Don't like instructions on paper? Yes, it is difficult to convey in words or static drawings how to use the moving parts of even the most familiar mechanisms. For military personnel, athletes, coaches, doctors, television and radio journalists - many professionals for whom minutes matter everything - a watch without a bezel is a waste of money. What is it - bezel– and how to use it?
You can learn more about this in our video:
“Time moves slowly when you follow it... It feels watched. But it takes advantage of our absent-mindedness.”
Albert Camus.
Many watches have a common detail - rotary ring, rotary dial, lunette - or lunette- these are all different names for the bezel.
If the bezel is stationary and decorated precious stones- This is just a decorative element. Although “only” to an object made by a master of jewelry from such exquisite and expensive materials is somehow said disrespectfully.
As a rule, officer or sports watches have a bezel. Modern military standards require a bezel that rotates in both directions to be graduated per minute, and the area corresponding to the number “12” must be illuminated. The main task of the bezel is to record a certain period of time.
If 25 minutes are allotted to complete a combat mission, we turn the bezel so that the zero mark on the graduation is opposite the minute hand. For example, the time on the clock is 3 hours 17 minutes. You can, of course, quickly add twenty-five to seventeen, but we will simply rotate the bezel so that the zero mark on it is opposite the minute hand. Now you can look not at the dial, but at the scale of this rotary disk, and watch when the minute hand approaches the number 25.
The bezel can be graduated as in the usual way, and “in reverse” - then we set it differently: opposite the minute hand we have the “25” division. The minute hand now shows how much time is left to complete the task.
On Oris dive watches, the bezel only rotates counterclockwise with a distinctive click. The number of clicks can be sixty or one hundred and twenty - to measure a time period with an accuracy of thirty seconds. Accidentally touching your wetsuit or seaweed for hours can move the scale, and under water life depends on accuracy. But if such a bezel moves, it will shorten the underwater trip, but will save you from much bigger troubles. Of course, the amount of air in a scuba tank is controlled by a pressure gauge, but a person always reflexively looks at his watch.
When purchasing a watch with a bezel, carefully read the instructions. It is important to know whether the bezel rotates in both directions or only in one direction to avoid damage!
Although you now know how to use it, it is important to know whether it rotates in both directions or only in one direction. Otherwise, it can simply be broken. But good watches are not cheap - and this is not a good omen. And among people whose profession or hobby involves risk, many believe in omens. And this is not a superstition, but one of the security systems of our brain.
Although wristwatches have lost their position with the advent of modern gadgets in the form of phones, tablets and the like, they are nevertheless still in use. At the same time, many people prefer the classic look of a watch, that is, with hands, hour and minute. Well, there's something to it! We can say that this is a kind of tribute to conservatism, classic style, inflexibility of views, and sometimes even fashion. Well, in exceptional cases it is also an image! However, this article is not about that at all...
Many have heard that a wristwatch with hands can be used as a compass, but how!? Let's say more, watch manufacturers often install a ring on the case - a bezel, which should act as a compass. So, how to determine the cardinal directions and how to use this compass in a watch? This is exactly what our article is about.
Watch with compass bezel ring
In order not to be unfounded, it is necessary to show our reader which companies and how they make the bezel - the compass on the watch. We can say that this is just a visual aid to possible execution options. So the compass bezel is found on watches of such popular brands as: Casio, Seiko, Timex, Swiss military and other brands.
It should be noted here that there are also electronic compasses built into watches, but this is somewhat different from the bezel ring. In fact, when electronic compasses work, the arrow or indication immediately indicates the position of the cardinal points, but with a ring you have to calculate this yourself.
In fact, in order to calculate the cardinal directions, it is not necessary to have a bezel; it is only an auxiliary device that somewhat simplifies your calculations and can make them not only more accurate, but also adjust this very bezel in the direction of the cardinal direction. In fact, the compass bezel is a simple ring with markings that can be rotated. It itself does not indicate anything unless it is installed in in the right direction. This can even be called a kind of move from the marketers of watch manufacturers, when the compass bezel looks solid and beautiful, but there is little point in it if you do not have certain skills and abilities. About them just further...
