Worst discoveries inside a vintage watch

Marine1932 · Nov 17, 2022

Dan S
We have taken a break from a focus on hydrogen, but it's likely to have a huge role in future energy storage. In fact, the first DOE "Earthshot" involves hydrogen.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-shot

Green hydrogen (made from reneweable electricity) does have a role going forward in desulphurisation, ammonia etc. Unfortunately hydrogen is unlikely to save the day for large scale energy storage or transport for a number of reasons.

1. The water electrolysis process wastes a lot of energy when creating hydrogen (that's physics and won't improve). More energy is wasted when the hydrogen is then used to generate motion via fuel cells or used to create electricity again. I get that it is an energy storage medium but not a very good one.

2. Hydrogen is a difficult gas to contain and transport and needs a lot of compression and/or cooling which takes energy and hydrogen resistant materials. This will impact transport, domestic supplies or underground storage and extraction processes.

Obviously, all sectors are worth reviewing but proper quantitative analysis should be done and given to politicians before they start promising grandiose plans to switch to hydrogen in say domestic heating and transport in only a few years.

https://h2sciencecoalition.com/

sheepdoll · Nov 17, 2022

Marine1932
1. The water electrolysis process wastes a lot of energy when creating hydrogen (that's physics and won't improve). More energy is wasted when the hydrogen is then used to generate motion via fuel cells or used to create electricity again. I get that it is an energy storage medium but not a very good one.

Plants have evolved to do this efficiently. However the process is complex (not fully understood) and not really scalable. I have known researchers in the SETI field, who state that a single plant cell is as complex to model as a large ship such as the Queen Mary.

Watches on the other hand are deceptively simple. I wonder now if anyone has ever cut into a tree or other plant and found a watch. There are some plant structures when cut into that look like gear trains. Especially when fossilized. Watches have been carved out of wood, or made from paper but such things do not last, so such things simply do not exist as we have no documentation of them.

Marine1932 · Nov 17, 2022

sheepdoll
Plants have evolved to do this efficiently. However the process is complex (not fully understood) and not really scalable. I have known researchers in the SETI field, who state that a single plant cell is as complex to model as a large ship such as the Queen Mary.

Watches on the other hand are deceptively simple. I wonder now if anyone has ever cut into a tree or other plant and found a watch. There are some plant structures when cut into that look like gear trains. Especially when fossilized. Watches have been carved out of wood, or made from paper but such things do not last, so such things simply do not exist as we have no documentation of them.

Interesting thoughts - thanks! You're right that scientists are investigating photosynthetic approaches for hydrogen production but it's still in the research / prototype stage and it's not clear if and when it will ride to the rescue of hydrogen production. Even if it works, the problem of storing and transporting it still remains unless hydrogen can be created quickly and on demand near where it's needed.

sheepdoll · Nov 17, 2022

Marine1932
Interesting thoughts - thanks! You're right that scientists are investigating photosynthetic approaches for hydrogen production but it's still in the research / prototype stage and it's not clear if and when it will ride to the rescue of hydrogen production. Even if it works, the problem of storing and transporting it still remains unless hydrogen can be created quickly and on demand near where it's needed.

I was thinking more how plants combine the hydrogen in water with the carbon in the air, and release the oxygen.

The real question though, how often are watches found in plants, And plants in watches? The the question is the dirt that if found in the watch organic? or is it mineral? I like that many now simply call it DNA, which would imply it is mostly dead skin.

Of course there are those who would sell you sustainably processed organic table salt.

marco · Nov 17, 2022

I found and purchased an Omega De Ville chrono with a 320 movement , it came from Italy ( beware).
On arrival If the chrono was running it would stop after a few mins.
Off to Lewis Watch Co in Perth Australia. Adam spotted the problem Immediately, the minute pawl was incorrect ( high lighted in blue ). A spring had been glued on to the locating pin to do the job of the minute pawl !
The second pic shows the correct minute pawl installed. A full service later and the watch worked flawlessly and is now owned by another OF member.

Worst discoveries inside a vintage watch

Marine1932

sheepdoll

Marine1932

sheepdoll

marco

Similar threads

If your hunting for a Vintage watch, your not alone

Which Design Elements Do You Not Care For On A Vintage Watch?

How best to value and sell a vintage watch?

Living with crazed acrylic crystals on a vintage watch...

Funny terms of a vintage watch warranty

Is A Vintage Watch Worth More Or Less If Radium Lume Has Been Removed?