What is a Tachymeter Anyway? Dial Scales Explained - Watch and Learn #7

In episode #7 of Watch and Learn, we look at the Tachymetre scale that is found on the Omega Speedmaster and so many other watches. We explain what it is, and how you use it. Additionally, we check out Telemeters used to measure the distance of storms, as well as the Pulsometer which is used to measure your heart rate.
Links to the watches shown in the video:
longislandwatc...
longislandwatc...

[@Lee_K_5555]

This is the best, clearest explanation of the function of a tachymeter scale that I have ever read or seen. Outstanding job, Mark! In fact, this whole series of Watch & Learn has been a delight.

[@rongriffiths6927]

Wonderful presentation and you are an excellent teacher, very reassuring and non patronising for the likes of a novice like myself, I really love your very gentle and pleasant manner, I only wish you lived and had a shop in Wales UK, but still a big Thank you for spending your time and knowledge with us around the world. Ronnie

[@xealit]

indeed the formula "you measure one unit per seconds and it shows you how many units happen in hour" simply cleared everything up. No nonsense in pompous voice like in other videos.

[@JustAnotherHo]

I feel this is the Engineering Explained of watch channels with videos like this. Which i do indeed like btw

[@islandwatch]

Great, thank you!

[@adamszuszkiewicz1709]

Good comparison

[@papimonster100]

I am a Plastics Engineer and we often have to calculate how many parts can come out of an injection molding machine in an hour. Since most cycles run under a minute, this makes it a perfect Injection Molding Process Engineer Watch!.Just saying ;)

[@islandwatch]

Perfect. Leave it to an engineer! Watch those sprues and runners!

[@ZeroGorDIE]

you may have convinced me to get a tach watch! - manufacturing engineer General Motors.

[@bulkhungry]

@@ZeroGorDIEThis would probably would be better than counting your fingers and toes while chiseling the results on the cave wall of the factory . 🤣 Might even sell enough vehicles to get one of those new fangled scientific calculators , or heck , at least an abacus .

[@jorgedaniel9656]

I own a chronograph with a tachymeter, so I already knew how to use it, to measure distances that is, I knew it was just a unit conversion, but it never dawned on me that it just counted units per hour and could be used for anything... This was surprisingly informative

[@islandwatch]

Jorge Daniel great! Awesome to hear!

[@uonadtehrrocks]

How do you use it to judge distance?

[@charlsseal7273]

When it's 1:30 am and you discover a new awesome channel on KZbin....

[@islandwatch]

Thanks so much! Happy to help your insomnia.

[@emmanuelsilvaruiz]

charls seal same here 1:30 am exactly lol

[@aarslanov8825]

I'm amazed I'm not alone! :)

[@artorlaw]

wow, this is one of the best informative watch video i had ever watch. thanks Marc

[@islandwatch]

Wow, thanks!

[@rodwilliams5074]

I have a Tissot PR516 (the baby brother to the Speedmaster) since Dec 1972 (21st birthday). It has a tachymetre and a base 15 pulsations scale but never knew how to use it correctly. Thank you for this video. Never too old to learn something new.

[@dagsabot5589]

You can time how long it takes to lose an argument with your wife and extrapolate how many times you'd expect to lose if you argued for an hour.

[@boGardoN]

@Imran Alec that’s not cool

[@omphilemakiri9655]

😆

[@Resolute900]

Man: Honey you right! Wife: Huh, I didn't say anything! Man: I'm just trying to save time.

[@CitizenEldar]

Thank you, Mark. I've learned something today.

[@islandwatch]

Эльдар Мухаметзянов Once a day, every day

[@thebudkellyfiles]

Thanks for another educational vid, Mark. As a born and raised New Yorker, now in exile in San Diego, I appreciate your style, direct, authoritative, and real.

[@robertotorres6391]

It’s so good to come back to talk about things that we know, but it’s always good to hear them again. That way we wash aficionados like us want to get into a watch which one you rather have it’s up to us to collect us what we really like thank you Mark for the great informationagain I believe this is my seven time watching the video

[@lawrencelibby3607]

Excellent explanation. Your engineering background is a big help. Speedy was a driving watch before it was a NASA watch, hence the usefulness of the tachymeter.

