it difficult to include a hacking function or just cost savings or a design point of view 🤔 Like i say i’m not ocd about it, just curious and hence this poll to check out the general collectors views.
It shouldn't because I know that luxury timekeeping is pretty much a joke, but this is really laying bare the obsolescence and lack of effort.
Of course functionally it's pretty irrelevant except for:
some poor shlub that will lose his job if he's less than a minute late
neurotics tracking the watch's accuracy, of which they are rightfully suspect
I'm totally fine with it on vintage. I could sort of pretend to accept it as a nod to the old ways or whatever, but if the movement was designed since, you know, WWII, they are deliberately not progressing.
i mean…aren’t all watch lovers inherently neurotic? 😂😂 we obsess over every detail
Yeah, I’ve had a few and they’re not in my collection any longer. That being said I found a way to HACK the non-hacking system. Simply shake the hell out of the watch once the current seconds met the watches stopped second position. This obviously doesn’t work if the watch is already up and running. Would gently pull the watch out, pull up my atomic clock and wait for the second to be at the same spot and SHAKE! Hahaha!!!
It shouldn't because I know that luxury timekeeping is pretty much a joke, but this is really laying bare the obsolescence and lack of effort.
Of course functionally it's pretty irrelevant except for:
some poor shlub that will lose his job if he's less than a minute late
neurotics tracking the watch's accuracy, of which they are rightfully suspect
I'm totally fine with it on vintage. I could sort of pretend to accept it as a nod to the old ways or whatever, but if the movement was designed since, you know, WWII, they are deliberately not progressing.