Three different watches with sweeping second hands
Hello Fellow,
If you also love tge smooth movement of the seconds hand but a standard mechanic watch is not enough for you, I would like to put together a few watches with sliding seconds hands from different manufacturers and with different movements, but also different budgets.
Bulova Precisionist 96B158.
The cheapest model with a sweeping hand starts at around about 270 euros. It has a quartz movement that works at 266Khz. The second hand moves 16 times per second, making 57600 per hour. For comparison: Most mechanic watches tick with 28800 vibrations. Seiko Highbeats vibrate at 36,000 semi-oscillations. Unfortunately, this model is largely unknown and is becoming increasingly difficult to find, but this may be due to the design. It is quite bulky for a dress qatch with 43mm and the design is quite strange, like case in case. There are other Precisionist models, but one uglier than the other :-) At least to my opinion.
Grand Seiko.
With its innovative Spring Drive technology, Grand Seiko offers a flowing second hand. Here the watch models start from 5000 euros, as like these SBGA465.
Frederique Constant Monolithic.
Frederique Constant has been offering since last year one of the most impressive and innovative mechanical movements for about a year. Frederique Constant has impressed me for a long time. Although the company was only founded in the 1980s, when numerous traditional Swiss watch manufacturers went bankrupt, they has grown steadily. The income was continuously invested in production, quality and research and meanwhile offers not only independent designs but also own manufactory movements. The Monolithic beats at an unbelievable 288,000 vibrations (40Hz!!!). So ten times as fast as a common mechanical movement. The 80 movements per second are not visible to the eye. This also applies to the clockwork. Although it has an "open heart", no movement can be seen. Keep in mind: It's a fully mechanical watch. Not Hyvrid technology. For me, this watch is a masterpiece and at almost 4000 euros relatively affordable for the fact that so much research and development has gone into it.
Ok....These are my examples. If you know others please write it in the comments.
Chairman of Quarz Rights Watch Association, fighting for equal rights of Quarz Watches and reporting crimes against quarz watches by Mecascists (mecanical fascists) and abuses and missuses of Quarz-Or...
I can't tell the difference in the smoothness between the Seiko Spring Drive movements and the Bulova high frequency quartz.
If you are looking for something cheaper that isn't huge, there are some options with Seiko's VH31 movement, such as some AliExpress watches and Dan Henry 1975.
It's not nearly as smooth as many of the ones mentioned in the post at 4 ticks per second, but it's available for much cheaper than the likes of Grand Seiko and is a much smaller movement than Bulova's.
There are also meca-quartz Chronograph movements, such as the VK64 found in Brew's Retrograph and many other watches.
I really like all three movements, but the watches to me fall into the "cool watch, but..." category. I like them, but would probably only wear if I got for free since they all have design caveats I don't like
You're right about the 96b158. There's even more rare, non-lifted model from ~2013 with tuning fork at 12 o'Clock. I have that one, my best watch so far. The sweepig second is magical.
Love a smooth sweep!
I found it strange FC hasn’t ramped up this technology to a bigger variety of models. Innovative and interesting, but this particular model watch I find ugly, not my cup of tea.
As for SD… love ‘em. Perfect flow with the second hand (as time actually passes). I’ve now got 2 spring drives and both keep better than a second per month: 0.0 per day 😃🤪
Don't forget Accutron's electrostatic movement:
That FC is really impressive, especially for a mechanical.
You're right about the 96b158. There's even more rare, non-lifted model from ~2013 with tuning fork at 12 o'Clock. I have that one, my best watch so far. The sweepig second is magical.
Yeah I bought the precisionist when I first came out. The sweeping seconds hand was great. I gave it away as I thought the watch was not very nice looking. Gave it to my father in law.
Your precisionist is very nice and I’d consider buying it again if I could find one as nice as that.
Love a smooth sweep!
I found it strange FC hasn’t ramped up this technology to a bigger variety of models. Innovative and interesting, but this particular model watch I find ugly, not my cup of tea.
