Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/15

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Subject: RE: [Leica] wristwatches
From: "David Enzel" <dhenzel@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 22:56:49 -0400

Who sells Zeit watches?

DAVID ENZEL
Chevy Chase, Maryland

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of John Coan
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2000 10:34 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] wristwatches


Rolex makes a big deal about the "chronometer" certification, but anyone
who actually owns one will tell you that compared to today's cheap
quartz watches they aren't very accurate.  At least mine isn't.  Still,
they are a marvel of beauty and craftsmanship and salesmanship and hype
and certainly an icon.

If I want accuracy in a watch I wear my Zeit model.  An incredible
modern marvel, this relatively cheap watch is more accurate than any
quartz watch.  It has a built in radio receiver that picks up the time
signal from WWVB, the longwave station of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology.  Those of you with shortwave receivers are
probably familiar with WWV transmissions.  Same thing, only these are in
digital code.  The watch sets itself every evening and is accurate
throughout the day to a fraction of a second.  In fact, the watch sets
itself when you first put in a battery.  And when daylight savings time
comes and goes it adjusts by itself.  There is no way to set it
manually.

Which is better?  If you are worried about getting to a date on time the
plus or minus 3 minutes of the Rolex is satisfactory.  But, if you want
to be able to switch your TV to the evening news precisely when it
starts on the hour, the Zeit will do it for you.  The Zeit, as one might
expect from the name, is made in Germany.

Replies: Reply from Jeff Moore <jbm@oven.com> ([Leica] Re: wristwatches)
Reply from John Coan <jcoan@alumni.duke.edu> (Re: [Leica] wristwatches)