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How do you synchronize two watches / clocks? (1 Viewer)

Bob Movies

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 15, 2000
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200
Hi Everyone,

This is something that I've wondered about for a while, though it doesn't really have anything to do with my daily life.

If I want to get two clocks or watches in dead sync, how do I do it? I'm thinking of the scene in Back To The Future when Doc Brown has the two digital watches and they're running in dead sync.

Do you need special watches to do that? Is there a difference between digital and analogue? Is there a special technique when it comes to wall clocks (if I wanted to have three clocks for three seperate time zones, but have the second hands sweeping in sync, would this be possible?)

I seem to remember something about clocks in public schools being controlled by one "master" clock, but that isn't really practical for the average user. I know that quartz digital watches aren't 100% accurate either, so there would be drift over a length of time...

Any comments on this would be appreciated!
 

Keith Mickunas

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 15, 1998
Messages
2,041
If you have the type where you can set the seconds, it should be fairly trivial to sync two within a fraction of a second by starting them at the same time. Or you can get the clocks that get set by the atomic clocks, those should be nice and accurate all the time, then sync your watch to that.
 

Ted Lee

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 8, 2001
Messages
8,390
c'mon. how many movies have you seen where the soldiers, thieves, etc all go, "three, two, one ... mark!" :D

most of the high-tech analog watches allow you to "restart" the second hand. with a digital watch, it's even easier.

so, they just choose a common moment in time (the "mark"), then hit the button and presto ... all your watches are now synched.
 

Hunter P

Screenwriter
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
1,483
Bob,
So I'm guessing that you are either planning some hostage rescue or a heist. If it's the latter then can I join your gang? Will we have cool yellow jumpsuits? (obscure BR reference--SuperTed would get it;) )
 

DavidMich

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Nov 27, 2000
Messages
177
Quartz watches are some of the most accurate in the world, especially when they're Swiss made. The mechanical watches are prone to more "drift". Sometimes as much as +8 to -8 seconds per week.
Purists like the mechanical watches for their technical beauty.....but if you want something accurate, it's tough to beat a quality quartz watch.

The US government atomic clock can be accessed at the following link, if you want to set your timepieces to it.

www.time.gov

Hope this helps...
 

Don Black

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 11, 1998
Messages
1,480
Wait til you get time dilation involved.... That throws the whole BTTF theory for a loop. I've got admit though I was very impressed by the amount of effort put into the physics behind the car that appeared in the DVD trilogy.
 

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