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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Glossary · Mechanism

Deadbeat (true beat) seconds

A seconds display that jumps once per second rather than sweeping continuously.

Explanation

Deadbeat (true beat) seconds makes a mechanical watch's seconds hand jump once per second like a quartz watch, using an added mechanism that stores and releases the train's motion. Historically it served astronomers reading exact seconds; modern versions are a deliberate, difficult anachronism celebrating mechanical craft.