To hack or not to hack? That is is the question.
Good evening all!
I've been watching a lot of watch reviews and reading many articles about watches, and more and more I am noticing the inclusion of the hacking feature as a sales tactic. I have to ask do you care about hacking, is it a make a break feature for you? If so why?
I only ask because my Longines is the first watch I've owned to have this feature. Additionally its not like I sync my watch perfectly to GMT/UTC (UK resident) or go on any military precision operations for my work. Just curious to your opinions. 👍
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Tim
Keen watch enthusiast and aviation geek. I love dress and tool watches.
Member since
Last active: 9 months ago
I always try to set my watch precisely as possible, mostly because I can rather than out of need, but I still like hacking as a feature.
That said, I do also occasionally do go on military operations... so there is that. 🤣
I always try to set my watch precisely as possible, mostly because I can rather than out of need, but I still like hacking as a feature.
That said, I do also occasionally do go on military operations... so there is that. 🤣
Well you're making me look silly 😜
Cool picture. I have to ask when you are out on task what watch do rep? I know G-Shock is popular.
How often do you set you watch? Especially if mechanical watches lose seconds a day?
Hacking on most mechanical watches isn't relevant especially with some movements being +/- 10 seconds a day or more.
Well you're making me look silly 😜
Cool picture. I have to ask when you are out on task what watch do rep? I know G-Shock is popular.
How often do you set you watch? Especially if mechanical watches lose seconds a day?
I generally wore a Timex Expedition Atlantis similar to this one, I always found G-Shocks too bulky. The picture is an old one from back in '07, but it was the most ridiculously "military" one I had to hand.
Next time, will likely be my Marathon Navigator, since tritium is more convenient than pushing a button for a light. I also prefer an analog display, it's more intuitive for me when making quick time estimates.
Hacking is very important to me. I can't stand to see the second hand at 12 and the minute hand between minutes. With hacking I can set the watch while the second hand is at 12 and get it looking right.
99.9 % of watches today have hacking movements. I like to be able to set my watch to the second upon winding it initially, but that's more habit than anything else that I've had since the days of setting the time by phone. (at the tone, the time will be....) Non-hacking movements are NOT a deal breaker for me. Plenty of ways to set them to the second besides back hacking.
I usually switch watches every day or two so I usually set my watch of the day every morning. I always set it as close to the second as I can. Most of mine hack, and the ones that don't, I carefully lift and get ready to wind when the seconds are right. Setting my watch for the day is one of the things I enjoy about owning mechanical watches. In short, I prefer hacking, but it's not a must have if I like the watch enough.
Hacking is fun, but it’s overrated and not necessary. If you wear a mechanical watch, your watch is going to be off by a few seconds by the end of the day anyway.
Hacking is very important to me. I can't stand to see the second hand at 12 and the minute hand between minutes. With hacking I can set the watch while the second hand is at 12 and get it looking right.
Completely agree with this!
I like hacking for a few reasons:
Hacking on most mechanical watches isn't relevant especially with some movements being +/- 10 seconds a day or more.
Yeah I agree, this is why it's not a selling point for me personally.
I generally wore a Timex Expedition Atlantis similar to this one, I always found G-Shocks too bulky. The picture is an old one from back in '07, but it was the most ridiculously "military" one I had to hand.
Next time, will likely be my Marathon Navigator, since tritium is more convenient than pushing a button for a light. I also prefer an analog display, it's more intuitive for me when making quick time estimates.
Nice watch. And the Marathon Navigator is very nice. I was going to ask, do many people in military wear mechanical watches? Or is it mainly digital given the nature of the job?
Hacking is very important to me. I can't stand to see the second hand at 12 and the minute hand between minutes. With hacking I can set the watch while the second hand is at 12 and get it looking right.
That's fair enough, it's in my opinion a very subjective issue.
What made you get into Hacking?
99.9 % of watches today have hacking movements. I like to be able to set my watch to the second upon winding it initially, but that's more habit than anything else that I've had since the days of setting the time by phone. (at the tone, the time will be....) Non-hacking movements are NOT a deal breaker for me. Plenty of ways to set them to the second besides back hacking.