How to determine the cardinal directions using a watch or a watch - a compass with a bezel ring
Before moving on to the process of describing the determination of cardinal directions using a watch, let's talk about what is known. Everyone knows that the sun moves from east to west. At noon, the sun will point north or south, depending on what part of the hemisphere you are in. That is, we can say the following. The sun comes from the east, then through the southeast, south, southwest and leaves in the west. All this is relative to the observing person on earth, located in the northern hemisphere. Here it should be noted that the sun moves, regularly and systematically - every day. That is, there is a dependence of the location of the sun on the time of day. The conclusion is simple, so to speak, but it is on this that the principle of determining the cardinal directions is based, that is, using a watch as a compass.
In fact, the most important thing is the fact that the number 12 is taken as astronomical noon in hours. It is at 12 o'clock that the sun should be in the south, conventionally opposite the sun. That is, a straight line is built through the points: our view is 12 o'clock - the sun.
Now, if this is so, that is, if astronomical noon corresponds to noon in the time zone, which we have been having problems with lately, then everything will work out! The greater the spread between these values, the greater the error will be!
Now let’s talk about this dependence and applicability clearly and in practice. If you point the hour hand towards the sun, and also take into account the number 12 on the dial...
That field divided in two between these guides will point to the south (northern hemisphere). This rule applies before and after noon. Unless you have to divide the other half of the dial. See an excerpt from the Seiko watch instructions.
So what is the role of the compass bezel ring? In this case, the bezel ring, as it were, fixes your mental line, which you must draw in the middle. It is simply adjusted according to it manually, that is, it is set in the middle between 12 o’clock and the hour hand directed towards the sun. That's the whole principle of the ring - bezel. By itself, until you align it along the calculated line, it will never show you the correct data, as a compass would.
It remains to be said that in some cases it is recommended to use not 12 hours, but 13, as half a day, that is, the number 1 on a clock.
Features of determining cardinal directions and using a compass ring on a watch
The first feature that can be easily guessed is that in different hemispheres we will receive oppositional results, that is, with the same accuracy, but with a different meaning. If in the northern hemisphere the straight line we calculate between 12 o’clock and the hour hand points to the south, then in the southern hemisphere it points to the north. We already mentioned this, but still.
The second feature will be that the calculation of cardinal directions, as well as the use of a watch as a compass, will be possible only during daylight hours, that is, during the day.
The third feature is that even such manipulations with the clock and determination of cardinal directions are very imprecise and depend on your location in longitude and time of year. So use your other skills to determine the cardinal directions, and confirm your guess about the position of the cardinal directions. And this article is more useful for general development and in order to still bring to your attention how watch manufacturers recommend using a bezel with parts of the world!
Those watches performed excellently; I had no complaints (well, except for the traditional ones - like weak lume).
It's time to look again at the East model range. I liked the model with the 2416B movement with dial index 150346. Of course, this is again an Amphibian, again a classic - modern models of Vostok watches did not take root well with me - there were two models, both broke quite quickly.
The decision to buy a new Amphibian came spontaneously - I accidentally saw a photo on the Internet. And there are new bezels! They attracted me. Well, I chose the model with a cushion body, this is my favorite variation of the Amphibian.
These watches are now more expensive than in 2014 - if previously they could be bought for about 2000-2500 rubles, now they cost 3000-4000 rubles, depending on the greed of the store.
Well, let's start in order.
The box is still the same. Kind of black, forgive me, but yes, “kind of a black coffin.” I don’t even know how to feel about this: it’s funny, and historical continuity is preserved, but it’s almost 2017, and the East is still there... Moreover, in such a box, the watch can get scratched during transportation.
The instructions are also good old, I think foreigners are delighted with it (and after all, they are simply fans of the Amphibia, they belong to the icon watch category, that is, the famous watches of their time).
The mechanism is 2416B with 31 jewels and a power reserve of 31 hours. The accuracy of the movement, as stated in the passport, is -20...+60 seconds per day. Terrible accuracy, to be honest, but: the same inexpensive Seiko and Orient also do not have the same accuracy. So you can make complaints here, but I think it's inappropriate. Given the price of the East and the awareness of the fact that a mechanical watch in any case is not quartz in terms of accuracy... well, you shouldn’t demand much from such a caliber.
