Setting date on Sub

[ratty]

Hello

I have an older style Sub date, probably about 6 or 7 years old, and I'm having some strange problems setting the date.

When I turn the hands to set the date there is no problem but when I use the quick set function there is. I know when you use the quick set function you are suppose to change the date in the afternoon so that it will advance the next time the watch goes past the 12 o'clock position but when I do this it really is hit or miss if the date changes. No matter how or when I use the quick set the date usually changes when I don't want it to! I have asked about this at my local Jeweller and he suggests a tooth may be broken in the watch. The watch is used in rotation with others so only gets used perhaps once every 5 or 6 weeks. I don't know how the quick change physically works so I can't guess what may be wrong and this is why I am asking for advice. Is it possible a component used in the quick set is sticking somehow which would not show when the date is set by turning the hands? It this a service job?

Thanks in advance.

[dddrees]

What do you mean the day advances when it's not supposed to? Do you mean it is advancing at 12:00 PM instead of 12:00 AM? Sounds like you could have the night and day messed up maybe? Have you tried to advance the time first to ensure you identified whether your watch is on AM or PM?

[Lion]

Okay, I'm confused now.....I'll wait and see what someone else answers

[padi56]

Originally Posted by ratty

Hello

I have an older style Sub date, probably about 6 or 7 years old, and I'm having some strange problems setting the date.

When I turn the hands to set the date there is no problem but when I use the quick set function there is. I know when you use the quick set function you are suppose to change the date in the afternoon so that it will advance the next time the watch goes past the 12 o'clock position but when I do this it really is hit or miss if the date changes. No matter how or when I use the quick set the date usually changes when I don't want it to! I have asked about this at my local Jeweller and he suggests a tooth may be broken in the watch. The watch is used in rotation with others so only gets used perhaps once every 5 or 6 weeks. I don't know how the quick change physically works so I can't guess what may be wrong and this is why I am asking for advice. Is it possible a component used in the quick set is sticking somehow which would not show when the date is set by turning the hands? It this a service job?

Thanks in advance.

Well mechanically your sub is exactly the same as any sub produced since 1988, till present time with a cal 3135.And two full revolutions of hands around the dial via the crown the date should advance one day.And the date chance gearing is connected to the watches normal time gearing so if watch is running it should change the date wheel. If date wheel jumper spring is broken it would stop changing at midnight or 12pm if your setting are out 12 hours on watch, but would still change as the date finger passes the date wheel mechanism.

[ratty]

As sad as this sounds, I don't like using the hands to advance the date. I like to set watches so that the hands are set exactly, so that when the second hand is pointing exactly at 12 the min hand is also pointing EXACTLY at 12! Yes, I know, SAD, but there you go.

When I use the quick set for the date, sometimes the date changes the next time the watch passes the 12 o'clock position, sometimes it doesn't! I was told to change the date using the quick set function when it is pm, so that the next time the watch shows 12 o'clock ie midnight, the date will change automatically, have I got this wrong???

[padi56]

Originally Posted by ratty

As sad as this sounds, I don't like using the hands to advance the date. I like to set watches so that the hands are set exactly, so that when the second hand is pointing exactly at 12 the min hand is also pointing EXACTLY at 12! Yes, I know, SAD, but there you go.

When I use the quick set for the date, sometimes the date changes the next time the watch passes the 12 o'clock position, sometimes it doesn't! I was told to change the date using the quick set function when it is pm, so that the next time the watch shows 12 o'clock ie midnight, the date will change automatically, have I got this wrong???

You can set the date at any time but just make sure whether its noon or after midnight.And its the hands that change the date after two full revolutions of the dial when watch is running thats why it changes every 24 hours. And many Rolex watches change a minute or so before or after midnight this is perfectly normal its because its mechanical and not electronic like a quartz..

[crew]

Flip it for a Sub ND. Problem solved!
()

[Lion]

Thanx for clearing this issue up Peter, that's what I thought!!!

