Help with accuracy

[harlot]

ok so I checked my watch over 3-4 days, and it's gained about 18 seconds now, so that makes an average of 5 secs gain a day -.-

[darylc]

My V series Submariner is losing only 2 seconds in 2 weeks time. but my D series Datejust is gaining about 10 seconds a day...

[daytona 6263]

ok so I checked my watch over 3-4 days, and it's gained about 18 seconds now, so that makes an average of 5 secs gain a day -.-

Gravity affects mechanical watches the most thats why they are tested in 5 different positions.And in those different positions there will be slight deviations in the timekeeping.But don't worry over a few seconds in 8 hours or even a few days .Remember this when thinking of accuracy the escapement of a mechanical watch in 24 hours pushes the gears 432,000 times. Since a day has 86,400 seconds, even a watch that runs five minutes fast or slow each day has an accuracy of over 99.6 percent! A finer mechanical watch that gains or loses about six to nine seconds a day or about a minute a week has a breathtaking precision of over 99.99 per cent. This still is very high precision, given the fact that the movement is constantly affected by the earth's gravity, metal expansion and contraction, temperature variations, subtle changes in lubrication and friction, shocks, and so on.The fact is that no mechanical watch made will keep perfect time, very close yes but perfect no.The COSC spec is a average of -4 to +6 over 24 hours..So most Rolex are 99.994% accurate what more could anyone ask from a mechanical watch.

Well horology speaking watches and clocks have not progressed a great deal in the past 300 years.Today when I see the posts about accuracy and about a few seconds etc.I think back to when the first wrist watches were used about 100 years ago.Then basically converted small pocket watches,movements have not changed a lot in over 100 years.Sure there have been a few changes over the years,first the electronic watches,then the quartz revolution.IMHO one of the biggest breakthroughs to the mechanical world was the Jack Daniels escapement.But IMHO not used by all the Swiss watch industry simply because its not a Swiss design.

Then came the introduction of Tourbillon escapements to counteract the watchmakers nightmare gravity but IMHO they serve no real purpose in a wrist watch at all,only the fact the watchmaker can make them.And you would be quite surprised how many watch brands Tourbillons are made now in china and to a very very very high standard..Why there is so much admiration for the tourbillon watches,perhaps the unquestioned and deserved prestige of Breguet, the inventor.

But the tourbillon works best in one position and in theory the tourbillon is always modifying the slight timing errors in the vertical position.The tourbillon does not correct position variations; it only prevents them being detected in the usual testing conditions.

But when a Tourbillon watch is placed on say a vibrograph machine, the tourbillon reveals its weaknesses immediately.IMO the admiration given to the tourbillon is of the same nature as that given to a very clever magician.Who for instance makes a large object disappear its just a optical illusion,and looks good at the time.The tourbillon does not correct anything,in wrist movements, it only prevents the detection of an error that still exists in natural gravity with wrist movement.The tourbillon is in fact an additional mechanism that consumes energy without producing anything except misinformation.

And because the energy it consumes is taken from the reserve destined to the regulator. As a result, the balance with less energy will have reduced advantages.Now I agree totally the skill needed to make the cage plus tourbillon etc is a great horological skill.But in reality the watch is no more accurate that several other non tourbillon chronometer or many other non chronometer watches

Take now the modern mass produced movements now highly automated to make the vast numbers.All precision made so in theory should all be exactly the same.But with all mechanical movements afraid earth's gravity, metal expansion and contraction, temperature variations, subtle changes in lubrication and friction,shocks,and wearing habits play and a huge part in any watches performance.

Myself feel very humbled with any mechanical watch that can perform to just a few seconds a day.You guys tell me of any other purely man made thing that has the same high precision as a mechanical watch.Take mans first flight about 100 years ago then in very flimsy so called aircraft but today man has flown to the planets.And now we take air travel around the world for granted.But if our mechanical marvel on our wrists is just a few seconds out some moan and groan about it instead of praising it.