Go ahead. Frame. The body is beautiful! It was good on my old Amphibia, but with the new bezel... Simply gorgeous! And most importantly, the bezel is made in a UFO style, like the Omega Speedmaster Reduced. It seems to float above the body. Looks very cool and has a wow effect. To be honest, I only bought the watch because of the bezel.
The bezel and case are polished, well made and have a nice shine. True, I would prefer a matte case with a polished bezel, but this is a matter of taste. It’s just that in the current design, the case and bezel look a little massive in relation to the small window of the dial.
The dimensions are:
The diameter at the narrow part of the case is 41 mm, at the bezel - 39 mm. Yes, yes, the bezel is slightly narrower than the case, this is also a great feature of the watch.
From lug to lug - 46 mm. So the watch is quite large and looks like a massive modern diver.
The strap width is 22 mm.
The bezel, as before, rotates in both directions, which, again, is very historical, but for a diver this is a big disadvantage. This bezel can be easily moved when diving. This is no good. It would be possible to make a normal decision already.
The dial on my model is blue. There is also model 150344 with a black dial. But I like it exactly Blue colour. The phosphor on the dial is applied quite neatly (by the standards of the East), but it shines, of course, very modestly, although better than I expected and than it was on my last Amphibia. The dial has a pattern in the form of a wave, it looks good. In general, the numbers are restrained and moderate, beautiful.
But between the lugs the case is not very well polished. It's a pity - the strap/bracelet attachment makes this part of the case visible quite clearly.
The back cover is standard for the Amphibian; there is a legendary solution in which the back of the case is, as it were, “pressed” under pressure at depth, and the mechanism remains intact. And no helium or other paraphernalia is needed. Water protection 20 ATM.
The crown of the mechanism dangles for a similar reason - for reliability. When hit, it should remain intact, it’s already shaking. But winding the watch and changing the date with this solution is not easy: you need to “catch” the desired position of the crown. On the last Amphibia I almost didn’t manage to do this, but on this one I did it almost immediately. This makes me happy!
Convex glass, acrylic. It looks vintage, scratches easily and is just as easy to polish (even with toothpaste) and can be replaced for 100 rubles. Fine.
The bracelet... The bracelet here is a little different - if I'm not mistaken, it's called a "ministerial" design (experts, correct me if I'm wrong), but its quality has not changed: it's still just as bad.
However, I also have a wonderful mesh bracelet from Balticus, by luck also 22 mm. And how can you not take advantage of this? 🙂
Well, you can try a NATO strap. True, it is black, but here it would be blue or multi-colored.
To summarize, I will say the following.
As a fan watch, as an icon watch, the Vostok Amphibia Classic is an excellent purchase option. The design of the 60s, the technology of the USSR, the spirit of those times has definitely been preserved in them.
However, this watch cannot be considered as a tool-watch in 2017. Bad bracelet, weak phosphor, bi-directional bezel, low accuracy of the mechanism. Hence the negative reviews about this watch.
At the same time, all the shortcomings are easily outweighed by the price: you won’t buy something like this for $50. If desired, you can put on a normal bracelet/strap and you will get an excellent sports and historical watch. You can dive in them without worrying for hours. You can also replace the lume, but this is already an improvement.
What do you think about this new model?
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Anna LyubimovaNowadays, checking the time is as easy as looking at the screen. mobile phone. But your mobile phone may run out of charge, you may forget it at home - in this case, a good old wristwatch will come to your aid. This is an almost eternal accessory that, if used correctly, will serve you for many years. Sports and military models are usually equipped with a bezel - this device helps to keep track of time, and in some cases saves lives. Want to know why there is a bezel on a watch? We will talk about this in this article.
Bezel on a watch - what is it?
If your life is scheduled minute by minute, or moreover, the lives of other people depend on you, then the bezel will help you don't waste time and always be in the right place at the right time. This is especially true for representatives of the following professions: doctors, athletes, survival instructors, trainers, military personnel, journalists, pilots.
Especially for them, watchmakers came up with one clever trick: all models of military and sports watches are equipped with a thin rotating rim with divisions located around the dial. This is the bezel - an element simply necessary for those who know exactly the value of time.
