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What is the difference between a chronograph that records elasped time in 1/4 as oppose to 1/5 and vice versa?

Afraid to sound stupid yet I will continue and ask the following:

Is one unit of measurement considered more accurate than the other and if so in what applications would each respective unit of measurement be better suited? In other words were would you use a chronograph that measures time in 1/4 and where would you use one that measures time in 1/5?

Thank You For Your Kind Responses! (I have had this question in my mind since my very frist Navitimer 11 years ago & I finally got to ask it - the internet is a marvelous thing - you can't look foolish on-line if you happen to ask what maybe is considered a stupid question - lol)

Best Regards,

Enezdez

_________________
IWC - Big Pilot 5002 - 01
IWC - Pilot Chrono 3717 - 04
Panerai - 183
Omega - Speedmaster 145.012 / 67
Rolex - Explore II (Black Dial) - 216570
Rolex - Explore I 114270
Blancpain FF 5015

Aah, now here is Breitling's dirty little secret........

There are some Navis that have elapsed time in 1/5 of a second on the dial, and in theory that is slightly more accurate than 1/4 of a second - though I don't think that there is any particular application that is better suited to one or the other.

However.........

All (mainstream) Breitling movements are 4Hz movements, which means that they move 4 times a second - regardless of the scale. If you want a 5Hz movement then you are likely going to want an El Primero powered Zenith.

Roff got his reply in before me so what follows is probably b*ll*cks!


I used to tell my students "There's no such thing as a stupid question. The stupid thing is NOT to ask the question!"

This is something I've wondered about myself. I have not got the answer for you - just my guess!

In the past, I think the 1/4 and 1/5 seconds marks simply reflected the way watches increased their accuracy as the "beat" (ticks) increased over time.

A 1/4 second beat is (4x60x60) is 14,400 bph which may have been the standard in 1952 when the Navitimer was introduced with the hand-wind Venus 178 movement.

A 1/5 second beat is (5x60x60) is 18,000 bph and would have been considered a significant step forward in accuracy when the higher beat movement was introduced.

I think I'm right in saying today's ETA 7750 has a 28,800 beat (1/8 second) but anyone needing this type of accuracy would be using a digital watch.

So my theory (OK, guess!) is that the 1/4 and 1/5 seconds marks are essentially cosmetic and simply part of the design of the watch dial. Whatever the markings, your watch is more accurate but 1/8 seconds marks would be unreadable.

I look forward to being shot down in flames by those more knowledgeable!

_________________

For more information on identifying Breitling replicas, please visit my web site
http://f4buz.com/watches/breitling/fakes/fakes.html

Tempting though it is to

I'll be gentle instead

There is a lot of accuracy in your logic, however there is one problem.

A 28,800vph movement is in fact only 4 moves per second, and not 8 - hence 28,800 = 4Hz.

The difference is that Hz is a measure of frequency. Think of waves - radio waves, light waves, heck sea waves - the frequency is the number of complete waves that pass a point in a second, and the measure is from peak to peak or trough to trough or whatever. Between the two peaks is an up cycle and a down cycle and that equates to the vibrations of the balance spring - 2 vibrations per Hz, but only one hand movement per Hz.

Thank You Roff for replying to my question - yet I need to follow up with another question - I just want to clarify a point.

All (mainstream) Breitling movements are 4Hz movements, which means that they move 4 times a second - regardless of the scale as you stated in your reply. // So does that mean that all Breitling Chronographs are 1/4 regardless of the scale in which they are advertise as such?

Henceforth, all Breitling watches are 1/4?

Please Clarify?

Thank You!


Enezdez

_________________
IWC - Big Pilot 5002 - 01
IWC - Pilot Chrono 3717 - 04
Panerai - 183
Omega - Speedmaster 145.012 / 67
Rolex - Explore II (Black Dial) - 216570
Rolex - Explore I 114270
Blancpain FF 5015

All Breitlings with a normal 60 second chronograph are 1/4 second because that is as accurate as the movement will allow.

Thanks for your quick reply Roff & for the educational lesson as well!


Best Regards,


Enezdez

_________________
IWC - Big Pilot 5002 - 01
IWC - Pilot Chrono 3717 - 04
Panerai - 183
Omega - Speedmaster 145.012 / 67
Rolex - Explore II (Black Dial) - 216570
Rolex - Explore I 114270
Blancpain FF 5015

I for one would like to thank Enezdez for asking this so-called "stupid question." This has been rather enlightening information! Certainly learned more in this quick read than I have all week.

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Breitling Colt GMT
Breitling Navitimer World
IWC Portuguese Automatic
Breitling Transocean Chronograph LE

Well I was right in one thing about the post!


Thanks for the explanation Roff. I just about understand it!

However, I think I was right, albeit for the wrong reasons, to say that the markings are cosmetic

_________________

For more information on identifying Breitling replicas, please visit my web site
http://f4buz.com/watches/breitling/fakes/fakes.html

Your Very Welcome Kstone!!!!!!

My Pleasure!!!!!


And Sharkmouth I do believe that you are right too - they are cosmetic apparently!!!



Best Regards,


Enezdez

_________________
IWC - Big Pilot 5002 - 01
IWC - Pilot Chrono 3717 - 04
Panerai - 183
Omega - Speedmaster 145.012 / 67
Rolex - Explore II (Black Dial) - 216570
Rolex - Explore I 114270
Blancpain FF 5015

100% correct!

(where's the smilie for "lucky guess!")

_________________

For more information on identifying Breitling replicas, please visit my web site
http://f4buz.com/watches/breitling/fakes/fakes.html

Thank you Roff. Great info

_________________
Rolex DeepSea, GMT Master II TT, Pres 18038, DJ TT 16013
Breitling Chronomat 39mm (bullet+UTC), Starliner SS/MOP (wife)

back with ROLEX

So, this 1/5 is just cosmetic?
http://www.breitlingsource.com/watch_de ... er_90.html

Yep, still has a 4Hz movement in it so it's incapable of 5 steps per second.