And thing of this any modern day wristwatch chronometers are, by the almost 300 year old 18th century navigational standards imposed on John Harrison,H4 watch,quite laughably inaccurate even by todays standards.How about just 5 seconds slow after 63 days at sea,in one of the toughest environments known to man, not bad for a almost 300 year old watch.Now in those days no modern machinery no computer design no robots,just his bare hands and crude tools.Now when you look at your watch and only a few seconds out hope now it wont feel so bad whats in a just few seconds a day anyway.

[Fengy]

Help with accuracy

I have an explorer II which kept good time (-1s) per day in July. I had no opportunity to wear it over the last month and have only been wearing it over the weekend but of course i placed it in a winder. I recently found that it was losing 5 secs over a 1 day period... is there something wrong? Its consistently like that over the past 2 days...

Also when i shake my watch when it is on the winder pillow, i hear a sound coming out from it like a soft rattling

How long does Rolex take to regulate watches as i do not like my watches not to be with me...

[feilong108]

i think better to pop by RSC to do a check....rattling from the endlinks and bracelet?or from movement?

[Fengy]

i just called, they say if nothing wrong, can regulate within half an hour or so, wow , thats efficient.... any comments whether they will test water presssure too?

[taxico]

they won't test for water resistance. regulate at your own risk...!

a watch will perform differently when worn on the wrist than when placed on a winder... hand movements and winder settings (the PR) come into play.

[newbie09]

Rattling sounds shd be coming from the braclet, n wat bro taxico say is correct different position will result in different time added to the watch. Moreover, +5sec is still within then COSC range of +6/-4. So sleep in peace...

[trailblazer]

I agree with taxico on wrist Vs winder part. the placement of your watches affects the accuracy too.

[Watcha]

Rolex automatic module is near silent. Unlike eta or most other movement.

Quite hard to hear anything even beside your ear. So if sound is from movement, better go for a check.

Regulation at RSC is quite fast without queue. Had my done less than 30mins.

[trailblazer]

Hey watcha, how much does it costs to regulate a gmt mvmt? I mean if yours happens to be one too.

[Watcha]

Mine under warranty so no charge.

[Fengy]

great thanks, btw mine is -6sec not +6 secs so its not within cosc. I ll monitor over the nxt few days first. Bro watcha, did they do pressure check after regulating? Meaning like .. is it waterproof still?

[taxico]

... did they do pressure check after regulating? Meaning like .. is it waterproof still?

if your watch is 15 years old, never serviced or used regularly, the seals will deteriorate and in such an instance, if you open the case for regulating/service and do not replace/relube the old dried seals before closing it, then there might be cause for concern....

because AFAIK, RSC will not chamber test your watch unless a full service is done. therefore, there is no "pressure check".

but the good news is: if it's within warranty, after opening it up for regulating, the watch will remain fairly water resistant. (RSC won't regulate outside of warranty)

this is because due to its young age, the rubber seals are still in terrific condition, and the technician/watchmaker will be sure to close the case properly. (however, exceptions may apply - hence i used "fairly" in the previous sentence!)

since it's so new, i'm quite sure it will take to hand washing, wet brushing/cleaning, showers, swimming, saunas, hot tubs, etc! don't worry so much...

unless you're going deep into the sea! in that case, if there's a tiny spec of dirt or lint on the seal... water MIGHT seep in. but i doubt you're heading past 39m. so that's not an issue either!

and just in case you ARE a deep/tech diver... you would already be on good terms with dive shops - ask them to do a chamber test for you (dry/wet at your own risk)!

[Fengy]

ever since i starte wearing it, it has gone done to -1 to -1.5 sec a day. Thereafter not wearing again, it goes to -3 secs a day...

Still within cosc but well, i had just hoped they would do -2 to +2 secs....

I guess putting it on a winder does affect it somehow.....