# 24 hour watch question...



## BreaknecK (Nov 14, 2008)

Hi all..
Was wondering if someone can educate me, but how is a 24 hour hand overly functional on a watch with a traditional hour and minute hand already there? I presume that this really only offers the ability to read the time in two different ways. If this is the case, this seems like it would possibly crowd the watch unnecessarily. With traditional GMT watches, the "extra" hand can be set independently to read the time in another zone. With 24 hour watches without the usual hour hand, there is a whole new way to read the time (functional, fun in it's own way)...but having the third 24 hour hand on a watch with the other two traditional hands seems superfluous, no? Please assist.

Thanks!


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## Dennis Smith (Feb 15, 2006)

I've only seen one watch the way you describe it...The original 1970's "McQueen" Rolex Explorer II. It had conventional hands plus a 24 hour hand that was locked onto the conventional time and referenced the non-rotating 24 hour bezel. Thus no second timezone was possible. The only possible use for this 24 hour hand, therefore, was for a quick reference to military time. You see, this watch was designed for explorers, either underwater, in space, or in deep caves, and the 24 hour hand gave them an idea whether it was AM or PM, so it actually had a function.










Aside from that one Rolex model, every other 12/GMT watch I've ever seen has a 12 hour hand for local time and a 24 hour hand for a second timezone (referencing a 24 hour ring on the dial, internal bezel, or external bezel). In these watches either the 12 hour hand or the 24 hour hand (depending on the movement) is independently adjustable in hour jumps to set it apart from the other hand (allowing for one or two extra timezones).


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## siv (Apr 28, 2008)

There are a few currently produced watches that have the 24hr hand which is not independent. These are made by Vostok Europe:



They get around the fact that the 24hr hand cannot be set by having the 24hr scale on a moveable bezel.

When we say 24hr watch here we usually mean the "purist" 24hr watch - that where there is only one hour hand and it goes around once a day. For example:


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## BreaknecK (Nov 14, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. I have seen watches done both ways, with or without the traditional hour hand, just wanted to know if there was any more "value" to having the 24 hour as a third hand, other than to read the time in two different manners.


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## Watchfind (Feb 5, 2011)

I have never heard of vostok-europe before. Are there fakes for this brand? Most of their watches are sub $500 on sites I have seen and have nice design to them, am I looking at fake watches at that price without realising it? For example http://www.smirs.com/index.php?cPath=60_71&filtr=1 If not it seems to have one up on brands like Orient at similar price but much nicer features and design. How reliable are its watches?


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## Ray916MN (Feb 11, 2006)

Watches with a 12 hour hand and 24 hour hand are commonly called GMT watches. The 24 hour hand is generally referred to as the GMT hand.

Watches with a 12 and 24 hour hands which can be set independently and a 24 hour bezel can track time in 3 different timezones.

Local times are typically related as GMT time +- some fixed number of hours. Set the GMT hand to indicate GMT time and with a rotatable 24 hour bezel you can get an indication of local time any where in the world by twisting the bezel to reflect the number of hours ahead or behind GMT time.

When the GMT hand is synchronized to the 12 hour hand, showing local time, when the 12 hour hand is pointed at the sun horizon, the GMT hand will point north. This why some GMT watches have compass bezels as opposed to 24 hour bezels.

GMT hands provide an AM/PM indication above and beyond what a 12 hour hand can provide, while allowing a user to read time in a traditional analog formant.


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## siv (Apr 28, 2008)

Watchfind said:


> I have never heard of vostok-europe before. Are there fakes for this brand? Most of their watches are sub $500 on sites I have seen and have nice design to them, am I looking at fake watches at that price without realising it? For example Vostok Europe watches at Smirs.Com If not it seems to have one up on brands like Orient at similar price but much nicer features and design. How reliable are its watches?


As far as I know the Vostok-Europe watches that you have linked are genuine. The brand seems to be targeted to western consumers but uses Russian movements. As for their reliability, I would check out the Russian forum here on WUS for more input - I personally have never owned one but they sure look nice!


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## DM71 (Feb 6, 2009)

Watchfind said:


> I have never heard of vostok-europe before. Are there fakes for this brand? Most of their watches are sub $500 on sites I have seen and have nice design to them, am I looking at fake watches at that price without realising it? For example Vostok Europe watches at Smirs.Com If not it seems to have one up on brands like Orient at similar price but much nicer features and design. How reliable are its watches?


VE is a Lithuanian company using Russian movements. I had two and they were very good watches for the money. Like you are saying, they have original designs, and all the watches I have with Russian Movements, have been very reliable and accurate. I would not hesitate to buy another one. I dealt with Smirs not long time ago and had a good experience.

As for 24h watches, I have this Aviator that I enjoy a lot, it's a true 24h or "Purist" and not too expensive, this one is Russian though, using the Poljot 2623 manual wind movement, also used in some VE. 24h watches are basically GMT watches on which the GMT hand is replaced by a regular hour hand, and the normal hour hand removed.


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## Watchfind (Feb 5, 2011)

I really like the Vostok Europe TU-144 bracelet series but shame its not ones with the 12 hour hand removed and replaced by pure 24 hour hand only.


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## Timespan (Feb 26, 2006)

DM71 said:


> VE is a Lithuanian company using Russian movements. I had two and they were very good watches for the money. Like you are saying, they have original designs, and all the watches I have with Russian Movements, have been very reliable and accurate. I would not hesitate to buy another one. I dealt with Smirs not long time ago and had a good experience.
> 
> As for 24h watches, I have this Aviator that I enjoy a lot, it's a true 24h or "Purist" and not too expensive, this one is Russian though, using the Poljot 2623 manual wind movement, also used in some VE. 24h watches are basically GMT watches on which the GMT hand is replaced by a regular hour hand, and the normal hour hand removed.


Hi Daniel I have just ordered this watch, waiting for delivery, glad you like it. I was wondering about the size, at 45mm, possibly too big for me but took the plunge anyway.


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## drewm1980 (Sep 21, 2011)

The current Seiko Premier mechanical watches, e.g. SSA021J2, which have Cal. 4R39, also have a non-independent 24 hour hand and no date, according the online manual. I love how the watches look, but I consider the extra hand non-functional. Detracts a bit from the watch for me. At my current stinginess level, a 500 euro watch has to be perfect.

I could certainly use this on my Seiko 5; I am too lazy to keep the day or date accurate, partly because I don't know where the watch is in its 24 hour cycle.


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