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Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:38 am
by Leon O
Am I being too harsh in my expectations for my C7 Rapide Quartz? I expect the second hand of a fine quartz watch to move precisely in 1 second steps that land exactly on the minute markers.

I just received my C7 back from repair for making occasional 1.5 second jumps and landing in-between markers for 10-15 seconds before catching up. My most worn watch (Citizen) is just ideal in landing on the minute markers. So... I spent much of the afternoon watching the second hands of my other Citizen eco-drives go around their dials. They were not ideal and occasionally skipped. Two other watches with Swiss movements seemed more obvious when they skipped than the Citizens. The skipping seems most obvious on the C7 Rapide.

I think a factor might be that the Rapide has a red second hand that actually reaches the minute markers. On my other quartz watches the tips of the hands or too short to touch the markers so the skipping and in-between marker steps are not as obvious.

Are my expectations unrealistically high for the least expensive model in the CW line-up?

Thanks,

Leon

Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:52 am
by Commisar
I'd say so

I have a $80 quartz Citizen eco drive that's dead on the markers each second. I have a $80 Seiko that isn't. My other Eco drive citizen misses maybe 4 out of 60 and it's a really small miss. My Timex Q quartz misses maybe 12 out of 60 (Seiko movement)

I'd say that most sub $1k quartz watches have the potential to miss markers. In fact z the highest end Seiko (Grand Seiko) and citizen quarts watches make it a point to have seconds hands that never miss a marker.

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Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 1:02 am
by Leon O
Commisar wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:52 am I'd say so

I have a $80 quartz Citizen eco drive that's dead on the markers each second. I have a $80 Seiko that isn't. My other Eco drive citizen misses maybe 4 out of 60 and it's a really small miss. My Timex Q quartz misses maybe 12 out of 60 (Seiko movement)

I'd say that most sub $1k quartz watches have the potential to miss markers.
Thanks for the fresh perspective. It just missed about 14 out of 60. I really like the design, so I'm going wear it tomorrow to see how I feel once I put some miles on it.

Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 5:14 am
by Lavaine
Leon O wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2020 1:02 am Thanks for the fresh perspective. It just missed about 14 out of 60. I really like the design, so I'm going wear it tomorrow to see how I feel once I put some miles on it.
Unfortunately, it's the reality of all but the best quartz watches, unless you really luck out. Having said that, once you start wearing it, you won't be focusing on the second hand hitting the markers, and while the issue won't go away, it will fade into the background. On the wrist I find that I see the watch as a whole, rather than focusing on any one specific part of the watch.

Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:18 am
by Amor Vincit Omnia
I think it’s one of those “Within Tolerances” things, rather like the allowable drift of a mechanical movement.

My own quartz watches these days tend to be chronographs, so it’s not really an issue. And if I do use the chronograph to time something, it’s not usually anything too precise anyway. Once I have set the watch, then the running seconds subdial to me is only an indicator that the watch is actually working.

Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 10:07 am
by PaulJS
Leon O wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:38 am So... I spent much of the afternoon watching the second hands of my other Citizen eco-drives go around their dials....

Never mind the accuracy of quartz watches, you need some more interests :lol:

Cheers,

Paul

Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:15 pm
by Leon O
Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:18 am My own quartz watches these days tend to be chronographs, so it’s not really an issue. And if I do use the chronograph to time something, it’s not usually anything too precise anyway. Once I have set the watch, then the running seconds subdial to me is only an indicator that the watch is actually working.
The two CW watches arriving today happen to be chronographs :D

Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:36 pm
by ItsAliveJim
Even a £3000+ Omega Seamaster quartz doesn't hit the markers.

If you want a guaranteed 'hit' the Grand Seiko 9F movement is engineered to ensure it hits the markers.

Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 1:13 pm
by Leon O
Is the inconsistency of hitting and missing the marks related to the particular movement or the way the hands are set?

Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 2:43 pm
by ItsAliveJim
Leon O wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2020 1:13 pm Is the inconsistency of hitting and missing the marks related to the particular movement or the way the hands are set?
It's due to the backlash, or 'bounce' of the second hand. The 9F gets around this wth a little spring on the seconds wheel that keeps the hand accurate after the 'tick'.

Here's an interesting read on the 9F:

https://watchesbysjx.com/2013/05/explai ... xists.html

Re: Am I too Harsh in My Expectations of a Quartz Watch

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 3:53 pm
by Leon O
Thank you for the link. It was a good read.