[@AlanHearnshaw]

Hey Mark. I've been watching every one of these videos over the last couple of days. One word: superb! Clear and fascinating explanations with the perfect amount of detail. Thank you for doing these. They're making me appreciate my mechanical watch even more. My next purchase will be from Long Island because of these.

[@islandwatch]

Thanks so much, I appreciate that.

[@steven_quist]

Thank you so much, I’ve been trying to learn how to use the tachymeter but every other KZbin video was too fast paced and didn’t describe what was what. This video helped a ton and now I fully understand it, and the graphing was a great idea, that helped me visualize it so much better!!! Thank you!

[@stusims6567]

Very helpful information! I really didn’t understand just what a tachymeter did, and I’ve spent a lot of time going around that old sun! THANK YOU for the video!!!

[@itsalgud1459]

Being a total nerd (now retired engineer, but still a nerd), I had a chronometer years ago and looked up all the functions. This was a great refresher since I received my Dan Henry 1939 chronograph yesterday. Years ago I learned that sound travels at about 1,000 ft/sec and got in the habit of counting seconds during thunderstorms to get the distance to the storm. It just now occurred to me that it would have been nice to have a chronograph when I used to go mountaineering and frequently got caught by thunderstorms, especially when above tree line here in Colorado. That would have been a great, possibly life-saving, tool to have to tell us when the storm was dangerously close and it was time to take cover. Of course, there wasn’t much cover, so we’d jettison our backpacks (aluminum frames) and lay down flat in the lowest nearby depression in the rocks and wait it out. Thanks for an excellent, clearly explained video!

[@Kiwi_Dad]

I've got a lot of spare time atm and i'm learning so much from the ability to indulge in your vids daily.

[@islandwatch]

Great! Glad to hear it.

[@imthiazjamal8082]

Thanks Marc. You are now officially my favorite channel hands down!

[@islandwatch]

Imthiaz Jamal wow! Thanks.

[@tlufo]

as a teenager my mother gave me a watch it, today... about 15yr later I get to know whats it about LOL, thanks!

[@BenjaminWSong]

Thank u thank u and many thanx 2 u. Ur video is about the first with simple and clear explanation about Tachymeter. Normaly, used tachy to calculate speed while sitting on passanger seat, but after watching this video, realized i could use it daily as pulsometer; count 30, read the number and divide one more time by half since the reading is base 60. Once again thank u for contents with valuable info!

[@greencondoresq]

My god, this is such a good explanation. Never thought about using it as "units per hour" instead of just measuring m/kph.

[@pqm702]

That Zeppelin watch, though... beautiful!

[@SarcastSempervirens]

this channel is proof that a smart, normal guy can do great work by sharing knowledge, without bullshitting or perpetuating fights over taste, mech/quartz and other stuff to get views. hope you sell a lot of watches! that speedy is incredible!

[@islandwatch]

Thanks so much!

[@paulwinkfield6560]

Great Job! I used a slide rule in highschool, late 60s. I amazed and amused folks at the bar using the dials of my watches. It helped to win/get a few free drinks!

[@adbraham]

Without doubt; the BEST video on KZbin explaining this; thanks!

[@islandwatch]

WOW, thank you!!!

[@JoeGiz64]

I agree, this is "the best" explanation of a tach watch. I watched a number of videos and this numero uno! Nice job Mark!!

[@islandwatch]

Thanks so much.

[@roncooper8666]

This video is precisely why I've subscribed to your channel! Thanks for the clear and concise explanation(s). That Zepplin watch, tho *swoon*

[@Totontlis]

I have a Strela chronograph CO42CYB with Tachymeter and I did not know how to use it. Now I do. Thank you very much.

[@islandwatch]

Enjoy your new found knowledge!

[@raymondmalone9721]

Great subject Marc, think I will have to watch couple of times to take it all in thou, 🤔

[@islandwatch]

LOL, great idea! Put it on a loop : )

[@rationalmystic5]

very good video sir....i always wondered what the numbers on the tachymetre represented....now i know...thank you......have a nice one.

[@islandwatch]

Thanks for watching!

[@CristiNeagu]

The way i always used a tachymeter was by counting 60 occurences of the event and reading events per minute from the scale. This works for measuring pulse, though it's not as quick as the two watches you showed at the end.

