OP 39mm accuracy after drop

[Archimede]

Dear all,

I'm a long time lurker but this is my first post, so please be gentle

I own a Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 mm - dark rhodium (2016) since a couple of months. I must say that I love the watch and I find it very versatile.

Just after I bought it, I measured its accuracy with a phone app and got -2 spd. Two weeks ago, unfortunately, it was sitting on a chair and dropped to the floor. The travel was about 30cm and the floor was somehow rubber and not concrete.

Nonetheless, I measured it again and I got something around -4 spd. I went to my AD to check it better and he told me that the drop should cause any problem in this case and it's probably that using it, its accuracy changed on its own.

At the beginning the delay was noticeable comparing with an atomic watch, but after some days it kinda recovered and it's now running close to -3 spd.

The movement is a 3132 with paraflex and I suppose that such a small drop should be a big problem. Am I wrong? Am I getting too crazy about accuracy?

So, what do you think? Should I be concerned and send it to the service center? Or even a -4 spd is acceptable (Rolex sells it for -2/+2 spd).

This is my first Rolex, sorry for this paranoid attitude

[Archimede]

hi guys,
did I post on the wrong section probably?

[estorlie]

Being a free sprung balance, it's unlikely that a drop would change the rate unless it did some serious damage. -3 s/d is a little slow but not crazy. I'd suggest wearing the watch for a few weeks and seeing if the rate shifts any more. If it's still running slow, take it to an AD with a watchmaker and they should be able to bump the rate up a few seconds pretty easily.

[J!m]

I agree with the AD: "the drop should [not] cause any problem in this case and it's probably that using it, its accuracy changed on its own."

And yes, you are getting too obsessed about accuracy.

In order to scientifically compare accuracy at two differing points in time (i.e. a week later) you must have the watch in exactly the same condition prior to the test. That means you must hold it, wind it, store it etc. exactly the same way and for exactly the same amount of time. The easiest way to do this is fully wind it, and let it run down in both cases. Check timing right after fully winding and (for example) 30 hours after setting it down. Otherwise you are introducing variance into your test, or changing more than one variable for the test, which makes the test invalid.

If you want super-accuracy, get an eta quartz and have it regulated. I had a Tag Heuer quartz years ago that I had regulated and it was within a second a month against the atomic clock. You must accept the lesser accuracy of a mechanical watch to enjoy it.

[Archimede]

Hi guys,

thanks for your answers, that are reassuring for me.
Knowing that I didn't damage the watch with the drop and that this is just "how it is" makes me feeling less obsessed.
I think I'll follow both suggestions actually: will use it for a while and will try to make a more "scientific" evaluation.

Do you think, in general, that they can bring the watch inside the -2/+2 range how it is supposed to be? Or this is just "too difficult" to have?

Thanks again
C
PS: the watch is extremely nice, in any case, and I enjoy it very much. Some little problems in readability however: too shiny during the day, not really shiny during night. But it's really a minor thing.

[J!m]

It can probably be brought into +/- 2 but it will be under the conditions of standard practice (dial at specific positions).

I have known of people who recorded the variance under their personal "real world" use and had it regulated to that. In other words, after wearing it for three or four weeks and checking timing at the same time every day with no input to the watch other than wearing it (no winding or adjusting time) they found it was (for example) 4 seconds fast on average of all the collected data. Their watchmaker then placed it on their timegrapher, noted the current timing at the start, and adjusted it exactly -4 and sent it back to the owner. I find this excessive and place my palm on my face.

I adjusted my 5512 this morning because it was a minute slow (don't care about seconds and they don't hack anyway). I don't remember the last time I did it. Just part of wearing a mechanical watch.

If you have a timegrapher, and even if you did, adjusting any free-sprung balance wheel is no small feat. You could drive yourself crazy chasing Quartz accuracy from a mechanical watch...

Personally, I'd just enjoy it for what it is, or get a more accurate time piece if ultimate accuracy is so crucial. Sinn for example make exceptional pieces at very reasonable cost. Their quartz models are easily COSC out of the box and they use Eta movements so are easily brought in even tighter.

[unreformed66]

3 seconds a day is a pretty daggone good rate for a vintage mechanical watch. If you look you'll find that watches that are COSC certified are only held to a standard of -4/+6 per day.

