Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/02/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'll take the moonphase anytime against the Easter function. At least the moonphase tells me when we'll the the full moon so that I can terrorize the neighbor with my Leica and Noctilux lens. By the way, a Saudi Muslin king once requested Patek to custom make him a "grand complicated" watch (cost not a factor) to account for the birthday of Allah (as opposed to Christ's Easter), but was rejected by Patek claiming that it was mathematically impossible because the Koran equate that date, not based on any astronomy algorithms, but based on some ancient middle eastern shamanism. - --- Kip Babington <cbabing3@swbell.net> wrote: > A number of companies offer mechanical watches that > take account of leap > years, and at least one other (International Watch > Co.) that offers one > that adjusts for leap years in century years > (there's a leap year if the > century is evenly divisible by 400.) But I've read > that Patek has made, > and will make again if somebody will put up the cash > and wait 5 years or > so, a watch that includes a hand or hands that > indicate the date of Easter > (presumably as observed in the Western churches - > the Orthodox churches > calculate the date differently). This is, roughly, > the first Sunday after > the first full moon after the vernal equinox - I > can't imagine the > mechanical gear train that drives those hands. My > impression is that this > comes in a pocket watch, which has hands on both > sides. The downside of > these complications is that if the watch stops for > any length of time it > can be a real bugger to get it back in sync with the > world - in face, it > may need factory service to do so. > > Another claim I've read about Patek is that they > have an incredible stock > of parts for older watches, as well as records which > will let them recreate > parts that are no longer in stock (if you're willing > to pay the > freight.) Leitz stopped fixing screw mount cameras > after, what, 30 or so > years after the last one was made? Patek supposedly > will fix stuff they > made in the 1700s. Always assuming, of course, that > you're willing to pay > for it. > > Cheers, > Kip > > At 2/15/2002 10:31 AM -0800, you wrote, in part: > > >The most expensive watch to-date sold for > >a record $USD7.5 million at auction and its a > vintage > >watch made in the 1940s. It was a complicated model > >consist of moonphase, hour, min, sec, weekday, > month > >AND this is the most complicated function, the leap > >year. Except for the year 2100, which is not a leap > >year, the watch once adjusted will never have to > >account for the leap year forever, if it runs > forever. > >All these complexities are achieved by mechnical > means > >(in a miniaturized watch), not based on the modern > >electronic programming algorithm timepiece such as > >Timex, Casio or Seikos. > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Got something to say? Say it better with Yahoo! Video Mail http://mail.yahoo.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html