[ratty]

Originally Posted by padi56

You can set the date at any time but just make sure whether its noon or after midnight.And its the hands that change the date after two full revolutions of the dial when watch is running thats why it changes every 24 hours. And many Rolex watches change a minute or so before or after midnight this is perfectly normal its because its mechanical and not electronic like a quartz..

So, at the risk of sounding really thick, let's say it is 9am. I want to set the date using the quick change function. The watch has not been worn for weeks and I don't know if it stopped when it was am or pm. I pull out the crown and advance the date to todays date and press the crown back in. How do I know it will not change at mid-day? What could I do differently if the time was 9pm?

I know these are very basic questions so please bear with me, but this is the only watch I have which causes this problem.

[ratty]

Originally Posted by crew

Flip it for a Sub ND. Problem solved!
()

I have a no date as well and I agree with you.

[Scott95]

Originally Posted by ratty

So, at the risk of sounding really thick, let's say it is 9am. I want to set the date using the quick change function. The watch has not been worn for weeks and I don't know if it stopped when it was am or pm. I pull out the crown and advance the date to todays date and press the crown back in. How do I know it will not change at mid-day? What could I do differently if the time was 9pm?

I know these are very basic questions so please bear with me, but this is the only watch I have which causes this problem.

What I do in this situation is this:

Let's say the watch stopped with a date from last week. I run the hands around until the date indexes forward by one day. Then I know the watch is set to AM. Then I set the approximate right time of day - be it AM or PM. Then I set the date to today's date and finally I set the time exactly with my atomic clock. (The last bit about the atomic clock is sad but true....)

[padi56]

Originally Posted by scott95

what i do in this situation is this:

Let's say the watch stopped with a date from last week. I run the hands around until the date indexes forward by one day. Then i know the watch is set to am. Then i set the approximate right time of day - be it am or pm. Then i set the date to today's date and finally i set the time exactly with my atomic clock. (the last bit about the atomic clock is sad but true....)

x2.

[ratty]

Thanks to you all for replying to this, thank goodness it's the owner at fault not the watch! For some reason I thought using the quick change function in effect automatically reverted the watch to pm. Don't ask, I don't know why!

Once again thanks to you for your help with my question.

[ecsub44]

Glad you got it figured out!

[Tools]

Glad that you got it sorted..

As stated, you always have to turn the hands and register the watch to midnight after it has stopped.. There is no other way to know if it is am or pm..

Of course, the dual time watches have a 4th hand that will tell you immediately...but the Sub is not a dual time watch, the GMT is.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by ratty

Thanks to you all for replying to this, thank goodness it's the owner at fault not the watch! For some reason I thought using the quick change function in effect automatically reverted the watch to pm. Don't ask, I don't know why!

Once again thanks to you for your help with my question.

Glad to help thats what the forum is for,glad you have it sorted now.

[ratty]

Originally Posted by Tools

Glad that you got it sorted..

As stated, you always have to turn the hands and register the watch to midnight after it has stopped.. There is no other way to know if it is am or pm..

Of course, the dual time watches have a 4th hand that will tell you immediately...but the Sub is not a dual time watch, the GMT is.

I have a GMT and as you say it's easy (even for me!) with that.

Just out of curiosity, the GMT 2 I recently bought is about 12 years old but had never been worn, it was still in all it's protective wrapping etc. I took it straight to Rolex in London to have it verified and they suggested that it be serviced because the lubricants had possibly dried out which is understandable. Roughly how long do people think it is OK to leave a watch stored for before this situation might occur?

[dddrees]

I've read that there are some who have bought watches that sat for over 20 years and when they began using them they didn't experience any issues.

I've also read on this forum that lubricants have gotten better over the years and don't dry out as quickly as they may have once done. Besides there are some slow movers which don't sell for years sitting at some ADs, but work just fine once they sell. I've got a feeling your watch was just fine.

[subkrawler]

I always set mine by setting the quick-set to yesterday's date. Then I advance the hands until the date changes over to today's date. Now I know I'm in the AM of today's date, and I hack and set the time from there.