Hacking seconds and hand winding

Two small details that separate a basic movement from one that is pleasant to use.

Blue dial of a Seiko 5 Sports, close up

They are two details that appear on every spec sheet and separate a basic movement from one that is pleasant to use. Neither changes the quality of the watch, but you will notice them every time you set it.

Hacking seconds

When you pull the crown out to the setting position, the seconds hand stops. That lets you wait for another clock to reach the minute and push the crown in at exactly the right moment: the watch is set to the second. Without it, the seconds hand keeps turning while you move the hands and you can only set it to the minute.

Hand winding

It lets you wind the watch by turning the crown. It is useful for starting an automatic that has stopped without shaking it, or for giving it a few extra hours before a day with little movement. Twenty or thirty turns are usually enough to get it going.

The watches without them

Every watch in the catalogue has hacking seconds.

Every watch in the catalogue can be wound by hand.

The rest of the catalogue, 20 of 20 watches, has hacking seconds. It is the norm in modern movements: Seiko brought it to its entry range with the 4R36, and Orient with the F6 family.

Citizen is a curious case: in its 82 series the 8203 does not hack and the 8204 does, and watches using them can look identical from the outside. That is why it pays to check the movement, not just the model. More on the Citizen 82 series page.

Frequently asked questions

Is it a problem if a watch does not hack?

It does not affect how it runs, only convenience: you will not be able to set it to the exact second. For most people it is a minor detail.

When should you not change the date?

On many automatics with a quickset date, between nine in the evening and three in the morning, while the date mechanism is engaging. The safest approach is to move the hands to six o’clock and set the date then.

Can I wind it too much?

No. Automatics let the mainspring slip when it is full, so the crown cannot force it.

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