Thoughts about the Mad Hacker

Are there any negative impacts to the automatic movement when you remove the rotor?

I was just about to post this! 😍

Yes, it's no longer automatic. Which makes it kind of pointless really. I wouldn't buy an automatic watch to have to wind it myself. It makes no sense.

I was going to post it earlier but I'd already posted 2 things, and I had walls to paint and watch dry (in real life, not a snide remark), so I thought someone else would have said something by now.

I've only just seen it. Definitely would have been interested but I don't do pre order or waiting lists and I'll bet they go for a premium after so will have to look elsewhere. 😕

One can argue about the design and the movement of the watch, but a screwdown crown on a manual wind watch is definitely a dealbreaker.

Like me you never wear a watch long enough to make any difference.

I love it! I think they did a great job on the dial. My only gripe with it is I wish they skipped the lightly patina'd lume. It looks good, and I've got nothing against faux patina, but the contemporary white/green shade of modern lume would've worked splendidly on this watch.

The dimensions are also appealing. I'm curious how slimmer lugs, allowing for a 20mm lug-width would have looked, but I like 18mm straps on smaller watches.

The main thing that just doesn't fly with me is the screw-down crown. I appreciate the 100m water resistance and I love that they plopped "lock" onto the crown. Without a 70+ hour power reserve though, the idea of unwinding the crown daily to wind up a modified automatic movement just doesn't fly with me. It's a big miss. The design is solid, but it should've either kept its automatic-winding rotor (apparently it would've still kept the watch under 12mm, which is great), or used a proper manual-winding movement without the screw-down crown. If it was "only" 50mm water-resistant, that wouldn't have been a deal breaker. Especially on a field watch.

It's not for me. Especially at £299 (~$380 USD). I like the dial 100 times better than the TGV/LIW collaborations, even though I could do with the Mad Hacker writing being smaller, or maybe just shortened to MHW. I definitely don't want a screw down crown on a manual wind watch; seems like a hassle, and increases the risk of stripping those threads. 100m WR can be achieved with a push/pull crown, the Seiko 5 sports series does it. Finally, I'm guessing there must be a shortage of decent but inexpensive manual wind movements (i.e.Japanese), since both the Rangemaster, and now the Mad Hacker, both opted to cripple an automatic movement instead? That doesn't really sit well with me.

🎵-Sad trombone background music- 🎶

All of that being said, I'm sure they will sell a lot of them, just like the rangemasters sold out so quickly. People love these YouTube personalities, and would buy a branded turd from them due to FOMO and hype.

No, I don't mean a manual. I mean an automatic. Exactly what I said. Manually winding an automatic, although possible in most cases (outside of older Seikos), defeats the purpose of it being an automatic.

Caseback Watches reviewed one a couple of years ago where another company did the same thing. I forget who it was now. This nonsense about needing to do it to make the case slimmer, and making it so that newbies don't overwind their new watch, really irks me. How stupid are the watch buying public, i.e. us, that we don't know how to use a manual wind?

This watch = I am underwhelmed 👎🏻

Too many YouTubers now feel the need to create their own watch brand as if it gives them more "authority" or legitimacy over watch reviewers who don't. It reminds me of all the movie reviewers years ago who had to make crappy indie movies to make themselves seem more than they actually were. It didn't do any of them any good because the products would have to be thousands of times better than the competition to make it so.

You don't have to be a cook to know if food tastes good. You don't even need to be a baker to bake a cake. And you certainly don't need to be a watchmaker or start a watch company to be able to say how good a watch is.

Ok doke you sound ( text) fired up today ? 🤔

Not at all. LOL I've been watching paint dry all day, and just had a vindaloo while watching "Essex Boys" on DVD. Same old me.

Maybe not, but the crown tube might! There's another post from the MWC himself where the issue of a 'manually wound' watch with screw down crown was brought up. He tried to blag his way out of it saying people would complain if it didn't have one, but it sounded unconvincing & unprofessional imo

I really like it except for the “WR100” on the dial. Did we really need to know its water resistance on the watch face? It makes the dial look abit generic; like a watch you buy at the supermarket jeweller.

