Running 5 seconds fast (per day) is that ok

[nathan1038]

As said in the title. I used a website that showed the time via an atomic clock and matched my rolex to that exact time.

I have noted that in 22 hours I am running 5 seconds to fast. I could be wrong but a COSC should do a little better ? Keep within 3 seconds?

I am not actually bothered that it is running 5 - 7 seconds fast, what bothers me is, has the watch come out of optimal working range, and thus should it be looked at.

Or am I being like a new mother with her first child. The child coughs and she is straight down to the doctors, only to have him slap her in the face and say 'It coughed you idiot now go home and take the stress out on the gardener while your husband is out working, paying for this doctors visit'.

[Jeme]

What atomic clock do you use?

[daveathall]

Hello Nathan, it is just within the COSC spec of -4 to +6 seconds.

It still amazes me that a mechanical object can be so accurate, wonderful.

[Aspirin]

I heard that mechanical watch needs time to break-in, that’s why I wore mine for continuous 3 months in 24 hours a day for it from 1 Jan 2011. Unfortunately, it still found –3 seconds per 24 hours sharp, nothing changed.

[ally]

Try lying it on it's side crown down when you take it off at night that shouldloose a few seconds

If you keep checking it over the course of a month or so you should find the resting postion that keep it spot on

[jimmy1982]

my new sub c only gains about 1 second a week!!!

[Explorer 2011]

I match mine to the TRF clock and I'm pretty bang on +/- 1 sec per week ! Thanks TRF LOL

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Explorer 2011

I match mine to the TRF clock and I'm pretty bang on +/- 1 sec per week ! Thanks TRF LOL

The forum clock get its time from whatever the clock is set on your computor

Originally Posted by nathan1038

As said in the title. I used a website that showed the time via an atomic clock and matched my rolex to that exact time.

I have noted that in 22 hours I am running 5 seconds to fast. I could be wrong but a COSC should do a little better ? Keep within 3 seconds?

I am not actually bothered that it is running 5 - 7 seconds fast, what bothers me is, has the watch come out of optimal working range, and thus should it be looked at.

Or am I being like a new mother with her first child. The child coughs and she is straight down to the doctors, only to have him slap her in the face and say 'It coughed you idiot now go home and take the stress out on the gardener while your husband is out working, paying for this doctors visit'.

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 five minutes fast or slow each day has an accuracy of over 99.6%! A finer mechanical watch that gains or loses about six to nine seconds a day or about a minute a week has a breathtaking precision of over 99.99%. This is 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 100% perfect time, very close yes but perfect no.The COSC spec is a average of -4 to +6 over 24 hours..So most Rolex are 99.994% accurate what more could anyone ask from a mechanical watch.Have you ever given your watch a full manual wind say 40 full crown turn clock wise.Because when wearing with low activity you are not winding your watch enough that could have a effect on over all timekeeping.After a full wind set watch with any reliable time source a quartz watch will do.Then wear as normal, check time daily over 5 days with the same setting source.Then average out the loss or gain over those 5 days for a accurate result.

[nathan1038]

That does put it into context. Thank you padi56.

Apparently the Japanese earthquake that just took place was so powerful that it actually changed the angle of axis which the earth rotates upon. This means each day is slightly shorter than before. Amazing huh

[RRGHOST1]

It is in the parameters of good timekeeping for a mechanical watch. As always, an excellent answer from padi56.

[TempoKing]

5 to 7 minutes lose or gain per month is the average...personally I do not care...when 100% timing is needed - I wear a quartz.

[Danand]

More important than the amount it gains or loses is the consistency. A good movement in good shape will be very consistent. If it is off by x secs per day it can likely be regulated to close to perfection. But if you are consistently off by 5 seconds then I wouldn't worry about regulation until the watch needs opening for service. Cheers

[paddy_crow]

Six seconds per day times 30 days would be 180 seconds, or three minutes. If you're gaining or losing 5-7 minutes per month I would recommend a service.

[Watch Professor]

I would give it several months to settle in. My GMT IIc was -3 seconds per 24 hours for the first three or four months, and now that it's over a year it is -0.2 sec./24 hours. My Omega Speedy was +8 for the first month and now it's settled in at +3.

[Roxas]

I don't think -4 to +6 seconds per day is accurate enough. But we don't have an option. 99.99% is nothing in practical we need to adjust the time regularly. Let's say if it is fast 6 seconds per day and we don't adjust the time in 3 months it will fast 9 minutes. That is not acceptable. But as mentioned before we don't have a choice with pure mechanical watches. It doesn't mean that it is good though.

