I have been looking to buy a new MW 311.30.42.30.01.005 and I have looked at 6 new watches in two different Authorized Dealers. MOST (4 out of 6) have the chrono second hand noticeably off zero. Some were as much as a half second off towards the "1". Starting and resetting the chrono didn't fix the problem. One dealer mumbled Rolex's watches have similar variation ! Seems shocking to me.

Is this a common "issue" ?
Thoughts ?

 

Anybody?

 

Easy
Buy the ones that don’t have a issue.

Have 3 new speedmasters ( ST1 & ST2 ) and all line up to 12.

 

I don't consider a misaligned chrono hand normal. But it's usually something easily fixed during a service.

 

Yeah don’t worry

 

Agree. I know it's probably driving you crazy looking at that off hand but it's no big deal. If you can bear it, I say use it and just take it in when it is due for service and have them fix it. No point taking it in to service for just this issue IMO.

 

Going from memory I believe the tolerance is that the hand can’t be more than 1/2 the width of the minute marker off center. In other words you would need magnification to see it.

Cheers, Al

 

Thanks for the bump Hunter87.

 

I say get what you want. It bugs me when the hand is supposed to reset to zero and doesnt

 

I would have thought that the chrono second hand starting on zero would have been an important feature. The Omega AD sales people made many mentions that Apollo 13 did a manual burn using the watch. Half a second off, on a 39 second burn on the far side of the moon sounds important to a lay person like me.

My $200 knock around Seiko SSC015P1 chrono has it all lined up perfectly. I was hoping to invest in a quality iconic SS chrono watch (the last watch needed in my stable), but staring at a misaligned $5000+ second hand on my arm is just nuts....

Very disappointing.

 

Thank you everyone for the comments and taking the time to reply.

 

Chrono hand should be aligned IMO. Just make sure you're looking at it squarely. A few degrees off angle can make a difference in how it appears to line up.

 

Why didn’t you buy one of the two that were lined up?

 

Thanks Archer (I'm more of a traditional type of arrow thrower !).

It is more a question about the watch's quality. If the obvious isn't just right, what else is wrong....

 

If there’s a problem with the watch (all brands will have problems) that’s what the warranty is for. If you can’t stand the idea that a $5k watch might have a problem, then for your own sake you might want to stick with watches like your Seiko.

Cheers, Al

 

I figured that would be someones reply. My point is other manufacturers can get it right even with inexpensive watches. I have the money and desire to buy the Omega NASA watch, but I'm concerned about obvious irregularities, and wanted to hear from loyal supporters.

 

Thanks wsfarrel. I did notice the parallax due to the height of the second hand off the face. You are correct, a slight change in the watch angle does move the hand's position noticeably side to side.

 

I only mentioned this because you specifically cited the cost of the watch in a previous post...

You don’t have to believe me, but all brands at all price points have quality issues from time to time. Trust me I see and deal with people all the time who get very stressed out about these sorts of details, and for some it becomes overwhelming. I don’t know you but simply based on your comments so far, you don’t seem to be the type to let things go, that’s all.

Anyway hope you enjoy whatever you end up buying...

 

Thanks Archer. I am buying the 005. I just thought this was the best place to get insights into the second hand issue.

I've reached the conclusion that I personally wont be going to space (let alone the moon) - a dream and belief I've had since I was a kid. Wearing the current version of Buzz's (et al) watch, will be the next best thing ! Seriously though, thanks again for the comments.

 

You're not alone. After a few days of owning a brand new 2019 Speedmaster I noticed the chrono hand was off. A kind of once you've seen it you can't unsee it situation. Knowing this would drive me nuts I returned to the AD and they have sent back to Omega to rectify. I'm sure for most people this wouldn't be a problem at all, for me... as a designer who is always wanting everything to line up nicely it was too much to deal with.