Who needs a tachymeter?

Here is a story on how I used it..Back in 1981 in America we had this crazy 55 mile an hour speed limit..Im driving a new Porsche 930 from Phoenix to Orange County..Back then there was nobody on the freeway on a Wednesday except trucks..anyway i used the scole on my watch to actually see how fast i was going..I was doing a mile every 26 seconds...As Im going up the grade into the Palm springs area there were two semi trucks going side by side at 45MPH...Obviously I had to slow down..Looking behind me was (way back there) a California State patrol...I was out of my car leaning on the rear by the time he pulled over.. I actually thought he was going to shoot me for speeding..he was so pissed off that he could not catch me....anyway I got a ticket for 85MPH in a 55.. So, the one time I actually used the bezel scale...

They are used for races.

Have several watches with one, never used it, even when racing. Sometimes it is okay to own it because it looks cool. 

I can see the point of watches in general and many complications in particular are very unnecessary in life, but as we all know this isn't a hobby about rationality. It's more about wants/desires/dopamine hits/great marketing and emotional attachment.

I think its amusing, but not ridiculous that someone used the tachometer on their watch once 42 years ago to justify having it. I have a Bulova Lunar Pilot with a tach I know i'll never use, but I think it looks cool and I like the history behind the watch. How rational is that?

I find the timer bezel on my dive type watches very useful for timing non dive related things like keeping track of parking meters, timing lengths of activities when I have limited time, and cooking.

want … need. Minute hands points to it. 

Did your car not have a speedometer?

I work in a time sensitive clinic and, due to federal regulations, we can't have a phone on the floor and our software on the computers don't show the time,"which actually makes me mad". So we do need a watch.

See my recent reply.

Well it's not a government job, first of all, and secondly, we have 3 and they are always wrong, even when we adjust them.

We don't have time to get a ladder out and get them down and adjust them every morning, then put them back up and put the ladder up.

Well we don't really need any clocks because we all just wear watches. 🤷🏼‍♂️ I actually work in the newest and most updated clinic in north Georgia.

Of course it did..But at that time they only went to 85mph..in the USA

You risk excessive exposure to tackiness without a tachymeter. Or is that with a tachymeter? 

I knew how fast I was going ..a mile in 26 seconds comes in at about 138. not close to top speed but fast enough...Im 73 now and even with my new Porsche I dont go that fast on the highway. You have to know that traffic in 1980 wasnt anything like we have today..

It's pretty much the same reason why we are still wearing watches: None whatsoever. 

And still we do. Isn't it amazing that we still live in a world where we can have what we want instead of being restricted just to what we need?

There’s a very large hare — about 4 feet tall and 8 feet long with 36” long ears that bounds across mine and my neighbors yards…jumping the fences in single bounds. I have clocked this hare with my tachymeter at 84.56 MPH, and I owe it all to the tachymeter as well as a moderate dose of acid. 

I have several chronographs, including 6 with a tachymeter scale. Even though I use the chrono functionality on a regular basis, I've never personally had the occasion to use the tachymeter bezel, but I find that, depending on the watch, they can add to the aesthetic appeal.  

Who needs a reason? They're cool. Nuff said.

Tachys are dumb, IMHO

Makes watch have terrible WR and have an awkward second hand that is perpetually blocking the top of the dial.   I’ve got nothing to time that needs a tach.  I’ve killed a tach with minimal water exposure it should have been ok with.  
The machines I use at work have digital timers built in, and when I’m home making a pizza or timing my daughters homework I use a diver bezel.   

 Unhappy Bonus: chronos are also crazy tall, 14mm range 

Love most complications just not chronos.

There's a pizza pocket cook time button on a dive computer? 😉

Watches are arm jewelry and a definite Veblen purchase.  The complications are cool fidget toys. The 930 is not basic transportation but it is super cool. Watches, cars, all great fun! 

If there are any repetitive actions being performed in your time sensitive clinic on the floor and you need to get a rate calculation of how many __ tasks will be completed per hour, a tachymeter is great.

Some folks make the same “when will I ever need this“ argument about Algebra. Turns out that there are people who use things that most people don’t. 

I have a few older cars with cable driven speedometers and I will occasionally double check them with my chronographs. One car, I swapped in a 5 speed to replace the worn out 4 speed and with my tachometer scale I found out I needed to have the speedometer recalibrated.  That being said a gps speedometer app is probably more functional. 

I dont put rational and my watch collecting in one sentence .. I wouln't have most of them if that was the case. spending 36k for a Day/date was nuts but i like it..Do I need to know what day it is on my watches ? Heck no, Im retired..And Lord knows I certrainly dont need to know what phase the moon is in!!LOL.  Most of the watches I have purchased are because I like the look of them..that seems to be the only reason I need to have them..I could care less what other people think, most people (except another watch nerd) never even notices what watch you have on. Just saying....

Google maps...

I guess that is what i was trying to say,,,

I work in a clinic and my hands are in front of patients faces all day long. I have the same patients every day I work so they're always asking to look at which watch I'm wearing that day.

Funny thing is, they always prefer the cheaper ones over the more expensive ones.

I can relate to that..

Not as fun.