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Carefree
Advanced Member
Philippines
4212 Posts |
 Posted - 24 January 2015 : 09:51:52
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About 40 years ago, my cousin from East Germany sent me a watch for my birthday. Let me describe it.
The dial had no numbers, no symbols. Each hour was indicated by a uniquely colored triangle. There was a smaller black circle which had a triangle-shaped wedge cut out of it (the triangular wedge was exactly the same width as the hour triangles). As it revolved, the time was calculated based upon the how much the current hour's triangle was exposed (where the leading/trailing edge of the revolving triangle was).
I'm sure the colors are way off and I'm NOT an artist, but you'll get the idea from this:
After some use, 24 hours or so, I could get the time within 2 minutes.
Anyway, I started thinking about that watch a few weeks ago and trying to find a photo of one to show some friends. Not having any success. Anyone out there familiar with this? |
Edited by - Carefree on 25 January 2015 11:19:31 |
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golfmann
Junior Member
United States
450 Posts |
Posted - 25 January 2015 : 14:07:56
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I tried to look it up...
Never saw anything like this but I find it interesting....
I assume the longer green is the actual minute? ie: 2:06? |
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Carefree
Advanced Member
Philippines
4212 Posts |
Posted - 25 January 2015 : 15:09:16
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| If you used the trailing edge, the actual time displayed would be about 1:10 (appx 1/6th of the hour's triangle is past). The leading edge would make it about 2:10. |
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golfmann
Junior Member
United States
450 Posts |
Posted - 25 January 2015 : 16:31:09
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lol
I MEANT 2:11...
I can tell time... really! (or at least I used to!)  |
Edited by - golfmann on 30 January 2015 21:48:22 |
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Maxime
Average Member
France
521 Posts |
Posted - 30 January 2015 : 06:57:43
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Hello Carefree,
I never have such a watch, and yet in my area we produce watches for over 200 years. My region is the city and Franche Comté Besancon. This shows if it comes from East Germany, it can be in the original Russian?
My cousin lives in Germany Hamburg exactly, I can look him in Germany how this watch. But not on the result. |
Cordially,
Maxime
Taxation consists in so plucking the goose to get the most out of feathers with the least possible cries.(Jean-Baptiste Colbert)
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Edited by - Maxime on 30 January 2015 07:04:23 |
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MaGraham
Senior Member
USA
1297 Posts |
Posted - 30 January 2015 : 10:04:42
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Oh how interesting, Carefree! 
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"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." - John Wesley |
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Carefree
Advanced Member
Philippines
4212 Posts |
Posted - 30 January 2015 : 10:29:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Maxime
Hello Carefree,
I never have such a watch, and yet in my area we produce watches for over 200 years. My region is the city and Franche Comté Besancon. This shows if it comes from East Germany, it can be in the original Russian?
It could easily have originated in Russia or Poland, yes. She lived quite far to the north, but near the border with West Germany when she sent it to me. |
Edited by - Carefree on 30 January 2015 10:30:19 |
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Classicmotorcycling
Development Team Leader
Australia
2085 Posts |
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Maxime
Average Member
France
521 Posts |
Posted - 30 January 2015 : 23:10:32
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| Carefree, you do not see a mark on the watch? Similarly under the casing |
Cordially,
Maxime
Taxation consists in so plucking the goose to get the most out of feathers with the least possible cries.(Jean-Baptiste Colbert)
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Carefree
Advanced Member
Philippines
4212 Posts |
Posted - 31 January 2015 : 06:13:50
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| I don't have it any more. It was destroyed during the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991. |
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Carefree
Advanced Member
Philippines
4212 Posts |
Posted - 19 April 2015 : 21:13:11
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An update to this saga....
Purely by accident, I stumbled on my cousin on the web; 40 years after I last had contact with her. We are now Facebook friends. I have yet to ask her about this watch, though ... too many other things to catch up on. |
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pierretopping
Junior Member
United Kingdom
224 Posts |
Posted - 20 April 2015 : 02:38:47
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| Great result :-) |
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AnonJr
Moderator
United States
5768 Posts |
Posted - 20 April 2015 : 09:09:36
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| It's always awesome when you can re-connect with family. |
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Topic |
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East European Watch
