Rolex Explorer II Question

[ned4n6]

I have a 2017 Explorer 2 which keeps excellent time. However, recently the hour hand loses an hour or more while the minute hand maintains perfect time. Anybody experience this?

[SearChart]

Any changes in how the hour hand fast setting feels? Because this sounds like the spring on your gmt wheel is broken.

[ned4n6]

Fast setting of hour hand feels and looks normal. In fact, I fast set it 24 hrs. clockwise looking for anomalies but the hour hand changed crisply each hour. Could I have caused some damage by fast setting it once counter-clockwise?

Appreciate your input.

[cuppa_watch]

I quick jump backwards my hour hands on my 3285s all the time. That's totally fine.

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by ned4n6

Fast setting of hour hand feels and looks normal. In fact, I fast set it 24 hrs. clockwise looking for anomalies but the hour hand changed crisply each hour. Could I have caused some damage by fast setting it once counter-clockwise?

Appreciate your input.

No that won't cause any damage.
It sounds like you'll need a service, if the spring is broken doesn't really matter since it's included in the cost anyway like most parts that are susceptible to wear.

[ned4n6]

After fast setting it forward 24 hrs.2 days ago, the hour hand is advancing normally. If it happens again, it goes in for service.
Thanks for your inputs.

[painexpert]

Keep an eye on it and if it happens again, off to the RSC.

[ned4n6]

After the problem continued, I reset everything from midnight setting all hands pointing to 12. It's been running properly for two weeks now. Looks like that reset did the trick. It makes no sense to me as to why the hour hand dropped back an hour a day before.

[ned4n6]

Got my watch serviced by Rolex and it was restored like new. The problem as explained by the tech stemmed from changing the date backward vs. forward. Apparently with the newer Rolexes, the date should always be advanced, never rotated ccw through the date. This damaged a gear causing the hour hand to drop back.
LESSON LEARNED.

[DoubleDeac]

Originally Posted by ned4n6

Got my watch serviced by Rolex and it was restored like new. The problem as explained by the tech stemmed from changing the date backward vs. forward. Apparently with the newer Rolexes, the date should always be advanced, never rotated ccw through the date. This damaged a gear causing the hour hand to drop back.
LESSON LEARNED.

Thank you for this crucial info. I didn’t see it mentioned in the manual at all

[Redemption144]

Originally Posted by ned4n6

Got my watch serviced by Rolex and it was restored like new. The problem as explained by the tech stemmed from changing the date backward vs. forward. Apparently with the newer Rolexes, the date should always be advanced, never rotated ccw through the date. This damaged a gear causing the hour hand to drop back.
LESSON LEARNED.

What??
I will have to check but I don’t think that is mentioned anywhere - I sort of even remember reading that it was ok to do on the 3187 or 3285 movements.

[Redemption144]

https://content.rolex.com/v7/dam/med...orer-ii_en.pdf

Look at page 16 of the manual - doesn’t it say you can set the date CW or CCW? Or did I misunderstand what the tech said?

[rlee58]

Interesting.. seems like a crucial piece of information that should be in the manual. I'm assuming there is no concern moving the hour/minute hands backwards as well?

[ned4n6]

[QUOTE=rlee58;13282058]Interesting.. seems like a crucial piece of information that should be in the manual. I'm assuming there is no concern moving the hour/minute hands backwards as well?[/QUO

Should be no problem moving the hands backwards. Just don't move the date backwards.

[mozchron]

On a GMT the date should be able to be set backwards or forwards - in fact it needs to be for full use of the complication. Something doesn't sound right here.

[ned4n6]

This may have been my problem:

Refrain from altering the date between 9 PM and 3 AM. During these hours, the date mechanism is active, and adjustments can lead to potential harm.

This is for all Rolex watches .

[TikTok]

Originally Posted by ned4n6

This may have been my problem:

Refrain from altering the date between 9 PM and 3 AM. During these hours, the date mechanism is active, and adjustments can lead to potential harm.

This is for all Rolex watches .

I have, on a number of occasions, been told the opposite and that it’s ok to set the date at any time.

[ned4n6]

You've been told wrong ! This warning came off a watch website addressing Rolex watches with Datejust. Regardless, I unknowingly must have done that which damaged a gear and required service. So be forewarned.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by ned4n6

This may have been my problem:

Refrain from altering the date between 9 PM and 3 AM. During these hours, the date mechanism is active, and adjustments can lead to potential harm.

This is for all Rolex watches .

Nonsense.

https://www.rolex.com/media/user-guides

[TikTok]

Originally Posted by ned4n6

You've been told wrong !

I can offer advice but it’s up to you to decide whether you take it or not.

[ned4n6]

I got this from Bob's Watches website. You can easily find it since this Forum won't let me yet post links.
Whether you want to believe it or not , it's simple, easy to follow advice.

[BNA/LION]

Originally Posted by ned4n6

Got my watch serviced by Rolex and it was restored like new. The problem as explained by the tech stemmed from changing the date backward vs. forward. Apparently with the newer Rolexes, the date should always be advanced, never rotated ccw through the date. This damaged a gear causing the hour hand to drop back.
LESSON LEARNED.

Glad you got it fixed and appreciate your sharing the lesson. I've not heard that before but I do tend to set watches clockwise.

[Fredrik]

Originally Posted by ned4n6

I got this from Bob's Watches website. You can easily find it since this Forum won't let me yet post links.
Whether you want to believe it or not , it's simple, easy to follow advice.

Just click on the link above and read the owners manual at the Rolex website. It clearly says that you can set the date in either direction. This has been true since at least the 1500-series movements from the 50s.

[ned4n6]

I raised two issues. When I picked up my watch from service in L.A. earlier this year, I was told by the Rolex tech. that the newer watches (mine is from 2017) should always be date adjusted C.W. which was the cause for the repair. Not so for the older watches he said.
Then, in researching how to set Datejust, I came upon this instruction on Bob's Watches about not setting date on Rolex watches between 9:00 PM and 3:00 AM. I think that I did that which may have caused the damage.

I posted all this as a service to Rolex owners. Do what you wish with this information. End of topic.