[Isthmus]

As Les said, the position of the meatball does not affect the second hand torque when used on movements of the same type (automatics versus quartz). The meatball is there purely as a marker denoting that the watch is working under low light conditions. it serves no practical purpose in time telling. some way of telling that the watch is working in low light conditions is an ISO requirement. Adding a luminous pip to the second hand is the easiest way of doing this in analog divers. Other ways are fully lumed second hands (I believe Sinn does this). In seiko,s case the meatball at the trailing end is typically used in what seiko refers to a night and day (or is it day and night?) arrangement. Most seiko diver second hands with a trailing meatball shill have the meatball side of the hand painted black, while the forward, long, side of the hand painted white. the idea is to make the second hand easier to see under light or dark conditions. IN light the white side of the second hand contrasts against the background of the dial. while in darkness, the pip being close to the axel glows and is easier to see because it doesn't cross the path of any other luminous surfaces (except maybe the hour hand).