As for SD… love ‘em. Perfect flow with the second hand (as time actually passes). I’ve now got 2 spring drives and both keep better than a second per month: 0.0 per day 😃🤪
This movement from FC Monolithic is quite new. As I know the Monolithic is produced in limited numbers. It seems they want to try out and get feedback before going into serial production.
If I remember well it has a accuracy of 6 sec./month. In usual cases that would be good. But for such a high frequency watch it should be more accurate.
But as mentioned: They are a relatively young watch manufacturer. And I am already impressed that they are able to realize such a project.
And yes...I would also love to see it in other models aswell.
You're right about the 96b158. There's even more rare, non-lifted model from ~2013 with tuning fork at 12 o'Clock. I have that one, my best watch so far. The sweepig second is magical.
Did you every tryed it on a steel bracelet?
I really like all three movements, but the watches to me fall into the "cool watch, but..." category. I like them, but would probably only wear if I got for free since they all have design caveats I don't like
I totally understand you. But I can tell you, when you see a smooth sliding second hand you will feel hypnotized.
Once I was offered the bulova for 20% off and I rejected, because of the unesthetical design. But the second hand was so magical that I regret. But now it's hard to find...in Germany at least.
I can't tell the difference in the smoothness between the Seiko Spring Drive movements and the Bulova high frequency quartz.
If you look carefully you see little almost unnoticeable vibrations on the Bulova due to the 16 ticks per second.
Tge GS has actually no ticking. It is glyding.
But you are right that they are very similiar. And for the little difference of you have to pay a big difference. At least 4,630 Euros more to get the spring drive.
I think the movement of Bulova is the best quartz movement currently on the market. So sad that they doesn't make more of their watches. I love to see that movement in another brand.
I totally understand you. But I can tell you, when you see a smooth sliding second hand you will feel hypnotized.
Once I was offered the bulova for 20% off and I rejected, because of the unesthetical design. But the second hand was so magical that I regret. But now it's hard to find...in Germany at least.
Agreed! I tried on a GS spring drive and loved everything about it... except the power reserve. Now they make a couple spring drive & time only models, but they are just far outside my price range rn. I could save up and buy one, but I'd probably buy 2-3 different watches before I bought a single one of those.
Tho if FC puts the monolithic movement in something without an open heart at a reasonable size, I might be sold!
Did you every tryed it on a steel bracelet?
Nah I didn't as I do prefere leather strap. There's a 96b159 on original bracelet but with a blue dial. Not to my taste but you might like it.
Nah I didn't as I do prefere leather strap. There's a 96b159 on original bracelet but with a blue dial. Not to my taste but you might like it.
Interesting. I'm not sure about if I like the dial. But the bracelet looks good in my opinion.
Agreed! I tried on a GS spring drive and loved everything about it... except the power reserve. Now they make a couple spring drive & time only models, but they are just far outside my price range rn. I could save up and buy one, but I'd probably buy 2-3 different watches before I bought a single one of those.
Tho if FC puts the monolithic movement in something without an open heart at a reasonable size, I might be sold!
Yes, I also don't understand why GS put so much effort and hand craft works into their fanous dials but at the end punching out a whole to show the power reserve.
Anyway....I was curious and searching for. I found on a private offer on ebay about a FC Highlife with the Monolithic movement. But it is an open heart again. And I was confused because I never heared about a highlife with Monolithic before. Anyway...the price reaches also the GS-Level.
I think if it's only for the sweeping second hand, the Bulova is the most fair deal for few bucks....although it's not the pritiest one.
Yeah I bought the precisionist when I first came out. The sweeping seconds hand was great. I gave it away as I thought the watch was not very nice looking. Gave it to my father in law.
Your precisionist is very nice and I’d consider buying it again if I could find one as nice as that.
If you want to buy again, you should hurry. I don't know if Bulovs stopped the production of this model, but they became quite rare.
The precisionist is a wonderful budget option, I'd like to have one but haven't found the model I really like just yet.
Great post thanks