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ho·rol·o·gy - a study of the measurement of time Letterbox Hybrid

Hidden : 5/2/2020
Difficulty:
4.5 out of 5
Terrain:
4 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:


There is nothing to find at the posted coordinates.
Take your time and solve the puzzle below.

 

watch1

 

As a lover of all things mechanical, mechanical watches have always fascinated me. What started with cuckoo and grandfather clocks growing up, transitioned to pocket watches, and ultimately peaked with mechanical wrist watches.

To this day, mechanical watches continues to push the boundaries of craftsmanship and what is mechanically possible. That is despite us now living in the era of quarz and smart watches wink 

In order to find this cache, answer the questions below. You should know about mechanical watches and their history to do so. Alternatively, you should know how to operate the search engine of your choice wink If you go the latter route, you will learn a thing or two along the way. Only time will tell!

 

Regarding the D-Rating:

  • The puzzle portion of this cache requires somewhat specialized knowledge.
  • It may require extensive online research.
  • The images on the cache page may or may not be helpful to you.
  • If you have found other puzzles of mine, you know what to do with words.
  • If you get a number or associated number, use exactly what you find, remove any punctucation, and use it as a whole number.
  • The final hide should be pretty straight forward but difficulty may vary depending on vegation levels.

Regarding the T-Rating:

  • You will have to drive some distance on unpaved narrow mountain roads.
  • "Road" conditions change from year to year and season to season. Some sections may require a high clearance 4x4 vehicle.
  • Depending on your choice of geomobile, this may be a shorter or longer hike.
  • The last stretch to the hide is at least 0.3 mls (one-way) walking on rocky terrain and at an incline.
  • You will encounter some vegetation along the way and to get to the container.

 

watch2

 

With the clock ticking, it is time to answer the questions:

 

In 2017, this Swiss watchmaker, founded in 1865, released a new mechanical chronograph with new levels of precision.

  • (A): What is the name of the watchmaker?
  • (B): To what percentile of a second does this chronograph measure?

 

This German watchmaker invented a drying capsule integrated into the wach case. It is filled with a particular noble gas and resolves issues of moisture speeding up the aging of movement lubricants.

  • (C): What is the name of the watchmaker?
  • (D): What is the noble gas?

 

Solingen is known worldwide as the German Mecca of knives. This German town in the state of Saxony is the epicenter of the German watchmaking industry.

  • (E): What is the name of the town?
  • (F): What format of the movement’s top plate is often featured in watches made in this town?

 

In 2009, this German watchmaker introduced the first mechanical watch that displays the time from left to right in a digital looking manner.

  • (G): What is the name of the watchmaker (use only the last name for the calculation)?
  • (H): What is the name of the watch?

 

Since 1995, James Bond has been wearing watches made by this Swiss watchmaker and enhanced by Q for his special missions.

  • (I): What is the name of the watchmaker?
  • (J): What is the name of the watch series?

 

In 1936, this watchmaker founded in Italy, now headquartered in Switzerland, develop the first professional dive watch for the frogman commandos of the Royal Italian Navy. Especially the luminescent numerals and indices were groundbreaking at the time.

  • (K): What is the name of the watchmaker?
  • (L): What is the name of the early watch series?
  • (M): What element was used in these early luminescent components?

 

watch3

 

In 1977, this high tier Japanese watchmaker invented a movement that combined the high torque of a mechanical watch with the high precision of an electronic watch.

  • (N): What is the name of the watchmaker?
  • (O): What is the name of the general movement?

 

With Caliber 3610 QP, this Swiss watchmaker introduced a mechanical movement with up to 65 day of power reserve.

  • (P): What is the name of the watchmaker?
  • (Q): Which word precedes the word “beat” in the watch’s name?

 

In horology, features of a watch or movement are referred to as complications.

  • (R): What do you call the complication that correctly displays the date on the watch, taking into account the different lengths of the months as well as leap years?
  • (S): Who manufactured the first wristwatch with this complication and (T): when?
  • (U): What three-letter abbreviation is often connected with watches that can display more than one timezone at a time?

 

Nicknames for popular watch styles are often inspired by pop culture references. Fictional characters, animals, and drinks appear to be particularly popular.

  • (V): What drink often refers to a red & blue bezel?
  • (W): What animal lends its name to watches with white and black dial designs?
  • (X): Which character often refers to a watch with a black & blue bezel?

 

Mechanical watches have travelled many significant places over the years. Let’s look at two of them:

  • (Y): What watch was worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during the mission Apollo XI?
  • (Z): In 1960, which Swiss watchmaker submerged a watch 10,916 meters deep in the Mariana Trench?

 

The final:

The final container can be found at:

North 47° 2Ä.ÄÄÄ with Ä.ÄÄÄ = (Sum of A through M then multiply by 2.6345 then round to the next full number)

West 121° 2Ü.ÜÜÜ with Ü.ÜÜÜ = (Sum of N through Z then multiply by 2.1469 then round to the next full number)

In order to access the logbook, you may want to calculate: (Sum of A through Z then multiply by 3.3014 then round to the next full number)

 

Please leave the stamp in the cache.

I hope this was not too painful and you learned something new. They say time flies when you are having fun afterall wink Enjoy the second part of this adventure on the way to the final container.


You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Abegu Ä.ÄÄÄ purpxfhz: 14 Jrfg Ü.ÜÜÜ purpxfhz: 26 Ybpx purpxfhz: 14 Uvqr: J fvqr bs genvy, orgjrra fznyy fghzc naq natyrq gerr, haqre ynetr rireterra

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)