[Archimede]

@unreformed66
Hi, I agree 3 seconds is not bad for a vintage watch. But my watch has just 2 months of life and I still have 5 years warranty. So, since they sell it for -2/+2 I'm wondering if it makes any sense to ask for a revision.
My fear is that now is doing -3 and maybe after a revision will do +7 (just to say). Is this possible? Or when they exit a revision they are really in specs?

[77T]

As others have said, wait it out. But if you can't wait have them open it up and fiddle with it. I wouldn't but to each his own. Another option is to have them place the watch on a timegrapher to measure its performance without opening.
As for warranty, it was a perfectly good watch until you dropped it. But remember damage caused by misuse is not covered. So if they do open it up and find anything amiss, it will be at your expense to fix it.

[Archimede]

Hi 77T,
do you think a 40cm drop on some sort of rubber floor could have done damages? I was confident that paraflex would have been able to cope with it.
Or not?

[77T]

I feel you're overthinking this for going onto 6 days now. Wait it out - if a month from now it begins to become grossly inaccurate then you can have it assessed.

The slight change in accuracy you reported is not a symptom of internal damage. Going from -2s to -3s per day is a change of 1/86,400 - or .0011574% and that is not momentous.
Move on to things that matter more - like those desk swirls on the clasp.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Archimede

@unreformed66
Hi, I agree 3 seconds is not bad for a vintage watch. But my watch has just 2 months of life and I still have 5 years warranty. So, since they sell it for -2/+2 I'm wondering if it makes any sense to ask for a revision.
My fear is that now is doing -3 and maybe after a revision will do +7 (just to say). Is this possible? Or when they exit a revision they are really in specs?

Please do not get caught up in this this latest -2+2 syndrome, now regarding the latest AVERAGE -2+2 syndrome what in the real world does this mean.Well first the movement is tested to the Swiss chronometer standard at the COSC which is a AVERAGE of between -4+6 seconds over any 24 hour period. And when testing in the first 10 days of said test the movement could vary by 10 seconds in any single 24 hours and still pass the test.After movement gets certified at COSC and passes, its shipped back to Rolex in there hundreds then stored till needed to match to a case.Now if its true Rolex must re-regulate and test on a machine to this new specification a AVERAGE-2+2 seconds over any 24 hour period. What does this mean well in the real world it was tested on a machine and passed said test at the time of testing much like the certification at the COSC. Now this test does not mean the movement will be -2+2 every single day for life.As on the wrist its a bit different to what the test on a machine,already some on forum wanting to rush out and regulate because there watch was only showing a consistent +4 seconds.So got to ask myself is these 2 seconds all that important are they life threatening in any way.Would these two seconds dramatically have a effect on anyone's daily routine if it does then I feel very sorry for them.There comes a point in life when all these OCD issues start to take the enjoyment out of wearing any Rolex watch.Life is far to short to worry and fret over these very minor trivialities trust me from one that knows.And all mechanical movements will have almost daily tiny deviations its because its mechanical.Gravity and wearing habits affects mechanical watches the most thats why they are tested in 5 different positions at the COSC.And in those different positions there will be slight deviations in the timekeeping.Remember this 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 a few seconds fast or slow this is still 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 100% no.

[RRGHOST1]

I personally think you are overthinking everything.

[Archimede]

Hi guys, thank you all for the answers. Maybe it's true, I'm overthinking. The watch is keeping very good time in the long run (I think it's around -2 seconds per 2/3 weeks) even if the variations are big. Normally it stays around -2/-3 per day but sometimes, when not worn, it takes few seconds per day. Also, yesterday I didn't wear it and it lost like 5 seconds.... Not sure how to interpret all this, even if I love the watch and its accuracy.

[roviw]

As mentioned from some of the others, the accuracy can alter depending on use.
I have a 20 year old 16700 GMT that I bought a year ago.
I have an atomic clock app on my iphone and out of interest I used to keep an eye on the accuracy with it, generally the watch was about +3 seconds a day , this was when the watch used to be worn sometimes and on a winder other times.
I decided a few weeks ago to wear it more as my daytime work ( I am a builder, and " on the tools" ) was going through a less physical period where the watch was less likely to get scratched etc.
I then found that the watch was more accurate just by being used every day, at the moment right now it has gained 5 seconds since 13th February which was the last time I set it by the atomic clock.
To say I am amazed by this is an understatement, after a year of +3s as day with partial use it has gone to this !