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Glossary

Hacking seconds explained

hacking seconds

Hacking seconds (or stop-seconds) means pulling the crown out to set the time also stops the seconds hand, so you can sync the watch to the exact second.

Why it exists

Without hacking, the seconds hand keeps running while you set the hours and minutes, which makes exact syncing awkward. Military and precision watches made the feature common, and most modern mechanical movements have it.

Does it matter for buying?

It's nice to have if you care about the exact second. It's rarely a deal-breaker. Older or simpler movements may not have it, which doesn't make the watch bad. It's just less convenient to set precisely.

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