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BluNotte
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Stop seconds function on a timepiece; How important is it really?

Dear All,

I hope this Thursday have treated you all well, or is currently treating you well!

Recently, on a topic which has surfaced up with much debate on the HOME forum, with regards to the launch of a latest timepiece which claims to be the most accurate mechanical watch in existence, we have come to face other fundamental question, that is the ability to set your watch to that of the international atomic time standard.

Now this is a door for a huge debate, which i hope that everyone, from both sides of the game, will join in. Whether you are like the Swiss, that says that anything that stops a balance wheel is bad for the entire system, or that of the Germans ( of which i proudly belong to) which states ultra logically that if you are not able to Sekundenstopp ( Stop seconds in Deutsch) your watch, how are you actually able to 1. Set it to the correct time to the seconds, assuming you have a seconds hand, and 2. Accurately measure the rate deviation of the particular timepiece.

I'll just start by saying a few analogy which i think is appropriate for this issue. If you cant stop the seconds of your watch ( which i shall refer to as Hack from now on), it's equivalent ( at least in my very humble opinion) to saying that you started off a race NOT from the start line, the zero position. Could Usian Bolt start from the 90m line, cross the 100m line a few seconds later, and say that he is the fastest runner on the planet? He had to start from the start line, that is the zero position as with the others right?

Could a race care do the same on a circuit? Start ahead of others, not from a reference line, and say that he is the winner just because he crossed the finish line 1st?

Would you prefer to measure a distance of say 10cm on a ruler from 0cm, or from 10cm? 0cm to 10cm, and 10cm to 20cm, these 2 options measure the EXACT same distance, BUT would you measure from the 10cm line? Maybe alot of you will. But not me for sure.

You might argue that this is different, as historically Chronometers usually dont hack, as what is important is that they keep the same rate deviation, to a small degree as possible, from whatever starting point they took. So a deviation of +1 secs/ day , is considered excellent as long as it keeps to that everyday. SO after 30 days it should real +30secs. Fair enough, but for a bona fide perfectionist like me, i wont and cannot accept.

Today we have atomic clocks which take their superb rates from the oscillation of the ceasium 133 atom, and thus i would say that God has blessed Men to have a much closer ( though totally far from it) measurement of the exact NOW Time.

Therefore, it is in my belief that where possible, and it always is for mechanical wristwatches, to be able to measure out the time from that reference which has been given to us by the Almighty. We may not be able to reach it ever, but dont you find happiness in being able to seek it out, and to be that one bit closer than not?

It's no wonder that i love Lange so much, for all their pieces, including Tourbillons after 2009, hacks.

Simple, straight, pure. What more could you ask for?

If i had all the funds in the world, you'd see me getting Langes only. And damn am i serious about this.

The finest finish in the industry, the most logical concepts, the clearest legibility, what more could one ask for?

I would love to hear all your opinions, and criticism of what i have stated in my above rant.

One learns something new everyday, and if i am wrong, do say so. And then please allow me the honour of what i should know from what i have not known.

Always grateful to hear from others about the passion of my life that i have loved since i was 3

Tschuss and i leave with you all a humble shot collection of my most precious TRUE Chronometers in my life.

Stephen