Watch with Sweep Second Hand

[Mexicanuck]

My apology in advance if this is posted in the wrong forum.

I'm thinking about getting a new watch. I don't want a digital watch, I want an analogue watch with a moving second hand.

But I want a "sweep" second hand. This is the kind of second hand that doesn't have visible step-by-step, second-by-second movement.

(I think of time as a continuum rather than a series of discrete events and I would like a watch that reflects that.)

Does anyone know about sweep second hand watches? Is this a characteristic of only multi-hundred dollar watches?

[Richard Travale]

I'm pretty sure that is a feature that is only in more expensive watches. If I recall, that is the way most people spot the fake Rolex. The real Rolex has the sweeping second hand while the fakes always tick.

[brown]

Fake Rolex's sweep as well.

Pretty much all automatic watchs sweep. Quartz watchs tick.

[RigPig]

..you will be after an 'automatic' watch. Purely mechanical, uses an overbalanced flywheel to wind the mainspring.....so as long as you move, the watch will stay wound.The 'seconds' hand will sweep, but if you look closely, it still ticks but many times for each second........a 'high-beat' auto will tick more times per second and hence
sweep 'smoother'. A pure quartz watch will beat once per second. (There are several rarer hybrid type movements that combine several different technologies, but for simplicity's sake, the dividing line is quartz vs auto)

An auto can be found in anything from a 200.00 basic Seiko dive watch to the sky's the limit Asian, German, Swiss you name it high end watch.

[canuck88]

I'm a bit of a watch nut... There are a lot of 'inexpensive' watches with sweeping second hands... by inexpensive I mean around the $90-150 range. Most have the Miyota japanese automatic movement which is 21 jewel and quite good (although not as smooth as a more expensive movement like ETA). What style of watch are interested in?

If you like divers style, and want a really cheap rolex submariner style watch, the Alpha watches are chinese but have a sweeping seconds hand and are built VERY well for the money (about $40 US):

http://cgi.********/NICE-ALPHA-SUBMAR...QQcmdZViewItem

Orient (one of the big japanese watch makers like Seiko) also has a nice but dressier diver-style watch:

http://cgi.********/ORIENT-MEN-AUTOMA...QQcmdZViewItem

It's also available in black.

If you have more questions, email me at scott.harris.misc at rogers.com and I'll do my best to help.

Scott

[hugh]

wow, the things you learn on this site!

My Dad started his career at Birks as a watchmaker right after WWII although I suppose watch repairman would be a more apt term.

To this day, I can change a springbar

[57]

I change all my own batteries. I also used to be able to adjust the speed of the older mechanical watches so that they only lost or gained a few seconds a month.

Since all of my watches are now quartz movement, it hasn't been an issue and I really don't mind that my sweep second hand is "quantized".

My dress watches don't even have a sweep second hand because I like watches that are very thin.

I can be very fastideous about watches too, because it took me about a year to find my last dress watch - right colour, right thickness, etc. So I can understand wanting a "sweep" second hand, even if that's being really persnickety.

[57]

I wanted to wake up this old thread because I was reading about watches and found the Seiko Spring Drive, which meets the needs of the OP.

http://www.discount-watches-guide.co...ring-drive.htm

Whoops, looks like the price on that website is not for the Seiko Spring Drive, but for another watch. It seems like the Spring Drive is quite expensive... Sorry.

[cyclo]

I had a Seiko automatic diver's watch with a "sweep" second hand. I used it daily for almost 20 years (since I bought it in 1985). Unfortunately I lost the watch when it fell off my wrist while I was cycling about 2 years ago. I even went back to the road twice on my bike (northbound Warden between 14th and 16th) but I couldn't find it.

Those analog watches are really robust... My digital watch (Polar) just crapped out on me last Summer... less than 2 years after I got it.

[Frogger]

You can find some seiko's on ebay that are automatic.. though the really cheap movement ones, the sweeping isn't all that smooth.
On ebay you can also find refurbished older watches (30+ years old) that have refinished faces (a no-no for watch collecting purists I guess) and new watch glass for reasonable prices coming from places like India.

[Jake]

OK this thread is not dead yet Jim!

I have started my search for a watch and based on a few of the pointers in this thread discovered the Seiko Black Monster and Seiko Orange Monster. The only thing I would like is a black metal strap but they don't seem to sell that variant. Anyone have good or bad experience with these models?

Orange Monster
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000EPLR2G/

Black Monster
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0006IHHN4/

[canuck88]

The seiko monster's are great dive watches. Quite big though. Try one on at a store first in case you have girly wrists and it looks silly Personally, I wear only 42-44mm watches (big)

[Jake]

I had a Haverhill's Navigator at one time. It lasted me about 10 years. I think it was a similar size but if I can find one locally I will try before I buy.

[Jake]

Well I have had a change of heart on mechanical watches and decided to find a quartz watch. One thing I need is accurate time and setting a mechanical watch once a week is not for me.

The number of Casio, Citizen and Seiko watches are overwhelming. If anyone knows of a site that allows you to find watches based on criteria let me know. I would like the following if such a beast exists.

Quartz based
Rugged design
10 year battery (L-ion)
stainless or titanium case and strap
radio time signal update
Day and date (DDMM) display

[57]

I was given a Seiko solar that might meet your requirements (except for the time signal). I don't like "rugged" so I sold it a while back.