Friday, 25 October 2013

F.H.B. Mechanical Jump-Hour Watch

It's been 90s watches for a while, and so I went for something a little older today.

Today's watch is one of the vintage design jump-hour watches, which are also sometimes called a mechanical digital watch. The principal is that there are two windows showing through to rotating discs below. The minutes disc is continually rotating, and the window is about 10 minutes round to ensure you can see at least one of the numbers on the disc. In a true jump-hour such as this one, the hours disc remains in one place until the final minutes of the hour when it 'jumps' round to the next number (whereas most quartz replicas have a rotating and not jumping hour). This model also has a seconds hand, but you need to watch it carefully for timing as it is double ended.

The design is quite common for this style of jump-hour, with a round face and rectangular window. The strap is steel, but the clasp has a spring loaded section to lengthen it, so it has a more comfortable fit.

This watch is by a company called F.H.B., and it has a Swiss made 17 jewel mechanical movement. I've found reference to a FHB watch company which seems to be Japan based but originated in Switzerland after the brand was started by Felix Huber. This company appears to have been started with quartz watches though, so I think it is a different company. This F.H.B brand is therefore a mystery (so if anyone knows more please let me and my readers know).

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