New watch accuracy break in period?

[hlippy4]

Just wanted to know on a brand new watch what to expect. Should it be tight COSC or is there a break in period for it to settle?
Thanks

[Chewbacca]

as far as i know, there's no break in for rolexes other than the cosc testing that gets done. and that i would't call a test today.

folks used to say 'it'll need time to settle down' but i don't buy it. there's no way to know how every watch will 'settle' because they would then have to guess the eventual COSC rates and general performance for every module.

but, i also think real feta should always be from goats milk.

[GradyPhilpott]

My experience is that the timekeeping changes as the watch is worn.

All my Rolex watches have needed a regulation at six months and after that, they've been quite stable.

My new THC is gaining about 19 seconds a day, but I've only been wearing it for two days.

My watchmaker will be out of town for three weeks.

When he gets back, if it hasn't calmed down a bit, we'll talk about it.

When I bought my Sub, I asked the watchmaker to check it on his machine for a baseline and it was running about 12 seconds a day fast.

I asked him to regulate it and he suggested that I wait about three weeks, which I did and sure enough, it began running within COSC on its own.

However, six months later it did need a regulation.

I don't consider it anything to worry about.

You just deal with it as necessary.

[Tseg]

Over the first few weeks mine slowed from ~ + 5SPD to +1 SPD. Now when I wind it from a stop it seems to go the first couple of days approaching +2 SPD then settles back down to ~+1 SPD.

Only once did I start my Rolex with a shake and for weeks my timing was all over the place (+15/-10 SPD). The RSC advised to let it unwind and start it up with 40+ winds. I did that and it went back to having excellent time. Since then I've never started with a shake again.

[JohnFM]

I've never bought a new Rolex so I don't know if they 'settle in'. With new ETA watches, however, I've noticed they'll slow down a little over the first six months to a year. This is a controversial subject and some will say they see changes, others say no. I have no scientific or mechanical expertise but it does seem that an ETA watch that runs fast will often slow down a bit (say from +6 to +2-3 per day). Some of these ETA watches are COSC (e.g., IWC Mark XVI), others aren't.

I'm very interested in the experience of owners of new Rolex watches because the day may come when I buy a new one!

[Roll the Lex]

A few months for me- I'd say between 1-4 months

[Chewbacca]

the comments are all correct but they have more to do with time telling variances based on wearability, environment standards and general use. i.e.: wrist up, down, temperature etc...

i may have misunderstood but i approached the question as whether a rolex movement (in general) requires a break in period. full stop. i still believe a rolex doesn't.

[Andad]

I agree with CJ.

[peterskinner]

Some of the timekeeping variations mentioned here surprise me. I've found modern Rolex watches to be very accurate..within a few seconds a day. Any new Rolex out by 20 seconds is behaving way outside the norm.
As new Rolexes are tested at minus/plus 2 seconds a day, when cased, it is difficult to see how they could need running-in.
But then I have never needed a new Rolex regulated after six months either. I've been lucky, or some other people have been unlucky.

[Dirt]

Of the Rolex watches I have bought brand new in the distant past all of them have slowed down at about the first 2 weeks. The amount they have slowed was consistently 3 seconds to remain rock solid timekeepers.

The second last one purchased 5.5 years ago sped up about 2 seconds after about 3 months to remain a rock solid timekeeper.

The last one has never been worn since taking delivery early this year, but is hand wound to full power 2-3 times per day.
It has been constantly running at the different COSC resting positions since new, and it hasn't changed it's timekeeping one little bit to date.

In summary, I believe it's probably dependant upon the individual watch based on my personal experience.

[Friar]

Neither my 214270 nor 216570 have changed over the last two years. My Ranger with a top grade ETA 2824 started a couple seconds fast per day and now has settled at 1-2 seconds per day slow.

[bodhipooh]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

My experience is that the timekeeping changes as the watch is worn.

All my Rolex watches have needed a regulation at six months and after that, they've been quite stable.

My new THC is gaining about 19 seconds a day, but I've only been wearing it for two days.

My watchmaker will be out of town for three weeks.

When he gets back, if it hasn't calmed down a bit, we'll talk about it.

When I bought my Sub, I asked the watchmaker to check it on his machine for a baseline and it was running about 12 seconds a day fast.

I asked him to regulate it and he suggested that I wait about three weeks, which I did and sure enough, it began running within COSC on its own.

However, six months later it did need a regulation.

I don't consider it anything to worry about.

You just deal with it as necessary.

Super interesting, and thank you for relating your personal experience in such good detail. My brand new DJII has been running VERY CONSISTENTLY at +1.3 seconds per day since the day I got it 6 weeks ago. On the other hand, my girlfriend's TT DJ36 (purchased from same AD) has been running about 3 to 4 seconds fast per day, and we were starting to wonder. She is not as obsessive as I am about numbers, so she is not worried about it, and I haven't looked at it since at least two weeks ago, but I guess I will keep an eye on it and we can try letting it unwind fully and then reset it, or we can take it in to be regulated at some point if absolutely needed.

[ABChop]

For reference I've had my d-blue about 2.5 weeks now and it's within a second a week and has been since the first day i got it. I check it against my atomic clock set radio every now and again and its pretty much bang on....couldn't be happier with it really.
My GMT consistently gains about 6-7 seconds a day though.
My oldest watch (1680) loses about 3-4 seconds a day; which isn't bad for a 40+ yr old watch!!....it's definitely through the break-in period ; )

[RichM]

Nothing scientific here but right out of the box my BLRO is -6 seconds after 15 days. I set it to Watchville.

[sensui]

All my recent purchase have all been +-1 and that's four modern Rolex... I'm quite impressed.

[tigerpac]

According to actual watchmakers, there's no such thing as a break-in period.

[lord91]

Originally Posted by Tseg

Over the first few weeks mine slowed from ~ + 5SPD to +1 SPD. Now when I wind it from a stop it seems to go the first couple of days approaching +2 SPD then settles back down to ~+1 SPD.

Only once did I start my Rolex with a shake and for weeks my timing was all over the place (+15/-10 SPD). The RSC advised to let it unwind and start it up with 40+ winds. I did that and it went back to having excellent time. Since then I've never started with a shake again.

So, if you don't wear your watch for a while, the best thing to do before wearing it again is to wind it, or gently rotate it a little so the fluids lubricate it evenly inside and only after start winding it?

[sgt10p]

I bought my 16610LV 10 years ago, it ran about 4 sec fast for a few weeks. Since then it runs between 1-2 sec fast per day. After its first service it ran spot on for about 18 months. I do find it runs better if I wear it all the time I. E. Through the night, it's very rarely off my wrist during the day so not bad for its age.

Sent from my SM-G800F using Tapatalk

[1William]

With a 11 watch rotation I find it difficult to maintain the timing on all of the watches that I own. The Tudor Pelagos is plus 1 second a day and is my most accurate watch. I have found that when I wear a watch for several days at a time they do better with timing than on a rotation off of the watch winder.

[gwozhog]

The one thing I will never understand is how anyone would buy a watch that they know is +-6 seconds off a day and worry about it being accurate. It's not and never will be.lol However the closest Rolex's I have heard people report on being the most accurate are the dateless movement ones. Rik Dietel serviced my 14060 sub at -1/4 of a second a day. Not bad.

[Rolex time is money]

1 day for the oil to spread and then 1 week from my experience.