Hahaha, yes that phone call is exactly what I was referring to 🤣
How often do you set your watches? Is it a daily thing or do you do it for the watch you're wearing?
I usually switch watches every day or two so I usually set my watch of the day every morning. I always set it as close to the second as I can. Most of mine hack, and the ones that don't, I carefully lift and get ready to wind when the seconds are right. Setting my watch for the day is one of the things I enjoy about owning mechanical watches. In short, I prefer hacking, but it's not a must have if I like the watch enough.
How do you set it? What started the habit?
That's cool, in fairness I like how we all have our own habits with our watches. My pocket watch is hand wound and I like winding, it is some what soothing.
That's fair enough, it's in my opinion a very subjective issue.
What made you get into Hacking?
I just pulled the crown out and I was a hacker. LOL
Completely agree with this!
I like hacking for a few reasons:
I wasn't aware that it could help protect the movement in fairness. That's always a positive
Hacking is fun, but it’s overrated and not necessary. If you wear a mechanical watch, your watch is going to be off by a few seconds by the end of the day anyway.
In fairness I've never really tried to hack longines to sync perfectly. But yeah that's my thought process. We know these mechanical watches aren't accurate (and for me it's one of the quirks I like about them). If we wanted accuracy surely we would all be wearing digital 🤷🏻♂️
Nice watch. And the Marathon Navigator is very nice. I was going to ask, do many people in military wear mechanical watches? Or is it mainly digital given the nature of the job?
Most of the people I have seen over 21+ years have been wearing a quartz analog or quartz digital. There are of course watch enthusiasts who have some nice mechanicals, like SMP300, Navitimers, etc., but those watches tend to be worn around base rather than at sea, or in the field.
Way back when I joined, everybody had to have a watch. The Canex(base store) sold cheap digital watches for something like $10 or $15, so that is what a lot of people wore.
Why hacking? Where does the term come from? If it's computing, i.e. hackers, I don't get it, probably because I'm a Luddite 🤪.
Why hacking? Where does the term come from? If it's computing, i.e. hackers, I don't get it, probably because I'm a Luddite 🤪.
Haha that is a fair question I couldn't say. Maybe hacking the movement or the time?
🤷🏻♂️I'm just grasping at straws.
For myself hacking is a plus, I'd rather have it than not, but never something that I look for or something that will sway me from one watch to another.
When I got my first hackable watch I would always set the time perfectly. Now I don't because I lose more time in my day trying to set it perfectly than the amount of seconds difference from when I set it haha
Haha yeah I can imagine that.
Yeah I mean I think it's a nice thing to have but not a selling point for myself. What would you consider a selling point?
Most of the people I have seen over 21+ years have been wearing a quartz analog or quartz digital. There are of course watch enthusiasts who have some nice mechanicals, like SMP300, Navitimers, etc., but those watches tend to be worn around base rather than at sea, or in the field.
Way back when I joined, everybody had to have a watch. The Canex(base store) sold cheap digital watches for something like $10 or $15, so that is what a lot of people wore.
Yeah I can imagine you wouldn't want to ruin your nice watch on a mission. If I broke one of mine I'd be busy crying 🤣
Were you not issued one? I know certain militaries issue watches.
Yeah I can imagine you wouldn't want to ruin your nice watch on a mission. If I broke one of mine I'd be busy crying 🤣
Were you not issued one? I know certain militaries issue watches.
The Canadian military doesn't, they only issue watches to specific occupations that have specific requirements for the watches. The rest of us make do with whatever we choose to wear, which is why cheap quartz digital watches are fairly popular.
The Canadian military doesn't, they only issue watches to specific occupations that have specific requirements for the watches. The rest of us make do with whatever we choose to wear, which is why cheap quartz digital watches are fairly popular.
Yeah I can understand why. 🤣
I always try to set my watch precisely as possible, mostly because I can rather than out of need, but I still like hacking as a feature.
That said, I do also occasionally do go on military operations... so there is that. 🤣
Possibly the best pic on a watch forum ever.
I'd probably punch myself in the face if I found myself waiting for the seconds hand to hit zero, pulling out the crown just so in case the seconds hand hits 1...