Bezel on watch
Bezel, bezel or lunette: three names for one device
Many people and watchmakers refer to the bezel on a watch by different names: lunette, dial, or ring. In fact, all these are names for the same part - a timer. It comes in two types:
- a fixed one is a decorative bezel, which is usually decorated with rhinestones and small diamonds;
- movable - such a rotating bezel can save our lives thanks to some of its features.
The main task performed by the rotating bezel is to fix a certain time period. It is with his help that we always we'll know for sure how much time is left to complete the task.
Rotating bezel on watch
He also divided into two types:
- one-sided - this is a characteristic element of a diving watch, protected from accidental increase in time;
- double-sided - for all other models of military and sports watches.
Watchmakers offer a third bezel option – “watch”. This model has three equal segments and simply created for those, who needs to keep time in four hours.
Having found out what a bezel is, you should definitely find out exactly how to use it for your purposes.
How to use the bezel?
So, you have purchased a watch with this unique feature and want to know how to use the rotating bezel on the watch. It’s very simple to do this: let’s say it’s 20:00, and we need to complete this or that task in exactly half an hour. In order not to forget about the time, we set the timer so that the zero mark was placed opposite the minute hand. Done - in exactly half an hour we will receive a signal that the time has come to an end.
The bezel is a versatile device that is used by many people around the world because it has many uses. Let's look at them in order.
Rotating watch bezel hidden under glass
Application for divers
For divers, a bezel is a must! When diving, many divers are so carried away by contemplating the underwater world that they simply forget about time. If you are diving with an instructor, then it’s okay - he will show you with signs that it’s time to surface, and the oxygen supply will definitely be enough to get to land. Independent divers can only rely on themselves. In this case, a rotating watch bezel could save their life. It is very easy to use - even a child can handle it.
Rotating bezel on a diver's watch
Let's say you are planning to scuba dive, and the air supply in the cylinder is designed for half an hour. You are planning to dive at 14:20, and return to shore at 14:50. In this case, it is enough to turn the bezel so that the zero mark is exactly opposite the minute hand. Done - you can safely dive until a minute the arrow will not reach numbers 30. Now at the right time you will remember that it is time to stop admiring the fish and sunken ships and float to the surface.
Are you afraid that during a dive you might accidentally touch the numbers set and increase the remaining time under water? You can rest assured, because in such watches the movement is in the opposite direction - counterclockwise. In addition, most of these watches are highlighted in red for the last 15-20 minutes - this a kind of signal alarm, saying “It’s time to surface.”
Timer
This element on the watch is most relevant for the military, who are given an order to carry out a command within a given time. By setting the watch bezel in the opposite direction, they will always know exactly how many seconds or minutes are left to complete the command. Just put the 25 mark opposite the minute hand - you're done, the countdown has begun.
Clock with timer
However, You'll love the timer and other people. It allows journalists not to be distracted from writing an article; housewives can use it when cooking or doing household chores. And yet, it was athletes and the military who appreciated the maximum effectiveness of such watches - now they are ready to carry out any assignments and tasks in the shortest possible time.
Compass: features of determining cardinal directions and using a compass ring on a watch
Lost in the forest? A watch with a compass bezel ring will help you navigate the cardinal directions and find a way out even from an impassable thicket. From the school geography course we remember that the sun always rises in the east, moves through the southeast and southwest, and sets exactly in the west. This characteristic feature the movements of this star in the Northern Hemisphere.
If did you go in the morning into the forest and can’t find your way back, a watch with a compass bezel will help you. This is done like this: we direct the hour hand so that it is located opposite the sun. We look at the number 12 and divide the distance between the sun and the number in half. This is the south.
Watch with compass bezel ring
The answer to the question of how to determine the cardinal directions using a watch or compass watch with a bezel ring is very simple, but there are some nuances that are worth paying attention to:
- Inaccuracy - This method depends on your location, time of year and what hemisphere you are in.
- The difference between solar and local time can vary by up to two hours.
- Time of day – this calculation is only possible during daylight hours.
In general, there is nothing difficult in using a bezel compass: even a novice tourist or a lover of hiking in the forest can handle it.