If we want more accuracy we need to use quartz or Spring Drive watches.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Roxas

I don't think -4 to +6 seconds per day is accurate enough. But we don't have an option. 99.99% is nothing in practical we need to adjust the time regularly. Let's say if it is fast 6 seconds per day and we don't adjust the time in 3 months it will fast 9 minutes. That is not acceptable. But as mentioned before we don't have a choice with pure mechanical watches. It doesn't mean that it is good though.

If we want more accuracy we need to use quartz or Spring Drive watches.

Not accurate enough to be within 6 seconds a day please tell me of any other purely mechanical machine has the precision of a mechanical watch.Is your life run to the absolute second, if it is then I feel sorry for you, and if accuracy is not good enough at the top of the COSC spec of 99.994% accuracy.Then I just cannot see why you bought a mechanical watch,but many today have no idea how a mechanical watch works.Today many just wear a brand and IMHO for any mechanical watch any brand to be within a few seconds a day is truly a mechanical marvel.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by nathan1038

As said in the title. I used a website that showed the time via an atomic clock and matched my rolex to that exact time.

I have noted that in 22 hours I am running 5 seconds to fast. I could be wrong but a COSC should do a little better ? Keep within 3 seconds?

I am not actually bothered that it is running 5 - 7 seconds fast, what bothers me is, has the watch come out of optimal working range, and thus should it be looked at.

Or am I being like a new mother with her first child. The child coughs and she is straight down to the doctors, only to have him slap her in the face and say 'It coughed you idiot now go home and take the stress out on the gardener while your husband is out working, paying for this doctors visit'.

I don't think that your checking accuracy accurately..

First you need an accurate standard, and very few websites are... they update their system at some point, and you don't know when that update takes place. That is why you need www.time.gov, or USNO, etc.. These are standards that are continuously updated..

then you need to set it, and check it again a few days later and divide the variance by the number of days.. This gives you the best indication of variance... and the more days you go for your test, the better you will know the variance..

Once you have the variance nailed down, you take that information to your watchmaker and tell him the results and ask for it to be regulated to your wearing habits...

Personally, I don't care what COSC is.. If it's 5 seconds per day out, I would get it regulated.. Any Rolex in good repair can do much better than that..

[newbrolex]

question: I just got my first Rolex, how do you measure how many seconds it gains or loses per day? How am I supposed to figure out that it's off by only a few seconds? Thanks

[Danand]

Originally Posted by newbrolex

question: I just got my first Rolex, how do you measure how many seconds it gains or loses per day? How am I supposed to figure out that it's off by only a few seconds? Thanks

Read the post directly above yours.

[newbrolex]

woops missed that. thanks

[Hodog16]

My almost five year old LV is about +6 a day consistently. I'll get it serviced in a few months anyway so no worries.

[MortgageGuy]

I dont get concerned if it is within about 5-10 per day... In fact all mine are 100% perfect I know this because I NEVER time them, if they are off I just re set them

[Sperry]

I'd set it on Sunday at, say, noon, and check it each day against computer time. That's accurate enough.

Then, after a week, see where it is. 35 seconds fast over a week?

Pull the crown, stop the watch for half a minute, and start the fun all over!

[Kevin Barrett]

Originally Posted by TempoKing

5 to 7 minutes lose or gain per month is the average...personally I do not care...when 100% timing is needed - I wear a quartz.

Just a comment about this, my GMT2C is not this far out of whack in a year's time.I almost never have to correct it.I wear the watch enough that it seldom stops. :agree

[Roxas]

Originally Posted by padi56

Then I just cannot see why you bought a mechanical watch,but many today have no idea how a mechanical watch works.Today many just wear a brand and IMHO for any mechanical watch any brand to be within a few seconds a day is truly a mechanical marvel.

I agree. It is really good mechanically and it cannot be much better. However, that is also its limitation. We don't have a choice to get much better accuracy with purely mechanical watches. If we want we can buy quartz or Seiko Spring Drive watches.

I don't think people buy mechanical watches because of their accuracy; they are obviously inferior to quartz watches in that regard. Nevertheless, they are better in many other aspects like the magic of the mechanics, the smoother movement of the second hand, movement finishing (in some brands), complications, and no need to change the battery.

[travisb]

Definately no need to worry or think about getting it regulated.
Enjoy it!!