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אַרְיֵה |
The photo of the watch in 6gun's karma offer reminded me of a question that I've had for a long time about watches. Many watches have extra markings on the northeast (between 12 and 3) quadrant of the bezel. Why is this? what is the purpose?  [/QUOTE]הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים | ||
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| Savor the limelight |
Minutes for timing steaks. Line up the 4th mark on the bezel with the minute hand and use it as a countdown timer to flip the steaks. Set it again as a countdown timer for when to pull the steaks off the grill. | |||
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| Partial dichotomy |
Yeah, they help track underwater safety. SIGforum: For all your needs! Imagine our influence if every gun owner in America was an NRA member! Click the box>>>  | |||
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| Member |
Well sure, it marks minutes but why the extra attention only at the first quarter? Are the first 15 minutes more important than the last 15 or the 15 in the middle? I always assumed there was a reason. I’m wearing a Casio Duro as we speak with the same markings. Is it for some diving function? | |||
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| Savor the limelight |
Nobody cooks their steaks for 20 minutes per side. Seriously though, I believe it's for timing decompression stops based on old US Navy dive tables.This message has been edited. Last edited by: trapper189, | |||
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Member |
What kind of black magic fuckery answers are these? Steaks on a special dial? Isn’t that what the watch is for? If underwater safety is determined by a mechanical watch dial then I’m pretty sure the sharks are winning! The other answers hurt me head and I enjoy math. I’m 1/2 of Vtails age and I still want a serious answer as I don’t understand this shit. 10 years to retirement! Just waiting! | |||
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| Member |
Use it as a timer. Rotate the arrow on the bezel to the minute hand, that’s when you tossed the steak on the grill, or, in your case, being the Evil Genius living in your Island lair, and you set your laser beam to destroy Washingtons DC unless you get ONE MILLION DOLLARS by 3:33. You can announce over the speaker phone “you’ve wasted 7 minutes!” as you pet your two mean Doberman Pincers. There’s a few watches that have those graduations from the :45 minute mark to the :00. Here’s a great article that explains how Bezels work and the different types of Bezels- The one pictured is a common Dive Bezel https://www.watchgecko.com/blo...0its%20functionality. On a side note, that is a really nice watch! Those Helm’s are built like tanks! Im wearing this as we speak: https://photos.google.com/shar...OEhaNmkzQVUwYnJmR1JB https://helmwatches.com/khuraburi-titanium.html ______________________________________________________________________ "When its time to shoot, shoot. Dont talk!" “What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” —Author Tom Clancy | |||
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| Member |
Otto- dive watches have been around for a while now. Way before the technology of having a dive calculator, compass, depth gauge, timer, and thermometer all in one, on your wrist, that’s also solar powered. And unfortunately, while under water, the sharks usually win. On land, 99.67% of the time, Mr Shark is getting his ass whopped! However, I’m grateful that Cows kill more people than Sharks, so we got that going for us!  ______________________________________________________________________ "When its time to shoot, shoot. Dont talk!" “What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” —Author Tom Clancy | |||
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| Smarter than the average bear |
I understand how a timing bezel works, and I even read the linked article, but I see nothing that explains why it’s common to have only the first 15 minutes individually marked. | |||
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| Member |
10 years to retirement! Just waiting! | |||
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semi-reformed sailor |
My marathon GSAR is marked all around, not just the first 15 minutes.  "Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” Robert A. Heinlein “You may beat me, but you will never win.” sigmonkey-2020 “A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior.” Chris Baker | |||
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Lost |
As trapper189 said, it's my understanding that it's for more precise timing of decompression stops on ascent. Those normally take less than 15 minutes (rarely 20), but need more precise timing as to the exact number of minutes depending on the specific dive table. | |||
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| Member |
I was Open Water Diver certified before dive computers were something most people could afford. Before dive computers you relied on your watch, your depth gauge, and dive tables to keep from getting the bends. The shorter the dive the more important to be accurate to the minute. If you are off by a minute when determining the nitrogen saturation of a 5 minute dive you introduce 20% error. If you are off by a minute for a 50 minute dive you only introduce 2% error. Many recreational divers will take several dives in a day and on vacation will dive multiple days in a row so accuracy is important. Besides, it looks cool… | |||
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| Official forum SIG Pro enthusiast  |
They let me know when it’s time to flip the burger or steak. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The price of liberty and even of common humanity is eternal vigilance | |||
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| Savor the limelight |
It is a serious answer. Before dive computers, dives were planned using US Navy Dive Charts. You used a watch and a depth gauge to keep track of bottom time and depth, then according to the charts, on ascent you spent a certain interval of time at certain depths to allow nitrogen to leave your body. Dive computers took over maybe 40 years ago. Much has changed in scuba diving in the last 40 years. A watch tells time. The addition of a rotating bezel helps keep track of time as a somewhat crude stop watch or count down timer. The markings on the bezel are easier to read than the ones on the dial or chapter ring especially if you set the bezel at a half minute increment. Most bezels have 120 clicks for a full rotation, which allow you to line up the bezel with the minute hand within a half minute. I use mine as an egg timer for grilling or even hard boiled eggs. | |||
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Member |
So that the time remaining can be understood at a glance. If the markings were the same for all 360 degrees of the dial, you’d really have to remember where the minute hand started in order to determine how much time had expired. It’s similar to an RPM dial with a red zone for the above-limit RPMs…. You don’t have to spend much time looking at the dial to know if you’re operating in the safe zone… or not. ___________________ Company, villainous company hath been the spoil of me. | |||
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| אַרְיֵה |
Cool! Solar powered dive watch. Recharges from sunlight while under water. הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים | |||
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| What is the soup du jour? |
When the power reserve of said diving watch is 6 months, and it'll be fully charged with two days of direct sunlight, your little vacation likely gave it all the power it needed. Oh, and Citizen Eco Drive watches charge with artificial light as well. Not just sunlight. Just don't wear them face down. Lol. | |||
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| SIGforum Official Eye Doc  |
From chat GPT (no surprises): Watches that have extra markings on the bezel from 12:00 to 3:00 typically do so for timing or countdown purposes, and the design can vary depending on the intended function. Here are the most common reasons: 1. Diver’s Watch Countdown Bezel (or Decompression Timing) • Markings from 12:00 to 3:00 (i.e., the first 15 minutes) are often emphasized on diver’s watches. • Why? Because divers often need to monitor short intervals like safety stops (commonly 3 to 5 minutes) or decompression stops after a dive. • The first 15 minutes are crucial for managing air supply and ascent safety. • These markings are usually more detailed (e.g., 1-minute increments) and easier to read at a glance. 2. Chronograph/Tachymeter Enhancements • Some bezels are marked to help measure elapsed time or speed over a short interval (like the first quarter-hour). • Although tachymeters are usually on the dial, bezel markings can help supplement timing over short bursts. 3. Aesthetic or Legacy Design • In some cases, it’s simply a design tradition, especially in vintage or aviation-inspired watches. • Brands might highlight the 0–15-minute segment as a nod to historical timekeeping functions or classic watch aesthetics. 4. Regatta/Yacht Timer Watches • Though less common, certain regatta watches have markings for a countdown to a race start — which often uses a 5-, 10-, or 15-minute pre-start sequence. • The markings from 12:00 to 3:00 serve a functional countdown purpose here as well. Summary: Those extra bezel markings from 12:00 to 3:00 are usually for: • Short-interval timing functions (especially for diving), • Enhanced legibility for critical timing, • Or heritage design elements tied to to | |||
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