Tachymeter in a watch: the ideal device for measuring speed
The most common notch on the bezel is considered to be the tachymeter scale. This device is very important for athletes who need to measure movement speed. However, the tachymeter in a watch is so convenient and functional that it has begun to be used by motorists, navigators, cyclists, and even representatives of those professions for whom it is important to calculate the productivity of their work for a given period of time. Typically, this scale contains numbers from 60 to 500 - thanks to these marks, you can find out exactly at what speed you were moving.
Tachymeter in watch
There are two varieties watch with tachymeter. This is a chronograph watch. To start them, just find the button located above the crown and press it. After walking 1 kilometer, stop the chronograph and look at the numbers on the dial - they show your speed while driving.
There is also a watch with one tachymeter. In this case, movement begins the moment the second hand reaches zero. Having covered the required distance, look at the place where the arrow passes - this is your speed.
Keep in mind that not all models are as accurate as possible - some give an error of 15-20%. Want to know how accurate your tachymeter is? To do this, you will need to get into the car and drive exactly 1 kilometer at a speed of 60 km per hour. The tachymeter calculates the speed in this way: divide the time in seconds (3600) by 60 seconds. We get 60 kilometers.
If the tachymeter needle is at 60 at the moment when you have driven a kilometer, the error is zero, and you can safely use such a device
Some tachymeter models measure speed in land and nautical miles - required pay attention to this when purchasing a watch with this element. There are several other options for using a tachymeter:
- For athletes involved in athletics or running.
- For tourists who are used to calculating the route and the time it takes to complete it.
- For packagers of finished products (how many units of goods were packed or shipped over a certain period of time).
As you can see, having a tachymeter on your watch allows you to calculate the speed of movement or operations performed as accurately as possible.
Heart rate monitor
Want to determine your heart rate? A bezel with a heart rate monitor is a real heart rate monitor, thanks to these scales on the outer rim of the watch you can find out the following data:
- control of heart function;
- load analysis;
- measurement burned for training calories;
- determination of pulse and its frequency.
This device is simply irreplaceable during cardio and interval training. It is considered ideal if during sports your heart rate does not exceed 60-70 beats per minute.
Heart rate monitor in watch
Count pulse according to this watch simple: the moment the second hand stops at 0, we begin the countdown. Has the arrow approached the same value on the dial? We stop - this is the frequency with which your heart muscles contract per minute.
World time
If you notice GMT on your bezel, this means you can now see what time it is in the world. different countries peace. These watches usually have a twenty-four hour scale and the dial is equipped with two hour hands. Using them is simple: set the dial to the time zone that interests you - now you, sitting in St. Petersburg, can know what time it is in London or Germany.
GMT in hours
Telemeter
As a child, all boys dream of a real commander's watch - this is indeed an unusually cool model. If you want to easily determine the distance to the sound source, then the bezel is on this will help you for hours do. For example, you want to know how far from you lightning struck, or a clap of thunder occurred. At the moment of the flash, we set the second hand to 0, and at the next flash we look at the arrow again - this is the distance that separates you and the source of the thunderstorm front.
Telemeter in watch
Logarithmic ruler
In essence, this is a device that allows you to perform certain mathematical operations: division and multiplication, raising to various powers, calculating logarithms and square powers, composing trigonometric equations and logarithms.
Typically, such watches are decorated with two lines: on the bezel and on the dial. Using them is very simple: turn the bezel until it matches the mark you want on the dial. For example, you need to divide 120 by 3. In this case, the number is 12 (aka 120), located on the outside scale, set opposite the number 30 (it is also equal to the number 3) on the inner scale. We look for the result on the internal scale, opposite the number 10 - we got 40.
Slide rule watches allow you to easily make calculations in almost all measures of length: nautical and land miles, kilometers and American miles, Latin and English. Such a device is rarely used in everyday life, but is simply necessary for pilots and sailors, as well as for those who need to calculate fuel consumption while traveling.
Slide rule in hours
How to remove the bezel from a watch?
If you decide to get rid of this useful device, doing so is very simple using a thin, hard object (a surgical scalpel is ideal). Just carefully pry it from below and start moving it up.
