Minerva Ref. 1402 100ths of a Minute Stopwatch

KMII · 2017-01-09T10:22:10Z

Explore the Minerva Ref. 1402 stopwatch, a 1950s '100ths of a minute' timing device. KMII reviews its historical context, technical features, and Minerva's heritage.

KMII

WPS member · Montblanc forum

20 replies5574 views4 photos

KMII's exploration of the Minerva Ref. 1402 stopwatch offers a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era when mechanical timing devices were essential tools for industry and sport. This article highlights the historical significance of Minerva's '100ths of a minute' stopwatches, showcasing their technical ingenuity and their role in early 20th-century efficiency studies. KMII's detailed look at his personal Ref. 1402 provides valuable context for understanding Minerva's rich heritage beyond wristwatches.

A chronograph these days is often there more for the optical enjoyment or the technical appreciation of the owner. I love my chronographs to bits but could probably count on the fingers of my hands the times I have actually needed the stopwatch function they offer for real, rather than just for playing with it, observing the mechanism at work, etc. I suppose I am not the only one.

How different the world was in the 1950s, though. Mechanical stopwatches were not only a vital component at any sports competition, they also helped with Taylorism, process optimization... in short they were actual work tools. And Minerva was a fully fledged participant in that market.

As computers were also in their early days, a slightly outlandish concept was created to help budding Taylorists who were better at timing their colleagues' every step than at maths afterwards - the '100ths of a minute' timing devices ('HM' in German use). Efficiency theory postulated the superiority of this measurement as opposed to the more regularly used seconds (don't ask me why) and watch companies were the last to argue, with many stopwatch manufacturers offering this variety in their catalogues.

Minerva - not to be outdone by anyone - had 11 different references in this category in its Catalogue No. 264 from the 1950s. So there must have been quite a potential market for this 'complication'

These were either fully crown operated, had a pusher for resetting it or a slider, a proper flyback mechanism or even rattrapante complications. Most came in a case size of 51mm but there were versions in an 'oversized' 57,5mm case, too. The cases were nickel chromed and the watches had lever movements, with at least 7 jewels (depending on the complication level) and were advertised as anti-magnetic.

Mine is a Ref. 1402, a 51mm 30 minute stop watch with HM. It beats at a leisurely 2,5Hz - quite common for the brand - but unlike the regular 60 seconds models (like the Ref. 1401) it does not have the 1/5th of a second scaling (the conversion to 100ths of a minute would prove too complicated for most, I guess).

The plexy could do with a bit of a polish but otherwise the stopwatch is in good shape for its 65 years or so (I certainly hope to match the shape, when I get to that age

). Not visible on the picture, the hands are actually heat blued, although time has eroded some of that as far as I could see. The movement - in its 7 jewel variety - is also in good nick and displays some typical Minerva elements, such as the Minerva brand name and logo, as well as a bridge design reminiscent of the later Cal. 62 - if you squint

So if you want to play at a 1950s efficiency expert, the stopwatch is a must. And it is a credit to the brand that they were repairing those well past their sell-by date. When our Magnus was visiting the manufacture in May 2005 (you can read more about that here: www.ornatus-mundi.ch there were still some being maintained.

I'm wondering if there is enough enthusiast following for a modern mechanical stopwatch. Maybe even with a 100ths of a minute dial. It surely has a certain level of style, even if the computing power killed the necessity for this 'complication' many decades ago.

Thanks for viewing!

Key Points from the Discussion

Minerva's catalog in the 1950s was heavily dominated by stopwatches, indicating they were a significant part of the brand's business, with wristwatches being a smaller segment.
The concept of 'Taylorism' and '100ths of a minute' timing, while intuitively appealing for efficiency, was based on falsified figures by its proponent, Taylor, highlighting a historical critique of early management gurus.
Other brands like Heuer also produced '100ths of a minute' stopwatches, and the Gallet brand featured a slider mechanism for start-stop, with the crown for reset or flyback, a design Minerva also utilized.
The Minerva Ref. 1402, with its 100-unit scale instead of 60 seconds, requires mental arithmetic, adding an interesting intellectual dimension to its use.
The discussion prompted a contributor to share a video of 'Dueling Stopwatches,' showcasing the practical application and historical context of these devices.
An impressive Omega stopwatch collection exists, suggesting a broader collector interest in these historical timing instruments.

The Discussion

TheMadDruid

Jan 9, 2017

Intersting post. Was Minerva the leader in this sub-category of stop-watches?

KMII

Jan 9, 2017

Heuer had quite some as did some of the others. But it was definitely big business for Minerva - most of the catalogue were stop watches of one sort or another. Wristwatches were the smaller part at the time. Taylorism - I guess you did not go through management education but did something more sensible then While the principle was intuitively appealing, Taylor was, well, falsifying his figures. One of the first management gurus. And as Drucker later commented (in a different context), people of

TheMadDruid

Jan 9, 2017

I'm not sure my chosen profession was more sensible. As a lawyer the income was okay but the aggravation was aggravating. And you get a skewed opinion of people.

KMII

Jan 9, 2017

As for skewed opinion, you can get that in many professions...

blomman Mr Blue

Jan 9, 2017

You should ping - he got an impressive Omega stop watch collection! Thank you for sharing. Interesting to read about the Minerva heritage! Best Blomman

cazalea

Jan 9, 2017

but I have no pictures of it?! Impossible! Alas, it's true, but I found a video instead. Cazalea Dueling Stopwatches

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Minerva Ref. 1402 100ths of a Minute Stopwatch

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