Speedmaster Chronograph runs on its own.

mueschen · Nov 7, 2022

Hey everybody! Thanks a lot for accepting me here.

I bought my new and first speedmaster professional approx 3 months ago and witnessed a -for me - unusual behaviour a couple of times. I enjoy to keep the seconds hand a bit off, approximately 10 seconds, so I can see the omega logo. I just love the watch and the logo. After these 10 seconds, I stop the chronograph. Some time later, I see that the minute hand from the chronograph has moved. Sometimes just 1-2 minutes, sometimes even 20. I never see it moving, it’s just there after some time, although the stop-watch was not running. Have you guys experienced something like that as well and is it normal or is there a problem with my watch?

Thanks a lot in advance and kind regards,

Alex

mueschen · Nov 8, 2022

Any idea anyone? 😀

ChronoB · Nov 8, 2022

I think someone has asked about this before, that they liked to stop and set the chronograph at a certain point but one of the hands eventually would move. As I recall, the mechanism that holds the hands in place when you stop the chronograph is not designed to keep them set in that position indefinitely, and enough movement will dislodge it. Hopefully, Archer will come along and give a better explanation for you.

STANDY · Nov 8, 2022

So is this another issue with the latest Speedmaster ?

Archer · Nov 8, 2022

mueschen
Hey everybody! Thanks a lot for accepting me here.

I bought my new and first speedmaster professional approx 3 months ago and witnessed a -for me - unusual behaviour a couple of times. I enjoy to keep the seconds hand a bit off, approximately 10 seconds, so I can see the omega logo. I just love the watch and the logo. After these 10 seconds, I stop the chronograph. Some time later, I see that the minute hand from the chronograph has moved. Sometimes just 1-2 minutes, sometimes even 20. I never see it moving, it’s just there after some time, although the stop-watch was not running. Have you guys experienced something like that as well and is it normal or is there a problem with my watch?

Thanks a lot in advance and kind regards,

Alex

When you have the chronograph stopped, but not reset, there is only a small spring holding the minute recording wheel in place. When the hands are reset, there is a hammer sitting on the cams of the wheels to keep it in place.

So if you run the chronograph, stop it, and leave it that way, any small knock will possibly cause the minute recording hand to move, if the knock is in the right direction.

It's a feature, not a bug...

mueschen · Nov 9, 2022

Archer
When you have the chronograph stopped, but not reset, there is only a small spring holding the minute recording wheel in place. When the hands are reset, there is a hammer sitting on the cams of the wheels to keep it in place.

So if you run the chronograph, stop it, and leave it that way, any small knock will possibly cause the minute recording hand to move, if the knock is in the right direction.

It's a feature, not a bug...

Thanks a lot for your explanations, guys! That was really helpful. Good to hear that my watch works normally. So, I guess, you wouldn’t recommend leaving the seconds hand in a different position than at 12 o clock for a longer time or would you?

4011021 · Nov 9, 2022

mueschen
Thanks a lot for your explanations, guys! That was really helpful. Good to hear that my watch works normally. So, I guess, you wouldn’t recommend leaving the seconds hand in a different position than at 12 o clock for a longer time or would you?

You can leave the seconds hand at any position if you want to. The minute hand might move if you knock it, since it isn't "locked" by the hammer, but that's it. No damage.

Canuck · Nov 9, 2022

The image is of a different movement to yours, but it may give you an idea of the minute recorder wheel, and the index that holds the wheel in place. It indexes only once per minute while the watch is running, but it remains as shown at times when the chronograph hands have been zeroed, or, as in your case, when the chronograph hands have been “parked”, but not zeroed. The index is on a very tiny spring which could be nudged, allowing the minute recorder wheel to advance. The minute recorder wheel is at A, and the index is at B..

Archer · Nov 9, 2022

This is the minute recorder on a Speedmaster, showing the jump as the minute counter advances...

Aroxx · Nov 9, 2022

Peanut gallery chiming in here. If that “index” is the only thing holding the minute counter wheel in place when not in a fully reset state, wouldn’t the watch be susceptible to the same issue while the chronograph was running? Or is there something else going on when the chronograph is running that would prevent a shock from accidentally unlocking the wheel?

Archer · Nov 9, 2022

Aroxx
Peanut gallery chiming in here. If that “index” is the only thing holding the minute counter wheel in place when not in a fully reset state, wouldn’t the watch be susceptible to the same issue while the chronograph was running? Or is there something else going on when the chronograph is running that would prevent a shock from accidentally unlocking the wheel?

It can happen when running also.

Aroxx · Nov 9, 2022

Thanks @Archer. I wonder how hard the OP is banging this thing around to cause the behavior. Seems it's happened enough to post about it here. If he was actually using the chronograph to time something when it happens the elapsed time will be off. I'll experiment a bit with mine. I'm sure I can find something to hammer... 😁

Speedmaster Chronograph runs on its own.

mueschen

mueschen

ChronoB

STANDY

Archer

mueschen

4011021

Canuck

Archer

Aroxx

Archer

Aroxx

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