It is worth remembering that if you want install it again, you will have to contact a watchmaker - in most cases, a very tricky plastic gasket is installed inside the bezel, which is simply impossible to fix on your own.
Therefore, if you decide to remove the bezel from your watch, think carefully about whether it’s worth it.
The additional functionality of the bezel is enormous - it will be useful to all people without exception. After all, what is a bezel on a watch? This is a unique multifunctional device that helps you survive in any difficult and often extreme situation.
16 September 2018, 13:16A wristwatch is not only a prestigious accessory, but also quite useful thing, which often has a lot of additional functions that its owner is not even aware of. For example, a watch bezel. What is it and how to use it? We will tell you further about this interesting and useful device.
Bezel on a watch - what is it?
The bezel, the dial, is the name of the same element. This is the name given to the rotating ring around the dial of a wristwatch. Its main purpose is to use it as a timer.
The dial mechanism, depending on the watch model, can be either one-sided - rotating in only one direction, or double-sided - rotating back and forth. For example, dive watches only have a single-sided movement. This is done so as not to accidentally increase the threshold of time during which a person can remain under water.
Having figured out what it is, the bezel on the watch, let's move on to the most interesting part - where and how you can use it.
Application for divers
The limb is most important for scuba diving enthusiasts. It is an important component of divers’ safety, as it “remembers” the time limit that is permissible to spend under water. That is why it is one-sided - we have already mentioned this earlier.
How does this work in practice? You dive under at 8:30. The air in your cylinder lasts exactly 20 minutes. Rotate the selected triangle on the dial to mark 10 (this is 8:50). Now you don't need to keep the return time in your head - just watch the arrow approaching the steady rest mark from time to time. If you accidentally move the bezel, the time threshold will only move downward.
Tachymeter
If your watch has numbers from 60 to 400-500 engraved on its dial, what is it? Is it a bezel? There is a tachymeter scale on the watch in front of you. It helps to calculate the average for any repeating event. Using a tachymeter, you can calculate the average speed of a car and your labor productivity over a certain period of time.
World time
Your bezel may also have markings. In this case, it has a twenty-four numeric scale. The dial has two hour hands. An excellent example of a model with such a watch bezel is the “Vostok-Amphibian”. Adjust the position of the dial so that it reflects the time in the time zone that you need. So, for example, you can, while in Moscow, know what time it is in London.
Heart rate monitor
Such a lunette is installed on special, “medical” watches. You can recognize it by its calibration of 15, and sometimes 30 units. Start counting your pulse beats at the same time as the second hand approaches 0. As soon as it approaches the indicated number on the dial, stop. Now you know your heart rate per minute.
Telemeter
This bezel function is most typical for so-called commander's watch is a scale that helps determine the distance to the sound source. But for the sake of experiment, you can use it to determine how far from you lightning struck. To do this, at the moment of flash, set the bezel on the second hand to 0. When thunder strikes, look at the needle again - on the telemetry scale you will see the distance to the thunderstorm front.
Logarithmic ruler
The function is of little use in everyday life. It is unlikely that anyone is going to solve complex logarithmic problems using a wristwatch. However, it is indispensable for professionals who need to make such calculations on the go - pilots, workers dealing with navigation.
Compass
To use a limb as a compass, you need to brush up on your school knowledge of geography. So, at noon, by the sun you can determine the location of the north if you are in the south, or the south - in the opposite situation. To do this, point the hour hand at the luminary, and place the bezel triangle strictly in the middle between it and the number 12 on the dial. That's all, you have found the direction of the desired side of the world.
Timer
On wristwatch 15:40, and you promised to call your friend in half an hour? Just set the dial triangle to 10 (16:10) and go about your business. Just don't forget to look at your watch from time to time.
Decoration
Bezel on a watch - what else is it? Of course, stylish decoration. Manufacturers often decorate it with intricate engravings, inlay it with precious metals and stones, and give it an unusual shape. Sometimes watches come with interchangeable dials so you can change appearance accessories to suit your style.
Thus, we are convinced that the bezel is not only a decorative insert on a wristwatch, but also an element that performs a number of interesting and useful functions.
