Duffer question - automatic movements.

[andy400]

Apologies - despite owning these things, I find I know little about how they actually work.

Is the number of jewels in an automatic movement linked in any way to the behaviour of the second hand - ie to sweep or not to sweep?

[Odie]

andy400 said:

Apologies - despite owning these things, I find I know little about how they actually work.

Is the number of jewels in an automatic movement linked in any way to the behaviour of the second hand - ie to sweep or not to sweep?

The number of jewels refers to the number of Rubies used as bearings within the movement, how this correlates to sweep I have no idea.

[CardShark]

A mechanical auto will always have a sweeping second hand and this is regardless of the number of jewels within the movement, have a look here for more info http://www.timezone.com/library/wwatchfaq/wwatchfa...

[amnesia V6]

This shot shows the sweep of the second hand on my SEIKO SUMO.

This has a 28800bph 6R15 movement so 8 beats per second.
No mechanical watch has a perfectly smooth sweep, despite what the naked eye sees.

[amnesia V6]

NeMiSiS said:

What do you see a SpringDrive as ?

The absolute epitome of watch-making, but not purely mechanical in my eyes.

[amnesia V6]

NeMiSiS said:

Same here, doesn't quite sit right with me, it has a slight whiff of Kinetic. But I am a self confessed Seiko Snob so maybe I dont want to believe.

Me too, but that wouldn't put me off wanting a GS or Credor

[Riff Raff]

CardShark said:

A mechanical auto will always have a sweeping second hand and this is regardless of the number of jewels within the movement, have a look here for more info http://www.timezone.com/library/wwatchfaq/wwatchfa...

Sorry, but the sweeping second hand comment is bks. I've got a couple of Jaeger leCoultre mechanical pieces that don't have a second hand.

[CardShark]

Riff Raff said:

Sorry, but the sweeping second hand comment is bks. I've got a couple of Jaeger leCoultre mechanical pieces that don't have a second hand.

That's not quite what I meant, I guess that it would have been more accurate to say that if a mechanical automatic watch has a second hand then it would be one that sweeps as opposed to one that ticks, all be it to whatever bpm the movement works at

[LukeBird]

NeMiSiS said:

In general the more jewels/bearings the finer the watch.

In general, yes, but not all of the time!

I do rather like my 51-jewel Girard-Perregaux powered Daniel JeanRichard!

[fluffnik]

CardShark said:

Riff Raff said:

Sorry, but the sweeping second hand comment is bks. I've got a couple of Jaeger leCoultre mechanical pieces that don't have a second hand.

That's not quite what I meant, I guess that it would have been more accurate to say that if a mechanical automatic watch has a second hand then it would be one that sweeps as opposed to one that ticks, all be it to whatever bpm the movement works at

Eight ticks a second is still ticking, even Accutrons tick, admittedly 360 times a second.

Only Spring Drives have a genuine always moving forward sweeping second hand.

[CardShark]

Yeah, I get that, can't be bothered to re-phrase it again

[fluffnik]

CardShark said:

Yeah, I get that, can't be bothered to re-phrase it again

Sometimes when I look at Spring Drives I'm convinced I can see my Accutron tick...