Another Dated TV/Movie Trope
A few weeks back someone posted a Neil Degrasse-Tyson video in which he mentioned that people growing up with cell phones wouldn't understand the "synchronize watches*" trope in old heist films. As one that grew up knowing nothing but quartz watches, the trope of someone being late (or early) and saying that their watch ran slow (or fast) never made sense. A quartz movement would almost never be off by more than a minute or two between daylight saving time adjustments. Needless to say, I now understand it. Am I the only one that suffered this stupiphany?
* Referenced in the old Parker Lewis show as "synchronize Swatches.
Started as a quartzbro goofing on the mechanical snobs, wrote for thetruthaboutwatches.com, and lately started finding forgotten familial vintage watches in need of love.
iPhones sync with atomic clock. Soon they will sync with quantum clocks. Still.. the new generation is never on time for anything or have a sense of urgency let alone understand what “synchronization “ even means.
I didn't own a quartz until about 2005, so I'd probably "synchronise" my watch regularly until then. Though I don't remember doing it.
iPhones sync with atomic clock. Soon they will sync with quantum clocks. Still.. the new generation is never on time for anything or have a sense of urgency let alone understand what “synchronization “ even means.
Ding ding ding
The purpose of synchronizing watches wasn't just about setting the right time, it's to ensure everyone has the same time. It doesn't matter if the mission launches at 0630 or 0631, it matters that everyone launches at the same time.
I have a work phone and a personal phone, sometimes they are off by a minute or two when compared to each other, so even in the modern world a time hack is required before a mission.
We are starting to sound a bit grumpy :-). Every generation says the same about the new gen, because they naturally have things a little easier because of technological advances. Let’s give them a chance shall we?
I still think there is some merit to synchronizing watches. As displayed in movies, crews have a set time window to get in save the day (or rob a bank) before X thing happens. Sure phones work, but are inconvenient and too bright. Plus, no thief is going to make it on the Professor’s team carrying something that’s a glorified tracking device. This is where watches still win. Sadly, a smart watch is still better at it.
I've started shouting "Synchronize your watches ladies!" When I'm getting ready for a training ruck march and the wife, daughter, and our Lab are coming with...
My daughter usually shriek-laughs and runs around happily chanting, "I dohn No..." In reference to not knowing where her little Walmart cheapie got too. Once found she comes to me and say "Li-ughts, Wahch, Synchghtueidndfths.." 🤔🤪
I always thought it was weird in films when people tapped their watches when they stopped as if it would magically bring them back to life. Same thing with people clicking the telephone rest when they lose a connection. I think it must just be a film thing because I've never seen anybody do either in real life.
Percussive maintenance is very much a thing on old machines
I always thought it was weird in films when people tapped their watches when they stopped as if it would magically bring them back to life. Same thing with people clicking the telephone rest when they lose a connection. I think it must just be a film thing because I've never seen anybody do either in real life.
It's a generational thing!
Since technology has advanced, things that were built into technology I.e payphone timer on a chrono to time when you needed to insert your next coin made its way into film... But don't make sense for the people of today who have a mobile phone in their pocket..
It's a real art imitating life moment at a point in time.
Percussive maintenance is very much a thing on old machines
I'm reading this tongue in cheek with Bill burr giving his impression of Sean Connery "every once in a while you just give 'em a lil slap"
The only occasions I had to synchronize my watch was during military service but it was not related at all to enable synchronizing separate operations without communications between units. This particular trope is a fallacy BTW. Nothing starts or stop on time in the army and nothing gets done without communication.
I had to synchronize my watch with the "beep" from the radio news broadcast to time the sun travel across my theodolite objective when I was taught to calculate ultra precise coordinates in the pre-GPS area, and I have to admit that I never used this technique after graduating from artillery ranging course.
For all other purposes, just knowing what the time is within a minute's accuracy was more than good enough.
I’m plenty old enough to know what it means and don’t know if I agree with NDT but just because you watch keeps good time or even great time doesn’t mean you set it to the exact same time the rest of your crew did so if it’s a life critical situation or just a goofy movie plot element you might want to “synchronize” you watches.
Right?
When we were young, the gang had to keep their watches in perfect sync. Every day, in the summer, we hunted the town storm sewer system for Gamera. We knew he was there, waiting for his chance to devour the city. It was our job to locate and destroy him.
Never did find the bastard.
Gotta be honest, I don't remember when the world was in black and white either. That must have been awful for people. So bland and lifeless with everything in monochrome even the food. No wonder the second world war happened. People were bored.
But there's no place like home. The world of color is all controlled by a man behind a curtain and full of perils.
The only occasions I had to synchronize my watch was during military service but it was not related at all to enable synchronizing separate operations without communications between units. This particular trope is a fallacy BTW. Nothing starts or stop on time in the army and nothing gets done without communication.
I had to synchronize my watch with the "beep" from the radio news broadcast to time the sun travel across my theodolite objective when I was taught to calculate ultra precise coordinates in the pre-GPS area, and I have to admit that I never used this technique after graduating from artillery ranging course.
For all other purposes, just knowing what the time is within a minute's accuracy was more than good enough.
Agreed, with a caveat......
If we are doing blow-n-go's*, I'll recommend every team member have as close as possible to whatever time is on my wrist, since Team Lead sets the rules and everyone knows roughly about when to expect things going boom behind us..... 😂.
Maybe not a true "synch" since time fuse can be off, more times than not it's not off by no more than 1-5 seconds, if used from the same batch. But if errbody's watch is close-ish, less soiled underwear.....🤪
*Blow-n-go's are lots of counter charges set up on scatterable, aka subminitions, and everyone walks in a giant line. Soon as you encounter a UXO, take off some bang, pop smoke, keep walking.
When I was young, I assumed that the reason they synced watches in war movies on TV was just because they (the good guys team) wanted to all have the EXACT (to the second) time, so they could move in tandem when the bomb went off, etc. I figured depending on what clock each person set their watch by, there might be differences between watches, and when seconds count, you can't afford that. So I figured they did that to make sure that their watches were all set to be in sync with each other, so that they would know the exact timing of the sequence of events. It never occurred to me that watches "lose time." I didn't know that sort of stuff until much, much later in life.
When I was young, I assumed that the reason they synced watches in war movies on TV was just because they (the good guys team) wanted to all have the EXACT (to the second) time, so they could move in tandem when the bomb went off, etc. I figured depending on what clock each person set their watch by, there might be differences between watches, and when seconds count, you can't afford that. So I figured they did that to make sure that their watches were all set to be in sync with each other, so that they would know the exact timing of the sequence of events. It never occurred to me that watches "lose time." I didn't know that sort of stuff until much, much later in life.
Exactly. Precision timing for coordinated action where every seconds count is a huge step away from "hey, I almost gave up on waiting for you!" which is where the imprecise watch trope usually came in.