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How to make the Cleveland Express Dual Time a True GMT

1469 Views 4 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  scottw44
Let me start out by saying how much I like this watch. But I really would like it to be a true GMT/UTC, but the UTC window is linked to the main hand, and the second zone does not operate on a 24 hour scale, thus a dual time, but can it be more?

So, as it stands, I would describe this model as a dual time with a military display linked to the main hour hand. Technically, as it stands, we can't define the top window as a UTC as it is linked to the main hour hand.

And now, the idea. What if Ball would use the main time hand as the secondary zone as it is linked to the Military Window. So this hand would now be red. It would also work in conjunction with the Military window, achieving a true UTC/GMT function.

The hand that currently is used as a the second time zone, the "red hand," would now be painted green.

And there you have it...we have just made the Cleveland Express a true UTC/GMT without having to change the design at all...just flip flop the hour hands.

The hands could be flipped on any current watches, and then the factory would just follow suit going forward, installing the hands the "scottw44" way.

What do you all think?
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Scott:

Have you submitted your idea to Ball? If so, any feedback?
Scott:

Have you submitted your idea to Ball? If so, any feedback?

there was a thread in another forum that I put the idea in, and also wanted to see the feedback in here as a new thread.

I will email it to Marc Ofte, whom I met at the museum tour.
Let me start out by saying how much I like this watch. But I really would like it to be a true GMT/UTC, but the UTC window is linked to the main hand, and the second zone does not operate on a 24 hour scale, thus a dual time, but can it be more?

So, as it stands, I would describe this model as a dual time with a military display linked to the main hour hand. Technically, as it stands, we can't define the top window as a UTC as it is linked to the main hour hand.

And now, the idea. What if Ball would use the main time hand as the secondary zone as it is linked to the Military Window. So this hand would now be red. It would also work in conjunction with the Military window, achieving a true UTC/GMT function.

The hand that currently is used as a the second time zone, the "red hand," would now be painted green.

And there you have it...we have just made the Cleveland Express a true UTC/GMT without having to change the design at all...just flip flop the hour hands.

The hands could be flipped on any current watches, and then the factory would just follow suit going forward, installing the hands the "scottw44" way.

What do you all think?

Sounds like a good idea.
Maybe they feel like that would make the watch too costly.
I really never understood why the UTC window was "slaved" to the real time.
Sounds like a good idea.
Maybe they feel like that would make the watch too costly.
I really never understood why the UTC window was "slaved" to the real time.
On the NT, it probably is what it is. But on the Cleveland Express Dual Time, as it has two hour hands, we have a shot.

How about this:

We only use one hour hand on the watch. We remove the red hand for the second zone and replace it with the green hand in it's position.

Now the green hand tells us the home time and the UTC window could be used as a true GMT function. The stem function need not be changed and the watch to me, works perfectly, and the UTC window regains it's purpose.

Is that the ticket?
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