First Rolex and a few questions

[cptmike03]

Greetings Fellow WIS!
I am a LONG time lurker who, after wanting a ND Sub since a boy (20 or so years ago) finally got one! I purchased this 14060M new from an AD last week because I knew that they were no discontinued, and it was now or never. I am with some, in that I dislike the newer, larger watches (but of course to each his own!), so I always wanted the classic Sub.

I also have an Omega Speedy Pro Moonwatch and blue Quartz “Bond” Seamaster. I love both of them dearly, but this is my first Rolex. I would like to thank everyone on the board for all your advice and knowledge over the past year and a half. By the time I walked into the AD, it appeared I knew more then the sales staff….lol.

I have a few questions, mainly concerning the starting of the movement after it has stopped. I am awaiting insurance approval, so I have not worn the watch out yet, just a few hours a night around the apartment. A few days ago it was easy to start the movement, but today it was difficult for some reason. My questions are:

1) Is it normal for the watch to not start automatically when giving it the “gentle” swirls? A few days ago it started automatically when I did this (crystal facing me, crown up, moving it up and down). Today it did not after 20 or 30 sec of this. I know not to shake it and give it 40 turns before wearing it.

2) Is it normal for the watch to NOT start on the first or second wind of the crown? Again, it started up on the first twist for the past several times (when I did not start it via the swirl), but today, after it not starting when I swirled it, I wound the crown like 6 or 7 times, put it down(still dead) (phone rang), looked back a moment later, and it was working. Is this normal?

3) Will wearing it around for a few hour a day keep the power reserve full of does it take an entire day of wear?

I am testing the accuracy and reserve right now. I wound it like 50 times (just to make sure) and am going let it run down to check the reserve. Any way to check if the rotor is working properly? Please excuse my questions if they sound noobie-ish, but I just want to make sure there is nothing wrong with my new beloved watch. THANK YOU in advance!

And I know the drill after being a lurker....Here is the Pic!

Mike

[sleddog]

Excellent choice Mike..

Congratulations!

[cptmike03]

Thank you Sir!

[w4rmk]

You might consider a winder, I think it's more wear & tear to screw/un-screw the crown every week than to keep the watch running. Plus it's much easier to grab-n-go in the morning with which ever watch you feel like wearing. My wife bought me a beautiful double winder this past Christmas and it's been great.

[kcmo]

Looks great!

[tkerrmd]

Classic congrats!!

[cptmike03]

Thanks again guys! I was just wondering if anyone knows about the questions posted. I know it's alot of reading and apprechate any help! Glad to finally get one!

[sleddog]

Originally Posted by cptmike03

Thanks again guys! I was just wondering if anyone knows about the questions posted. I know it's alot of reading and apprechate any help! Glad to finally get one!

1 2 & 3 are all yes (normal).

As for the last. A few hours per day will not keep it at full wind.
If a few hours is your wearing habit per day, I'd suggest a manual wind every 3 or 4 days to keep it running.....
Having said that, there is no harm in letting your watch rest (stop) if you are not using it!

[MortgageGuy]

Looks like Rob has answered your questions, congrats on the beauty by the way! A timeless classic

[Tools]

Excellent choice and great looking watch..

your watch is normal..

A mechanical movement, when it stops, may still have some residual torque in the drivetrain.. depending on how the gears and pinions stack against themselves, it may take more than a gentle swirl. Expect your watch to occasionally take a tap or two to start...

You cannot wind your watch fully by just wearing it around the house for a few hours.. The gear ratio is designed to give the watch only a percentage of it's total wind if worn for an entire expected day.. say 8 am to 8 pm.. So, 12 hours on and 12 hours off, it only needs to put that same 12 hours of wind back into it when worn each day; not the entire 48hour reserve each day...

[gwalker]

What Larry said. A few hours a day won't keep the power reserve full. Your watch is fine.

[sea-dweller]

Congrats!

[cptmike03]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I am very glad to know that everything is ok, but I am still checking the power reserve just to be sure. This is such a great board. I think I am going to take Wr's suggestion and get a watch winder. Any suggestions on what brand or model?

[Sam Philip]

Congrats!

[GORT]

Very nice! Congrats!

[DolphinV8]

Congrats!

[w4rmk]

My wife bought me a Pangaea dual winder from Watch Winder Station. It's not an expensive winder but is working great for me, no complaints. I like that it also has a drawer underneath to hold my quartz watches. They sell other brands as well.

http://www.watchwinderstation.com/pa...chwinders.aspx

[zeuloa]

Great watch and there is nothing wrong with it. Mine usually starts at wind number 19 from when completely dead.

Wear it and enjoy it!

[snog]

Originally Posted by cptmike03

Thanks for the advice everyone! I am very glad to know that everything is ok, but I am still checking the power reserve just to be sure. This is such a great board. I think I am going to take Wr's suggestion and get a watch winder. Any suggestions on what brand or model?

I would wait a good few weeks before going down that route, the ND sub is as simple a watch as it gets, a few turns of the crown when not worn for a day will have it back up and running, these watches are made to be manually wound too so you will not be harming your watch.
Keeping a watch on a winder 24 hours a day could cause more wear to your watch than a few turns of the crown.
At least without a watch winder you get to play with your watch, which for me is a big plus.

[Rollie Fingers]

Great watch a real classic in my opinion sure wish i had the funds to acquire one now that it is discontinued

[drp2002]

Congratulations... a Master Piece indeed

[Cru Jones]

classic goodness. well done. congratulations!

[koffeetalk]

If you choose to get a winder, I'm happy with my Brookstone winder. They get good reviews and are not expensive.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by w4rmk

You might consider a winder, I think it's more wear & tear to screw/un-screw the crown every week than to keep the watch running. Plus it's much easier to grab-n-go in the morning with which ever watch you feel like wearing. My wife bought me a beautiful double winder this past Christmas and it's been great.

Winders are not needed for any Rolex watch and this crown wear stuff is a internet myth and it take less that 30 seconds to wind reset etc.Rolex plus many others have produced manual wind watches with screw down crowns, now these got unscrewed and wound daily for decades without problems.And if the crown was used more often it would stop many crown related problems.Things like crowns and crown tubes are normal serviceable items that are often changed as part of normal routine service.And regarding the original poster all Rolex watches should be fully manually wound first before you start wearing around 40 full crown turns clockwise.And you cannot test the rotor just by a manual winding the rotor only winds the mainspring when its on wrist or when the winding rotor pendulum its turning back and throe.And yes sometimes the movement will not start after a few winds all normal.And after a full manual wind the watch then has to be worn for 8 plus hours a day with reasonable wrist activity to just keep the power reserve topped up.But even if worn its not a problem to manually wind watch once or twice a week.Now on a full wind watch should run for around 39-48 hours while off wrist with movements like the 3 series.

[mjclark32]

Congrats and welcome to the sub club!

[azguy]

When the watch has stopped from lack of wear, wind it 40x's, wear and repeat.

Don't start you watch by swirling it....It will run best with a full power researve which is 40 winds

[Trouble15]

Congrats!

[kilyung]

Excellent choice!

[cptmike03]

Thanks again guys! This forum is outstanding! I guess I will wait on the winder for a few weeks and just keep manually winding it when I wear it. Insurance papers should arrived sometime mid next week, so I will be wearing it much more after that.

[TSW]

Great choice, Congrats!