[@markturboi]

I started using a Tachymeter back in 1968 while I was flying. I used it to for true ground speed using section lines, (one mile apart). More recently, for checking my speedometer after changing tire sizes or making a rear-end change. I use the "mile markers" for that.

[@dennisjackson7129]

Mark - really enjoying you videos, learning a lot about watches. I also have a background in ME and routinely use a tachymeter to measure water flow from groundwater wells using a 6-gallon bucket. For 6-gallon you just slide the decimal point on place, for 3-gallon mark on your bucket you divide by scale number by 2. Using these two buckets you can pretty much measure flows from 3 to 25 gpm with the right watch. When I buy watches for field work this is a requirement.

[@islandwatch]

Coolness! Sounds like a Civil Engineer at heart!

[@NebulaStudios1]

Great breakdown of these watch scales. The Watch and Learn is a very useful series.

[@brianmsahin]

Mark, I'm very late watching these having just got into watches, but I really appreciate all the knowledge you're imparting to us all. Bravo 👏 And you never know, maybe back in 1969, they did really use the tachymetre!

[@BarnOwl61]

I own one watch with a tachymeter scale , just never knew how to use it. Thanks for taking the time to explain. That Zeppelin watch you used, very impressive item.

[@islandwatch]

Thank you for checking it out.

[@neilus0]

Another great video Marc. After watching one of your previous videos I had to get a Bulova Accutron Spaceview. It arrived today and i'm wearing it while watching this video. Thanks for the inspiration

[@islandwatch]

That's awesome, enjoy!

[@Reclaimtherainbow_Gen9]

You really do have a way with explaining things!

[@AnonOmmus]

this was often used before radar guns for clocking speeders. if you measured out a starting and stopping point of a known distance, typically 1/2-1 mile, and started and stopped the tachometer at those points you would know how fast a driver was going.

[@islandwatch]

Thank you for sharing.

[@philipjanes]

Marc, really like your watch and learn vids. I was wondering how that worked. Not sure how practical those meters are nowadays, but since I have one on my Citizen Calibre 2100, now I know how it works anyway! Thank you!

[@islandwatch]

Philip Janes Great! More reason to love your watch.

[@jk28416]

To be honest it is best used if you are a pilot, or travelling pretty fast, 60 miles / hour is a mile a minute so if you can gauge passing 60 miles in one hour your traveling 60Mph, (not really that time efficient at low speeds), but if you are zipping along at Mach 0.5 your hitting 380 mph if you've covered 60 miles in 10 mins. So with a watch Tachymeter you can quite accurately judge Mach 0.75 (575mph 60 miles in 6 mins), Mach 0.5 (380 mph same distance in 8 mins), Mach 0.25 (190 mph), you can round these figures up to 600mph 400mph and 200mph with an error bar of +-20mph, you can then twist your bezel to track the time increment w.r.t your 60 miles covered to keep you honest to an average speed. which is great, if you are flying a spitfire or a pre jet age plane. But now a days at Mach 2 you're off the scale. Of course it doesn't take into account the jet stream, Emilia Earhart and Lindbergh probably used this, and look what happened to them...

[@joseph_b319]

I have a Timex Flyback Chronograph with the tachymeter on a static bezel. Thank you for bringing another dimension to the usefulness of my watch.

[@islandwatch]

Great to hear!

[@CptAtroxium]

5:55 is where it really came together of what use the tachymeter has, and I must say. I'd have much fun with it. Great video as always Mark :D

[@islandwatch]

Cpt_Atroxium Thanks for watching

[@ilyaibragimov6255]

Wow, I definitely thought it was a much more complicated process. Thanks for another great video Marc!

[@islandwatch]

Ilya Ibragimov Thank you for taking the time to watch.

[@frontierasset1965]

Ilya Ibragimov 9

[@Cheeseandhamsandwich]

These watch and learn videos are great. Thanks for doing them Mark!

[@stevedorsey1269]

Thanks for explaining this concept in a way that my feeble brain can comprehend! Now I'll be re-re-watching the slide rule video to re-learn the logarithms that I supposedly learned in high school! :)

[@Robert.Dickson]

Thank you for this insight, I've now watched a couple of your videos and found them extremely informative.

