Post by mamas on Dec 23, 2005 14:58:10 GMT -6
I promised to post a few comments on the Speesonic, and here it is. I don't pretend to be a mechanical genius and I can almost promise that you won't learn much from this but, hey, so what? ;D
1973 Speedsonic Chronometer Chronograph 188.002
The first thing you notice about the Speedsonic, aside from its impressive heft and generous girth, is the gentle, very smooth sweep of the seconds hand. Unlike even the smoothest of mechanical movements, the small seconds hand, as well as the sweep chrono hand do not jump or "tick" at all. Rather, they move completely smoothly around the dial. Even the minute and hour counters move continuously, very slightly and very slowly, but very smoothly. This is a result of the rather unique electronic "tuning fork" movement. More on that, later.
There is a lot going on on the charcoal colored dial including, from what I gather, noting Don's 22nd birthday. Quite insightful, Omega. At first, the layout appears very similar to the cal. 1045. However, on the Speedsonic, the seconds dial sits atop, at the 12 position, with the minute counter at 9. Despite the glut of information, legibility is excellent. The matte subdials contrast nicely with the satin dial and, in typical Speedy fashion, white stick hands allow for easy readings at a glance.
The stainless steel case is a beautiful melding of brushed and polished surfaces on sophisticated angles. Because the movement is of a three part modular design, with the chronograph module setting on top, the crown and pushers are slightly offset, with the crown towards the bottom of the case. The back is engraved with the famous Omega seahorse and marked "Seamaster," which is fairly typical of the time. An explanation from Omega Vintage, as noted on Chuck Maddox's site is that, at the time, the Speedmaster was considered a division of the Seamaster line. I don't intend to dive with this watch.
Of course, what really makes the Speedsonic special is the movement. Licensed from Bulova in the early 1970s, the tuning fork movement represents a unique and rather revolutionary design in timekeeping. Before quartz forever changed the dynamics of the watch industry, there was another electronic watch, featuring futuristic technology and offering supreme accuracy.
So, how does it work? Hell if I know, but I bet it's pretty complicated. There's a battery and a transistor and, if my understanding is correct, a miniature harmonica really makes it work. Actually, the workings of the tuning fork movement are well beyond the scope of this little commentary (and my puny brain), but the gist of it is this. Rather than the typical balance wheel/hairspring setup used in a mechanical watch, the Speedsonic utilizes a battery-energized, tiny tuning fork (yes, just like the ones used by hamster musicians, even today) that oscillates back and forth at a frequency of 300 vibrations per second. A soothing hum can be heard, when it's held to your ear. Yeah, yeah, there's a lot more to it than that. Google it.
The Speedsonic is a beast, and an odd beast, at that. With its unique tuning fork movement and oversized case, it's my largest and most complicated watch, to date. But, the "big chrono" infection continues to grow and fester, like a wonderfully satisfying polyp, situated comfortably on my left wrist.
eric
1973 Speedsonic Chronometer Chronograph 188.002
The first thing you notice about the Speedsonic, aside from its impressive heft and generous girth, is the gentle, very smooth sweep of the seconds hand. Unlike even the smoothest of mechanical movements, the small seconds hand, as well as the sweep chrono hand do not jump or "tick" at all. Rather, they move completely smoothly around the dial. Even the minute and hour counters move continuously, very slightly and very slowly, but very smoothly. This is a result of the rather unique electronic "tuning fork" movement. More on that, later.
There is a lot going on on the charcoal colored dial including, from what I gather, noting Don's 22nd birthday. Quite insightful, Omega. At first, the layout appears very similar to the cal. 1045. However, on the Speedsonic, the seconds dial sits atop, at the 12 position, with the minute counter at 9. Despite the glut of information, legibility is excellent. The matte subdials contrast nicely with the satin dial and, in typical Speedy fashion, white stick hands allow for easy readings at a glance.
The stainless steel case is a beautiful melding of brushed and polished surfaces on sophisticated angles. Because the movement is of a three part modular design, with the chronograph module setting on top, the crown and pushers are slightly offset, with the crown towards the bottom of the case. The back is engraved with the famous Omega seahorse and marked "Seamaster," which is fairly typical of the time. An explanation from Omega Vintage, as noted on Chuck Maddox's site is that, at the time, the Speedmaster was considered a division of the Seamaster line. I don't intend to dive with this watch.
Of course, what really makes the Speedsonic special is the movement. Licensed from Bulova in the early 1970s, the tuning fork movement represents a unique and rather revolutionary design in timekeeping. Before quartz forever changed the dynamics of the watch industry, there was another electronic watch, featuring futuristic technology and offering supreme accuracy.
So, how does it work? Hell if I know, but I bet it's pretty complicated. There's a battery and a transistor and, if my understanding is correct, a miniature harmonica really makes it work. Actually, the workings of the tuning fork movement are well beyond the scope of this little commentary (and my puny brain), but the gist of it is this. Rather than the typical balance wheel/hairspring setup used in a mechanical watch, the Speedsonic utilizes a battery-energized, tiny tuning fork (yes, just like the ones used by hamster musicians, even today) that oscillates back and forth at a frequency of 300 vibrations per second. A soothing hum can be heard, when it's held to your ear. Yeah, yeah, there's a lot more to it than that. Google it.
The Speedsonic is a beast, and an odd beast, at that. With its unique tuning fork movement and oversized case, it's my largest and most complicated watch, to date. But, the "big chrono" infection continues to grow and fester, like a wonderfully satisfying polyp, situated comfortably on my left wrist.
eric