Aquanaut Date Oddity...

[mongrelnomoad]

So I serviced my trusty 5066a about two years ago after the rotor fell off (yes, I don't quite know how that happened either), and now after relatively daily wear it's decided that midnight is actually at approximately 6AM, and the date jumps just as I'm getting out of bed. I'd like to think it's cos the watch is waking up too, but who am I kidding, it's just really irritating.

I've been trying to get my head around how, mechanically, this could even happen, but I've hit a blank. Anyone else had this happen or want to hazard a guess (while I try and find the time to take the watch to PP Service in the West End)? Can't say I'm particularly happy about this so soon after the last major overhaul...

[MilesB]

That sounds weird. Does the date change at 6AM when you're manually winding it? Sounds like you'll have to bring it in.

[mongrelnomoad]

Originally Posted by MilesB

That sounds weird. Does the date change at 6AM when you're manually winding it? Sounds like you'll have to bring it in.

I thought it might be something to do with the power reserve (I wear the 5066a as a daily stealth beater, so it is regularly, but not continuously on my wrist), but I wound it fully and it still jumps at 6AM irrespective of whether I'm manually changing the time, or if it's running normally.

Very odd.

[Cryten]

The hour hand has probably slipped. It's a friction fit.

[PJ S]

^
Plausible, but that’d be one hell of a slip, even if in stages over a period of time, not to mention why it would have.
I’d be more inclined to surmise that it’s stiction within the datewheel gearing (we know the 324 can have a sticking datewheel issue), and it’s this which has “stuck” a few times, releasing at some point, to where it’s now 6 hours behind.
Either way, it’s going to need looked at and remedied.

[mongrelnomoad]

Originally Posted by PJ S

^
Plausible, but that’d be one hell of a slip, even if in stages over a period of time, not to mention why it would have.
I’d be more inclined to surmise that it’s stiction within the datewheel gearing (we know the 324 can have a sticking datewheel issue), and it’s this which has “stuck” a few times, releasing at some point, to where it’s now 6 hours behind.
Either way, it’s going to need looked at and remedied.

Thanks for that. Seems plausible. The watch has been relatively babied since the last service (a BLNR has taken over much of the heavy lifting), so after twenty years with no slippage, the slip explanation seems a bit far fetched.

Anyway, I’ll keep the thread posted about what they find.