Speedmaster Hour Chronograph-Hand Positioning

RoystonMarky · Mar 10, 2017

Hi,

After purchasing my first Speedmaster Professional recently I've noticed something I'd appreciate experienced opinion on, please:

With the chronograph running, I've noticed the hour indicator (dial at 6 o'clock), will be pointing directly at the corresponding hour marker approx 6-7 minutes before the minute indicator (dial at 3 o'clock), has completed its second full rotation for that hour. This then causes the hour marker to be slightly past the hour indicator before the minute indicator has started the next hour.

Is this normal?

jroam82 · Mar 10, 2017

1) Is your hand on the marker exactly at 12 when it's reset? Could be out the same amount all the way around

2) Is it exact at 6 hours in? Could be slight dial positioning throwing it out vertically.

3) After 12 hours, is it exactly back where it started? If it's not keeping up I imagine it's a bigger issue - but I'm not even sure if that's possible in this movement (being always driven). I'll leave that one to the experts.

Archer · Mar 11, 2017

It's not unusual. The hour recorder is driven directly from the mainspring barrel with a friction spring and pinion arrangement, so it's driven from a different part of the watch than the seconds and minutes recorders are (those are driven off the 4th wheel). Some are closer than others, and it can be affected by how well the hand is set on as well, but even with the hand set on perfect, they can still be out slightly.

The hour recorder is the least precise counter certainly, and really if it tells you that you are in either the first or second half of the hour, then it's doing it's job.

Cheers, Al

RoystonMarky · Mar 11, 2017

Archer
It's not unusual. The hour recorder is driven directly from the mainspring barrel with a friction spring and pinion arrangement, so it's driven from a different part of the watch than the seconds and minutes recorders are (those are driven off the 4th wheel). Some are closer than others, and it can be affected by how well the hand is set on as well, but even with the hand set on perfect, they can still be out slightly.

The hour recorder is the least precise counter certainly, and really if it tells you that you are in either the first or second half of the hour, then it's doing it's job.

Cheers, Al

Hi, Al

Thanks for your detailed, considered and knowledgable reply! I let the Chrono run for 12 hours and as it goes round each hour-marker it is only very slight consistently, but as you've mentioned it doesn't in anyway deter from showing which stage of the hour it's at.

I was initially concerned (which is why I put up this post), as I bought it new last week and it's my first chronograph piece.

I guess each Speedmaster is individual, similar to the Rolex logo on each Rolex crown not always facing upwards once screwed down.

Thanks for putting my mind at ease!

Regards

Mark

Speedmaster Hour Chronograph-Hand Positioning

RoystonMarky

jroam82

Archer

RoystonMarky

Similar threads

FS Gallet 24 Hour Chronograph - £1250

The Channel crosser: a Speedmaster’s tale

Speedmaster hour register alignment

Speedmaster Caliber 321 "Ed White" - A Pictorial Review

Fit to purpose - The Speedmaster Mark II Reissue

Speedmaster 9300: Three years on the wrist