Hi, I know this probably sounds like a really stupid question but I couldn't find the answer anywhere.

I noticed that on my Speedmaster when I reset the chronograph, the hands jump back to 12, However it seems to me that depending on what side of 6 they are on they either swing up clockwise or counterclockwise, whichever side has less travel.

My question is how do the hands "know" which side has the least amount of travel to return to 12? This seems really amazing to me and I'd love to understand roughly how that happens. Or is this just an illusion from the speed with which they jump? Thanks!

 

Gears and things

 

And while we're at it, I've noticed that a thermos will keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. How does it know?

 

It's due to the shape of the "coeur du mobile" (I don't know the english name) :



With this pics it's very obvious

 

intelligent design

 

LOL!

 

The hammer drops onto a cam - the cam is heart shaped, so it just depends on what side of the peak of the cam the hammer hits...if it hits on one side, it will go one direction, and if it hits the other, it goes the opposite way.

 

The heart.

 

Clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter clockwise in the southern.

Right?

 

Yeah, the watches have little longitudinal sensors built into them that control the reset mechanism. Going in the wrong direction might snap off a pivot.

An eBay seller once explained this to me. Maybe I saw it on FoxNews.

 

Exactly. Intelligent design.

 

The word to word translation

 

Thank you! I knew I'd get a good answer here, (as well as several snarky ones). Thankfully the helpfull people here outweight the negative

 

It’s all love. Don’t take them as negatives.
My brother punched me in the sacks ever time that asshole sees me.
I hate that stupid son of a bitch.

 

It depends, if it senses you are watching it will randomise the return to 12 to confuse you...