Other then that though I think its a solid effort 👍

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005673165828.html

Nuff said.

Ok, so hands up I took the bait pretty soon after watching Russ's video,

For the first time I am now on a waiting list for a watch not due to come out for 3 months, this is really not like me I have to admit, now I'm reading many not so encouraging opinions about what people don't like and what they would change, which is fine they don't have to buy one,

I bought this for myself as it clicked many of the things I have wanted to see, I like the fact it has a good sapphire lens and it has a screw down crown and thank you it has something other than an NH35 movement in it,

I think it's different enough to be a hit.

He made it that way to make it thinner and have more a connection to the watch by having to wind it withought having to worry about over winding it with the fail safe slip mechanism found in all auto watches. But I still see your point that definitely won’t be appealing to everyone. I personally like the idea for the one watch if I was to get it.

You could argue why not remove the roter from your auto watches you own now but I I have to have the thickness to fit the weighted roter then I mine as well enjoy the benefits 🤷🏾‍♂️

That was the same excuse TGV used too. I'm not buying into it.

As someone said above, the truth is probably that there must be a shortage of decent manual wind movements available which has led to watchmakers doing this.

For £299, I think it's a waste of money. For another £200, you can get a real Hamilton which is a known watch and much better made in every way. In 10 years time, the Hamilton will still be going strong, have brand recognition, and hold its value. This one will disappear without trace before the 1 year warranty expires.

Well if that is true then MWC is potentially putting himself is a bad predicament and gambling his channel if the company doesn’t stand behind there product. 1 year is nothing now if he did a 10year that would have been better but then again if the watchmaker isn’t around by then it is essentially worthless. I can agree that the price is to much

Actually, my bad. The Hamilton is only £86 more (or £109 more for the green one). So that really puts the cat among the pigeons, especially as this particular jewellers is one of Russell's most blatant channel sponsors.

https://www.francisandgaye.co.uk/hamilton-mens-khaki-field-desert-sand-mechanical-watch-H69439933-p26527

😬 ohh snap! The jig is up 😑

I made a list a while back of the essential features I think a field watch should have and this one ticks those boxes.

1. Exceptional legibility, including persistent and effective lume. ✅

2. Minute track/markers and clearly plotted hour marks ✅

3. Screw down crown and case back (important not just for water resistance, but also for reinforcing the crown seat and preventing the ingress of dust and dirt) ✅

4. >50m water resistance

5. Durable, shock resistant movement (what modern movement isn’t?) ✅

As well as ticking the boxes, it passes the sniff test. I like his juxtaposed 9 - It’s a nice vintage nod. The proportions are nice too, with a reasonable size bezel and nicely shaped lugs. One thing I would change (as others have said) is the logo, it’s too much like a novelty item. I’d prefer it if the logo took itself a bit more seriously and looked like something you’d plausibly see on a dirty dozen. Another thing is the length of the second hand and, for that matter, the minute hand. The second hand needs to reach the sub seconds markers and the minute hand needs to reach the minute markers. I’m not too bothered about the manual wind/screwdown crown. I can operate a crown without stripping the threads.

That seconds hand annoyed me most of all, although the high price for a yet another Chinese watch created by a relatively unknown microbrand compared to the real Hamilton is another point against it.

I expect people will buy it anyway, because some people buy absolutely anything and everything, but a watch with an automatic movement inside which can't be used as an automatic is useless to me.

MWC does cast a lot of shade on Chinese brands on his channel too, which is ironic considering. He may not mention them by name, but he talks about the homage brands as if they aren’t to be trusted. Frankly, I’d sooner buy a San Martin than one of these.

Personally, I liked the Rangemaster. I kind of like this one. At first, I thought $299. Then realized it was the price in pounds. Hail Mary, full of nope. I don't like it that damn much. I'll wear what I have.

YouTubers make Sh*t watches. I mean check out this beautiful piece. It's original because nobody else was stupid enough to draw up this type of sh*t.

6 times the price of any Steeldive from AliExpress with the same specs. Not for me.