I think it was the (quite new) AT small seconds that made me take another look at small seconds watches. I've just never liked them, never paid any attention.

But they've been tugging at me for attention, and it turns out there's a lot to explore, and many that I like. They're a horological feature but also a design feature, and they're tricky to add to a dial because they take up a lot of space.

Small seconds most obviously give a vintage or dressy vibe to a watch, but it needn't be so. It was coming across this one that prompted this post

I'm interested in your thoughts - and pics please if you own a watch with small seconds.

Finally, just wanted to share this brilliant article if you really want to geek out on the history of small seconds. Current small seconds movements are not the same as the original small seconds movements in use since the 18th century. We've taken a skewed route since then via movements that were adapted to run a central seconds hand. And since then, current small seconds movements have had to further add to central seconds movements in order to recreate the vintage small seconds position. A kind of 'mechanical fauxtina' as the author suggests

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/cente ... l-fauxtina

Good topic, Lindsey, and an interesting Saturday morning read!

I like them. But you knew that anyway.

Surprisingly, leaving aside pocket watches and chronographs (the latter invariably carrying the running seconds on a subdial), I only have four. Three of them are in the vintage collection: 1917 Marvin; 1957 Avia; 1965 Smiths Astral.







I had a Nomos Tangente for a few years. With it and the vintage ones above, I just accepted that it was part of the design. I’m equally comfortable with centre seconds, with one exception. That is the Marine Chronometer design, a nod to the world of pocket chronometers or “deck watches”. Small seconds are vital here.

I won’t bore you with my thoughts on this, but you’ll find them here.

The C9 SH21 Small Seconds, though never described outright by CW as a “Marine Chronometer”, nonetheless has the stylistic DNA, and lines up three of my all-time favourite features: small seconds, hand-wound movement, and Roman numerals (pet hates for some, I know).




If I were being utterly perfectionist, the seconds dial would have a railway track and Arabic numerals every ten seconds, like my marine chronometer grails:

The GO is gorgeous! But what's the auf/ab dial?? PR?

@missF Power Reserve (similar to the UN, but I think it might be the other way round)

I also increasingly like them and three of my four purchases last year have them, although that does include my Speedy.

I think a small seconds hand can work well on tool watches where clarity and legibility is a primary design goal and moving a potentially distracting seconds hand away from the minute and hour(s) hands can help. I’m wearing an example today:


Some watches are just designed that way and would be odd, to say the least, without a small seconds hand. My Nomos being an iconic example of that:


I can certainly see myself buying more and a fairly inexpensive example that has just caught my attention is this:

One comment on the article I linked to was that the secret to small seconds watches is that they make time go slower - basically because there's not a long seconds hand 'racing around the whole circumference of the dial'. I like this idea

I like my small seconds (3 handers). I don't count Chronographs as small seconds, although they are.

I think it's an attractive harmonious design choice, and the second hand tick is a bit smoother even.

I wonder whether this dial position was chosen because of the movement design or the visual dial design?? I love the visuals - absolutely love the asymmetry. It won't be for everyone though

That Breguet is beautiful! I’m not sure how that alignment was arrived at, but in general terms it’s worth googling or researching the difference between Lépine and Savonette pocket watch movements, as these were very much the precursors of the early trench wrist watches.

missF wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2024 1:31 pm I wonder whether this dial position was chosen because of the movement design or the visual dial design?? I love the visuals - absolutely love the asymmetry. It won't be for everyone though


IMG_4297.jpeg

My favourite pair of small seconds…

Different case materials.
Different case shapes.
Different case backs. One open, one closed.
Both manual wind.
Both with a PR indicator on the reverse.
Different positions for the small seconds…

One traditional. One wonky.
Neil

^^^ I think I like the mixture of traditional/modern-wonky in both of these

I owned this one for a while, but the presence of the small seconds dial was well overwhelmed by the Orange (which was what I loved it for)

I think the small seconds hand is my favourite complication on a watch. I had 2 tribus with it. But now have 2 marloe Pacifics.

Oh..... the Marloe Pacifics are just lovely ...
I've just seen that they're on sale right now too.
I really liked the white/silver dial version but that's now sold out.

So often I just have to remind myself that I can't have all the lovely watches

For £699;the Pacific is great value. They have the daytimer coming out soon with small seconds hand and date. I will hopefully be adding one to my collection