Daytonas are not keeping time

 

I've read this grievance several times, and wonder about the dislike. I think it's pretty cool. Do people not like the fact that there's a star on both the dial and the chrono hand ?

 

No, it's not the double use of the star on both the dial and hand, even if there was no star on the dial I would still dislike it on the hand. I just don't like it. I really appreciate that they are not using it on the re-release for the 384, 385, 386

 

Me neither - I think the style on the re-release models is much nicer, as well.

 

like the striking tenth?

 

This is the striking tenth in new clothes

 

I quite like this. The white dial version would be my choice and the decimetre bezel is really quite handy I feel. The one thing that puts me off is the relatively short warranty of only 2 years (or three if you register). That’s way too short for an 8k GBP watch.

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but because you say it is quite handy and I'm seriously curious to know how:

I again do not believe this is a decimetre bezel (it does not measure 1/100th of any standard unit of measure); this bezel is used to determine 1/10th of a second in the chrono function.

So, really, this bezel does no more than allow someone timing an event to get timing at the 1/10th second *accuracy.*

However, I assume that if someone actually needed 1/10th second accuracy, they would not rely on the human eye and finger reflexes to determine same. (Average hand-eye reflex is ~ 1/4 a second, which rather matches the accuracy tolerances of most standard chronographs.)

All that presumption laid out, I am very interested to hear what would be handy about this not-decimetre bezel!

 

For me I’m not bothered in the slightest about timing to 1/10th second - that’s ludicrous to me on a mechanical watch. But when I’m struggling with my near vision as I am now it’s great to quickly see the 3 o’clock sub dial is past 20 and the bezel shows 04 - meaning 24 seconds has gone by. I can do that with a quick glance versus having to squint at the sub dial and count tiny ticks past the 20 mark..whatever the right name for the bezel is!

Since looking at this watch earlier I’m seeing a lot of negative comments on YouTube etc on it’s resemblance to the Daytona. Fact is the Zenith is attainable, likely not to be worn by reality TV ‘stars/influencers’ and I’ll likely not be spoken to like dirt when I go into an AD to inquire after one. All a bonus in my book.

 

I see; so in effect you’re adding to my view that this bezel is just an extension of the subdial totalizers, and in your (nearsighted) case a more readable one (though duplicative) regarding elapsed seconds in particular.

Fair enough; that seems both reasonable and at the same time the sum extent of its utility.

 

What is it that you are timing that takes over an hour?

 

I think your post’s quoting attempts are garbled, and mixes different people’s posts with your own comments.

But to get at what seems to be your question: given the entire history of chronographs, I don’t think the hour totalizer needs a defense; but instead a 1/10th second novelty bezel needs the explanation, when it seems incapable of be useful (based merely on error and tolerances of the operator).

I’m more than happy to hear Zenith say, “it’s really only about showcasing our movement’s ability to capture 1/10th second intervals, which is an horological marvel.”

I think that’s a reasonable explanation - But again, I’d only be left wondering why they might choose to do such a marketing piece with a supposed bread-and-butter non-limited product line, especially after having offered the 50th Ann version that did a great job marketing that.

regarding it looking like a Daytona: well, my comment was in part tongue-in-cheek. But, Zenith has a particularly unique history with the Daytona, and as a result should probably be more careful than most to not overplay that hand. It’s like the younger brother wearing to school the older brother’s varsity letterman’s jacket: they don’t look the same, but it’s fair to tease him for it.

 

Oh definitely, I agree it’s not a hugely useful bezel, merely makes its uselessness slightly more legible to me. Let’s face it, I’m never going to be time 14 second Apollo 13 style retro burns - it’s for eggs and steak timing. But it looks great.

I might get one when it becomes discounted here in the UK. It needs to be a 5k watch and not an 8k watch really IMHO.

 

One potential use: Timing laps in the pits at a race track. Yes, I know, human hand and 1/4 sec and all that, but it would be a fun exercize.

 

And these would have been the types of uses for this and other similar watches back before there were more accurate alternatives. Though I think it was accomplished on-dial with the other totalizers (legibility accomplished by the central sweep relating to on-dial markings).

Here’s an LE example with 1/100th:

 

Yes, my reply ended up a bit confusing. I was mainly focused on the lack of the hour subdial. I am not looking to get into a pissing match over it's usefulness. Personally I much rather have this type of complication than a standard chrono complication.

 

I didn’t think we were! I’m capable of an academic discussion about meaningless watch minutiae without involving any bodily fluids.

When you asked what an hour totalizer is useful for, I was looking for ANY way to answer other than: anything that takes longer than an hour?

If you’ll entertain any more nerding: my interest has in part been that this watch is in fact only a chrono complication, despite the momentarily confusing addition of a bezel. In many but not all cases a bezel is used to provide a “tool” function other than a chrono/pure elapsed time totalizing (eg tachy, etc.).

That said, I think I’ve only once “used” a tachy, and that more by novelty than necessity. Other bezel additions are far more useful (to me).

 

I just placed my deposit for the white dialed Chronomaster Sport. I enjoy the modern Zenith watches, and I really like the size of it!

 

Thats funny. I hadnt even noticed. Good eye

 

could you hand-hold me here? I'm not following