Hey guys,

I bought a brand new Hamilton Khaki last year, and the instruction booklet said to avoid vibration. In particular, they recommended removing the watch while riding a bike or motorcycle. The watch sported a 2842-2 auto movement.

I was wondering recently if I should be more careful with my speedies. I'm familiar with the battery of tests NASA subjected these watches to, and I'm mainly curious to know if a 53 year old speedie would be likely to pass that same set of tests today?

I tend to be careful with these watches, but not necessarily gentle.. and I don't take them off when I'm on the bike.

Feedback appreciated!

 

Perhaps they may have indicated that you should avoid "wiping out" when riding any sort of two-wheeled conveyance! Vibration alone is unlikely to do much more than perhaps tangle a hairspring on the hairspring stud or curb pins. This can have a serious effect on a/ whether the watch continues to run or not, and b/ timekeeping if it does continue to run. The effect of a tangled hairspring can be dramatic, but it is generally easy to solve. Wiping out, on the other hand, can have serious effects on watches, bikes, AND riders!

 

Agree, I think the ETA movement should be able to handle just about any normal amount of shock/vibration, even on a bike / motorcycle.

 

I think that a properly serviced cal. 321 movement would be every bit as resilient now as it was when new.

 

And be careful playing golf.

 

Resiliency has very little to do with it. Will it survive it? Sure. You are still putting undue stress on the watch. If i go on a long distance ride without gloves to dampen vibration i get rewarded by several days of numbness, courtesy of (non permanent) nerve damage. My nerves can heal, my watches don't have that ability.

 

I think if I owned a 53 year old speedy, I'd be kind of wanting to try it out, willing it to be every bit as good as it originally was. But then I'd chicken out. Thinking to myself; what the heck am I doing riding a bike or such with a 53 year old watch strapped to my wrist! [emoji15][emoji2]