[@islandwatch]

Thank you!

[@robbiecox]

I know how a Tachymetre works, but your explanation was as clear as mud!

[@islandwatch]

robbiecox Hmmm. Sorry about that. Maybe next time!

[@jims4539]

Just got a watch with a tackymetre, knew about what it was for now I do know. Thanks.

[@mellow-jello]

Being modest Marc, great lefty handwriting.

[@Hagemann666]

"I didn't take it at face value." I see what you did there...

[@RoelfvanderMerwe]

Great video! I love these in depth explanations!

[@islandwatch]

Roelf van der Merwe thank you. Glad I'm going in the right direction.

[@TheContreOfficialSkateboarding]

Thank you! This video is awesome to learn! The zeppelin is siper cool having both functions!

[@silverssonyoutube8438]

I have a seiko tachymeter by mistake was given to me . I got no use for it . Wished I got an alarm date calendar version instead . Who's even using tachymeter these days ?

[@Vscout]

Very great and clear explanation. Thanks for the awesome video!

[@islandwatch]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@olivergoldvalente]

Great video, super useful to know what all that actually does. I just got the Seiko sna411 and I have no idea what any of it means! Haha, still love these types of extra features. Having tons of fun slowly learning, thanks!

[@tacetblue]

These are great videos you make. I have learned so much. Thanks

[@Macovic]

You do explain very well

[@RM-pg4js]

Great video. I just learned how to use it..Thanks..ive been suscribed for a long time

[@danielfortune5733]

Excellent video. Love the whole series.

[@islandwatch]

Daniel Fortune Thank you!

[@ErikS-]

Wonder when you start wearing watches around your legs 😋 Great explanation in this video by the way!

[@giorassiccuriosity1796]

Some do ready but usually not to tell time but to tell location

[@drchang]

They used to make tachymeter watches for doctors. They use the meter for heart rates (pulsograph) and breathing rates (asthmometer) These two vital signs are easy to do with a watch. Too bad it no longer fashionable for md’s to wear them. If only Rolex makes these tool watches, MD’s would line up at the dealers. The Longines Asthmometer-Pulsometer Chronograph retails for $2,475.

[@KingFleurykaburundi]

Good job, this really cool and USEFUL !!

[@islandwatch]

Thanks!

[@DJ-xf2sl]

That was the most complicated explanation I’ve heard about the tachymeter

[@mezabbad]

Thanks you. The best explanation ever 💡

[@ImtiazKhan92]

Thank you so much for explaining them so clearly

[@islandwatch]

Thank you!

[@blkcpdconure]

This would be really fun to use out on the kayak fishing. Also when hiking and camping.

[@wasilqayyum]

Brilliant explanation

[@jesse113553]

Can I use the pusher while wearing my chronograph? I know that engaging the crown should be done while not wearing the watch to prevent damage. Should I also take off my chronograph to use the timer? Just one my first one and not really sure.

[@TheBigBadGRIM]

It's strange that I easily learned how to use a diving bezel, slide rule bezel, and telemeter bezel, but tachymeter has always stumped me. Maybe everyone's brain just works differently. Thanks for this vid Mark. Hopefully the info will finally stick to me.

[@MrTriggerman79]

Now that I understand it chronographs are actually really cool. Thanks

[@islandwatch]

Makes a bit more sense now.

[@cerberez]

Always Love a detailed explanation!!

[@islandwatch]

Thanks!

[@gammondog]

On most American highways there are distance markers for every tenth of a mile. Just count the time between two of them (0.1mile) and multiply the tachymeter reading by ten. Basically move the decimal point one space to the right.

[@bio-plasmictoad5311]

That speedmaster looks awesome.

[@groday06]

You had me at log-log... ;) I like your videos - very good explanations! rgds

[@islandwatch]

Thanks!

[@andrewcanella]

Hey Marc- great video. What's your opinion on the Speedy Reduced when it comes to servicing? Is it really as bad/expensive as they say?

[@itsallrobbish]

Andrew C Hi Andrew, I've just seen another video by Marc and he's of the opinion that there's no need to service a watch if it isn't doing anything odd, which I thought was great, as it will surely save a lot of money! From what I've heard, they are really reliable and don't go wrong often.

