Date Change Issue?

[Deacon211]

Good day all,

I have a Sub C recently (a few months ago) bought from a trusted seller. It has generally been keeping exceceptional time, but today I noticed the strangest thing.

While the time is only 15 seconds behind USNO after a week or more on the winder, the date is two days behind.

Having more than a few watches, I think I've developed an unusual problem here. Normally, with 12 watches and only a four place winder, I cycle watches in and out of the winder with a few favorites (like the SubC) taking up more or less permanent residence there. But since the Sub stays on the winder and is so accurate, I almost never need to reset it.

As a result, I suspect that, while the winder keeps the Sub running, it may keep the watch at a perpetual state of low power, which at this point may have allowed the date to slip a few times, resulting in it being close to "on time" but two days slow.

Not being a movement expert, I don't know if this is likely or just the wishing away of a more significant issue.

Any thoughts from those in the know? Thanks for the help!

Deacon

[salem65]

Have you tried manually advancing the time to make the date flip. Do this several times and see if the date sticks at any point. I had a watch that stopped flipping the date occasionally and it turned out to just need a minor adjustment.

[Deacon211]

Thanks Salem. It seems to work fine manually, nice and quick. It just didn't do it automatically sometime in the last week.

Deacon

[Andad]

The Subdate has 31 days on the date wheel.
If you have shorter months then you have a problem.

[Deacon211]

Originally Posted by directioneng

The Subdate has 31 days on the date wheel.
If you have shorter months then you have a problem.

LOL, yeah I considered that I might have missed it once, but I'm pretty sure I didn't miss that many months in a row!

No, movement gurus around out there that might wish to chime in?

Deacon

[Andad]

I can't help thinking that the problem is not with the watch.

Hopefully others will be along with a fix for this.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Deacon211

Thanks Salem. It seems to work fine manually, nice and quick. It just didn't do it automatically sometime in the last week.

Deacon

If your watch is keeping time then the hands are moveing around the dial and after two complete revolutions of the hour hand,then the date change gear should engage and change date.As you can change the date manually cannot see any reason why it does not change as normal.Either than a error setting on wearers part or a slight mechanical problem with the date engage gear which I would doubt.

[Deacon211]

Originally Posted by directioneng

I can't help thinking that the problem is not with the watch.

Hmmm, not 100% sure what this means. There's nothing impossible about the watch having some small fault or misadjustment that leads to the date failing to advance. Or perhaps it's perfectly normal for this to happen when the spring is on its very last reserve of power.

Personally, I'd be happier if you were right as that would be the cheapest option to fix! ;-)

But, considering that the last month to have 30 days was November and that the date was off by two days, not one, that's a lot more not noticing than I am usually guilty of.

Deacon

[Deacon211]

Originally Posted by padi56

If your watch is keeping time then the hands are moveing around the dial and after two complete revolutions of the hour hand.Then the date change gear should engage and change date.As you can change the date manually cannot see any reason why it does not change as normal.Either than a error setting on wearers part or a slight mechanical problem with the date engage gear which I would doubt.

Thanks Padi. That's what I was wondering...if the watch "drive train" was connected such that it was possible for the movement to miss the date wheel advance. Sounds like it isn't.

I still have a hard time believing that I missed two days for several weeks, but unless I have the issue again, there's no way to confirm or deny it.

I'll just need to see if it ever does it again.

Thanks for the reply.

Deacon

[Rikki]

All the calendar gearing is connected to the time gearing so if it is running it should change the calendar. If calendar jumper spring is broken it would stop changing at midnight but would change as the calendar finger passed the calendar disc. So I'm going to have to go with operator error on this one.

[Deacon211]

Originally Posted by Rikki

All the calendar gearing is connected to the time gearing so if it is running it should change the calendar. If calendar jumper spring is broken it would stop changing at midnight but would change as the calendar finger passed the calendar disc. So I'm going to have to go with operator error on this one.

Yep, that's what I was wondering. So my remaining question then is:

If the calendar mechanism seems to be working now, then is it safe to assume that there's nothing wrong with it? Or are there possibilities for intermittent failure?

I'm a pilot by trade, so I have no problem with accepting human error as the culprit. I've never had this happen before, but it doesn't mean that it couldn't have happened this time. I just want to eliminate any other possible sources of error...especially the expensive kind.

Thanks again for the responses.

Deacon

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by Deacon211

Yep, that's what I was wondering. So my remaining question then is:

If the calendar mechanism seems to be working now, then is it safe to assume that there's nothing wrong with it? Or are there possibilities for intermittent failure?

I'm a pilot by trade, so I have no problem with accepting human error as the culprit. I've never had this happen before, but it doesn't mean that it couldn't have happened this time. I just want to eliminate any other possible sources of error...especially the expensive kind.

Thanks again for the responses.

Deacon

Please remind me not to fly with you.

[Deacon211]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Please remind me not to fly with you.

You certainly possess the virtue of being able to entertain yourself.

Actually, I've flown for twenty five years both in the military and for the airlines.

There are two kind of pilots (and people it would seem). Those who expect to make mistakes and learn from them when they do...and those idiots who (wrongly) believe they are immune from making mistakes and so make massive ones when they do.

Now, why don't you go troll somewhere else.

My apologies to those who had helpful inputs to this thread. I suffer fools poorly.

Mods, please close this thread as it is unlikely to serve any further use.

Deacon

[MoBe]

Gee whiz ??

[Assquatch]

If the date jumper tension is excessive the date can get like 95% changed then slip back. Unlikely but possible.

[azguy]

I'd find an AD with a watchmaker and have him check it out, can't hurt. What kind of winder is it in and how many TPD is it getting

[Rikki]

Also if the calendar is weak or dirty it can cause an incomplete cycle and bounce back as Assquatch said. Just have it checked the diagnoses can go on for days Rikki

[Z-Sub]

Originally Posted by Deacon211

You certainly possess the virtue of being able to entertain yourself.

Actually, I've flown for twenty five years both in the military and for the airlines.

There are two kind of pilots (and people it would seem). Those who expect to make mistakes and learn from them when they do...and those idiots who (wrongly) believe they are immune from making mistakes and so make massive ones when they do.

Now, why don't you go troll somewhere else.

My apologies to those who had helpful inputs to this thread. I suffer fools poorly.

Mods, please close this thread as it is unlikely to serve any further use.

Deacon

Not so nice there. It's just a joke. Let's just relax and enjoy the forum.

[mrbill2mrbill2]

Originally Posted by Z-Sub

Not so nice there. It's just a joke. Let's just relax and enjoy the forum.

Exactly!

[mrbill2mrbill2]

I suggest unscrewing the crown and going to the date set position and rotating through all 31 dates twice. Sometimes the lubricant on the date wheel is not distributed evenly.