In the video below you can watch Mondaine’s foray into the world of horological entertainment. The second hand of the watch in question — the Official Swiss Railways Stop2Go Backlight — pauses at 59 seconds, waits for the hour hand to change, then jumps ahead and continues on its merry way. That’s awesome only . . .
Back in 2014, the irishtimes.com reported that “To save money, the SBB has been quietly removing the second hand from its clocks when its motor, separate to the rest of the clock, runs out.” Reporter Derek Scally mourns the loss:
This was no ordinary second hand: Mr [Hans] Hilfiker designed it to complete its revolution in 58.5 seconds then stand still for 1.5 seconds more to, as he put it, “bring calm in the last moment and ease punctual train departure”. Now six decades of commuting calm has given way to untimely turbulence.
But not on your wrist, if you feel like stumping-up $650.
[…] dial colors (white hands on a black dial) and adding complications (e.g., the Sports Day Date and Stop-2-Go). But it’s the Mondaine Ultra Thin that cracks the nut . . […]