Direct-drive seconds, also known as Trotteuse, is a watch term that refers to a feature of a mechanical watch that allows the second hand to move in one-second increments, rather than the traditional sweeping motion of a regular second hand. This makes it easier to measure short intervals of time, such as when timing a race. It also eliminates any potential lag that can occur between the movement of the second hand and the movement of the minute and hour hands, which can cause the watch to be inaccurate.
