Comments on accuracy

[Danand]

Hi all. In the half year I've been on the forum I've seen plenty of threads about people being concerned with their watch's accuracy. Today I was at my AD to pickup my watch after sending it for engraving. The paperwork from rolex service centre Canada specified that the watch was adjusted to be at the factory standard of two minutes fast per month. (ie average of 4s per day).
Unfortunately there were some scratches on the case back that weren't there before so I don't have the watch yet to see what kind of accuracy it really has. Before sending it in it was essentially spot on so if it is really +4 s I'll be a bit dissappointed, however I thought others might want to know what is considered the "standard".

[Capstone]

My new DJ is running 30 seconds fast per week. Guess it is "spot on."

[ratty]

You are a brave person bringing up Rolex accuracy in a thread!

Often when this has been raised there are comments along the lines of 'does it matter' etc

To some it is important and to others it appears not to be. My view is that if they can set the watch to run +2 mins per month, why can't they set it to run more accurately?

My Sub runs exactly +2 mins per month (as does my Speedmaster) and I have to say that this aggravates me. My Daytona is far more accurate, it actually looses slightly when it is being worn but gains when I don't wear it and the two cancel each other out. Does this mean that Rolex have incorrectly set it up?

[padi56]

Well IMHO many get too anal about there watches and if any mechanical watch can perform to or slightly inside the COSC spec.Which today is a average of between -4 to + 6 seconds over any 24 hour period then we should be praising the mechanical marvel on our wrists.No mechanical watch will give perfect 100% accuracy there will be almost daily tiny deviations.Gravity is the main enemy to all mechanical watches and a watch worn on one persons wrist,don't mean it will perform the same on someone else's wrist.There are 86400 seconds in a day so most Rolex are at least 99.994% at the top of the range of COSC spec.And who will know how accurate the watch is only the person thats wearing it by constant checking.And if its running a few seconds either way as long as it running to the chronometer standard does it really matter.If you can get a watch to run say + 2 seconds a day while another is + 4 seconds we talking about 2 seconds out of 86400 in a day.The most important thing with any mechanical watch is consistency even in todays world don't think anyones life is run to the absolute second.Myself check reset my watches once a month and I have never been late for my appointments or missed a bus train or plane so please don't get to anal about perfect accuracy.

[TswaneNguni]

DSSD is +1.2s per day,measured over a month period and worn frequently.Overnight placed crown-up on wood shelve.Perhaps placing it on a soft cloth may slow it down sllightly.

Compared to other brands ,I have found all Rolexes to be very well running,as from the AD.

Most accurate I have owned was a Daytona and the Omega PLOngeur PROFessional.They are literally "spot-on"

[acce1999]

Originally Posted by Danand

Hi all. In the half year I've been on the forum I've seen plenty of threads about people being concerned with their watch's accuracy. Today I was at my AD to pickup my watch after sending it for engraving. The paperwork from rolex service centre Canada specified that the watch was adjusted to be at the factory standard of two minutes fast per month. (ie average of 4s per day).
Unfortunately there were some scratches on the case back that weren't there before so I don't have the watch yet to see what kind of accuracy it really has. Before sending it in it was essentially spot on so if it is really +4 s I'll be a bit dissappointed, however I thought others might want to know what is considered the "standard".

During the years I have been fortunate enough to meet, and get to know, several Rolex watchmakers that are trained in Geneva at the Rolex HQ. One of them informed me that they aim to get a watch to deliver within -1 to +5 seconds per day, per Rolex Geneva instructions. This is better than the COSC standard, and not unexpected. I also have full confidence in the four Rolex watchmakers I ask all my questions.

Are you sure that the phrase is not "within two minutes per month" or "less than..."?

Real life accuracy is something else. A lot of people do not know that the accuracy not only depends on the position of the watch, but also the power reserve. I have tried it out, and a watch that delivers well within COSC might be loosing as much as 20 or even 30 seconds per day when it operates on the lowest part of its power reserve. So, make sure that the watch is fully wound. It is designed to operate best at full (or optimal) power reserve.

Best,

A

[travisb]

Seem to always be right around + / - 2 sec a day.

[theibis]

My new Sub is consistently running around 6-10 seconds fast in a 24 hour period. At night, if I lay it crown down it seems to slow down a bit. Every couple of days, I'll sync it with www.time.gov and get the real time dead on.

[HL65]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well IMHO many get too anal about there watches and if any mechanical watch can perform to or slightly inside the COSC spec.Which today is a average of between -4 to + 6 seconds over any 24 hour period then we should be praising the mechanical marvel on our wrists.No mechanical watch will give perfect 100% accuracy there will be almost daily tiny deviations.Gravity is the main enemy to all mechanical watches and a watch worn on one persons wrist,don't mean it will perform the same on someone else's wrist.There are 86400 seconds in a day so most Rolex are at least 99.994% at the top of the range of COSC spec.And who will know how accurate the watch is only the person thats wearing it by constant checking.And if its running a few seconds either way as long as it running to the chronometer standard does it really matter.If you can get a watch to run say + 2 seconds a day while another is + 4 seconds we talking about 2 seconds out of 86400 in a day.The most important thing with any mechanical watch is consistency even in todays world don't think anyones life is run to the absolute second.Myself check reset my watches once a month and I have never been late for my appointments or missed a bus train or plane so please don't get to anal about perfect accuracy.

X2!! Well said Peter!!!

[Danand]

Originally Posted by ratty

You are a brave person bringing up Rolex accuracy in a thread!

Often when this has been raised there are comments along the lines of 'does it matter' etc

To some it is important and to others it appears not to be. My view is that if they can set the watch to run +2 mins per month, why can't they set it to run more accurately?

My Sub runs exactly +2 mins per month (as does my Speedmaster) and I have to say that this aggravates me. My Daytona is far more accurate, it actually looses slightly when it is being worn but gains when I don't wear it and the two cancel each other out. Does this mean that Rolex have incorrectly set it up?

I guess I brought it up specifically because of all the "my watch is 3s per day and I'm worried" type of threads. I thought this might help clarify to those that think they need to send in their watch for regulation when it isn't spot on. I totally agree with Padi about the issue

[Danand]

Btw the paperwork said "to the factory set
Standard of two minutes fast per month" if I remember properly(since I don't yet have the watch I don't have the paperwork, but the AD specifically showed me it).

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Danand

Btw the paperwork said "to the factory set
Standard of two minutes fast per month" if I remember properly(since I don't yet have the watch I don't have the paperwork, but the AD specifically showed me it).

Any Chronometer watch with a movement around the same size as a Rolex oyster is tested to the same COSC standard,now only the bare uncased movement is tested.Not even dial hands or winding rotor are on the bare uncased movement.The movements are loaded into magazines Rolex have there own machine because of the vast amount of movements tested.They are tested for 15 days in various positions and temperatures linked to a main computor annd time lapse cameras.And in the first 10 days of testing the movement could be out by as much as 10 seconds over 24 hours and still pass.The COSC pass is a average of between -4 to + 6 seconds over a 24 hour period,and certification is only at the time of testing.
But companies like Rolex will do there best to make sure it complies to the COSC test at the time of testing but they don't guarantee it will always.