[@scarz1951]

Everything I find tells how to use scale that starts at 400, 500 or 600. How about the 0 to 60 scale found on a lot of watches. How do you use those?

[@mln-mal]

Hi...Please tell me if the tachymeter bezel in some watches is rotatable both clockwise and anticlockwise. If so how to use a rotatable bezel tachymeter scale? Thank you sir

[@manuelferreira1363]

Thanks Mark, once more!

[@BroMorris0341]

Had zero clue what the tachymetre was for nor that there were different meters with different purposes. Had to share this one with the rest of my friends and sound like I knew something lol. Cheers

[@islandwatch]

Perfect!

[@teamhonn]

Don't have a watch with a tachymeter but when I see someone who does, I bet they have no idea how to use it, but I am so smart now I can show them. Getting so smart.

[@Feastalisk]

Nice conversation starter :)

[@islandwatch]

Teamhonn fastest way to loose a friend. Hahaha

[@teamhonn]

Maybe better than explaining how a watch works. Funny

[@lillmondo]

i have to say big thanks for the great explanation

[@typerightseesight]

are those watches with the timezone abbrivations on the watchface itself there to be used as a tachymeter? or chornometer or whatever? i duno why else it would be there considering its on most of the digital parts of the watch itself.

[@KRW628]

Very interesting, Mark. Thank you!

[@islandwatch]

I appreciate you checking it out.

[@rosecity7488]

Could you recommend a bracelet for my Tag Formula 1 Tachometer?

[@505KP]

Ha! I was able to use the base 15 Pulseometer of the second watch during the video to calculate my bpm at 70. Cool.

[@svenshruufx7380]

I could really use it at my job when at an automatic assembly line in order to calculate the output per hour. Unfortunately I don't have a tachymetre watch (yet).

[@Kriegerdammerung]

The speed of sound is approximately 343 m/s. The exact one is said to be 340.29 not very easy to remember, hence the former works like a charm.

[@gammondog]

It does vary by temperature and pressure but your number sounds right for normal room temperature.

[@henkthoma2422]

Very informative, thank you so much for all the maths!

[@islandwatch]

Henk Thoma Math is your friend!

[@rickyhildebrand114]

In North Carolina the State Highway Patrol (NCST)Use a system called VASCAR to measure the speed of a given vehicle,and since no radar is used it is quite effective. However for it to work the Trooper must visually "Clock" you from begining to end. Here are two most commonly used scenario's .(1) A Trooper is positioned stationary on a elevated entrance ramp to observe ,and time the speed of traffic that will pass between two marks that are positioned 1/10th of a mile apart. At night it may be two objects that reflect light,and the Trooper will use the "Plane" (Light that emits to the left or right )of the objectives headlights. (2) The next method is that a Trooper will follow, and time their objective as they both pass between to common points. the difference here is that distance is measured through the Troopers calibrated odometer,and thus the Troopers Vascar takes his/their number which is distance,and the objectives which is time,and then calculates the speed. No doubt the technology of a Tachymeter are a key part of this function.

[@islandwatch]

Interesting! Thank you.

[@gabrielwong1833]

9:53 Mark: "...being an engineer" All the people with engineering backgrounds: "YAHHHHHHHHHH" :D

[@brentcoons2011]

great explanation….reminds me how much I still hate math. Keep up the great videos.

[@buckduc]

Outstanding. Well done!

[@islandwatch]

Thanks.

[@anthonyp9316]

Awesome video!

[@nrs6956]

Great explanations. Thank you.

[@aferp]

Perfect explanation, thank you.

[@surendoctor]

Explain the reading on the diesel chi chronograph watches with inner dial reading showing 1.5 - 10.5

[@gary3353]

I wonder if Archie luxury could explain this as well as Marc he is always banging on about his speedy maaaaaaaan on the mooooooon 😡 excellent once again marc👍

[@islandwatch]

Thanks for watching.

[@jj9k]

excellent video (and channel). many thanks

[@phildo87]

I have a Seiko with a tachymeter and when I worked in a pizza place I used it to time the pizza makers to see who could fold a box the fastest.