Most Accurate Rolex?

[Marrk]

I was in an AD recently and the "watchmaker" (the guy they call from the back to size your bracelet) was wearing an F-series Sub Date. Nice guy. Very solicitous. Anyway, I asked him about accuracy and he said that the Subs and the Air Kings were the least accurate Rolex watches.

Thoughts?

[rickyslam]

so far for me, my sub date has ran 3 secs faster in 2 days, still waiting throughout the week to see whats up. Maybe to the end of the month also.

[entropydave]

Well, sounds odd to me - my AK loses less than 1 sec per week, and also I feel certain that Rolex ensure that all their movements are correctly calibrated before putting into the casesI am sure - I do not think they's want anyone to think that by buying one sort of model over another the buyer will get a "better" watch. It isthe same for external finish - I hada good eyeball at a £30,000 specimen and I wasn't that impressed (crown wheel not right and perpendicular, stone setting just about OK under the x10 loupe and so on) and showed the same sort of 'natural' variences I see in my AK, the sub I looked at and other watches in their range.

Naaah.... he's yanking your chain!
I think that watches do need to be run-in and the lubricants distributed IMHO - that probably takes a few months.

[Marrk]

Okay, but . . .

across all models, how many different movements are there? Are we really talking about accuracy of one movement vs. another (not one model vs. another)?

Originally Posted by entropydave

Well, sounds odd to me - my AK loses less than 1 sec per week, and also I feel certain that Rolex ensure that all their movements are correctly calibrated before putting into the casesI am sure - I do not think they's want anyone to think that by buying one sort of model over another the buyer will get a "better" watch. It isthe same for external finish - I hada good eyeball at a £30,000 specimen and I wasn't that impressed (crown wheel not right and perpendicular, stone setting just about OK under the x10 loupe and so on) and showed the same sort of 'natural' variences I see in my AK, the sub I looked at and other watches in their range.

Naaah.... he's yanking your chain!
I think that watches do need to be run-in and the lubricants distributed IMHO - that probably takes a few months.

[entropydave]

Good point. I get the impression that apart from the Daytona, the movements are largely the same with a basic build that allow the attachment of day/date wheels - Oh I dunno!
I dont even know the calibre of the AK movement and I am not taking the back off to find out!

[Baptistman]

no way can he say that because it all depends on
1) condition of movement
2) environment
3) position
4) Regulation

and that goes for any mech watch, so he's talking from his rosey red bottom end.

[JostheBoss]

Originally Posted by Baptistman

no way can he say that because it all depends on
1) condition of movement
2) environment
3) position
4) Regulation

and that goes for any mech watch, so he's talking from his rosey red bottom end.

x2!

[cmr]

Originally Posted by Baptistman

no way can he say that because it all depends on
1) condition of movement
2) environment
3) position
4) Regulation

and that goes for any mech watch, so he's talking from his rosey red bottom end.

i would assume he is speaking from what he sees come across his work bench. i know if you really want to know how good the type of car is you are wanting to buy go striate to the mechanics in the service dept at the dealer and they will tell you what they see everyday. you will generally find out things you didn't want to hear about what you thought was the best car in the world. lol

[entropydave]

Originally Posted by JostheBoss

x2!

X 3 - I wear my watch so lightly compared to some of you - you guys weld, dive, play squash &c., well, I do bugger all except desk work... the lifestyle of the owner is going to be a big factor

[Gedanken]

Why don't you ask him if an Explorer is more accurate than an Air King?

[padi56]

Well first lets be honest here no all mechanical watch made today will be spot on there will always be slight deviations thats a fact of mechanical watches.And every Rolex I have ever owned from the Cal 1030 to all the 15XX series right up to the present day movements like Cal 3135 from 1989.They have all ran well inside the COSC spec and have two old timers one from 1922 Rolex Unicorn 15 Jewel M/W, and a Rolex 17 Jewel M/W.Now they both run a little over COSC spec but it I wanted better accuracy I would have bought quartz watches.And again if any mechanical watch is running and keeping to say COSC spec that mechanical marvel on your wrist is doing a fantastic job,Considering what that mechanical watch has to go though on your wrist it its daily life.Fact be with all mechanical watches with very careful regulation most will perform to COSC spec.
Fact I have a Alpha manual wind Chronograph with the S19
movement,and with a bit of regulation thats been running now for over two years well within COSC spec and it cost just $60.Fact the most accurate proportionally movement tested and first time pass by the Swiss COSC for Rolex is the ladies Cal 2235

[BiG JeEzY]

If you ask me, I think its Rolexes themselves that are completely 100% accurate and its atomic time itself thats ONLY 99.9999% accurate!

[Lol-x]

From a heading that queried the most accurate watch the discussion is about the least accurate.

I think it is very hard to generalise, although the opinion of the watchmaker may be an honest opinion, I doubt that it is a scientific assessment. Any specific model can be very accurate or inaccurate depending on all the circumstances of wear, maintenance.

I agree with Padi. The 15XX are beautifully engineered movements.

It might be that the watchmaker has had to repair a lot more subs and AK's just because those 2 models are the most frequent models he has had to service.

On the other hand, cynically, if a watchmaker wants to make a sale to someone who has a Rolex but want's the most accurate Rolex, the chances might be that the potential customer already owns a Submariner or an Air King.

The 31XX movements are all COSC and are generally considered to be well designed and made. These movements go into all the sports models.

From my personal experience I think that the new GMT and other such models with the new parachrom hairspring are very accurate.

However I would not say such new models are more accurate than my 30 year old 1675 GMT.

[BiG JeEzY]

Excellent posts everyone. Steve and Padi, very well said and I agree with both of you gentlemen.

After reading this thread, something just struck me though...

Its about radio controlled watches. We all know that there has been radio controlled quartz watches before and companies such as the German watchmaker Junghans has featured them.

But what about a radio controlled self-winding/manual winding watch? Has it ever been experimented with before? Is the idea even possible? I think it will be such a great innovation as mechanical watches will for the most part run spot on as a result.

Maybe someday, a technology like that will exist....

[padi56]

Originally Posted by BiG JeEzY

Excellent posts everyone. Steve and Padi, very well said and I agree with both of you gentlemen.

After reading this thread, something just struck me though...

Its about radio controlled watches. We all know that there has been radio controlled quartz watches before and companies such as the German watchmaker Junghans has featured them.

But what about a radio controlled self-winding/manual winding watch? Has it ever been experimented with before? Is the idea even possible? I think it will be such a great innovation as mechanical watches will for the most part run spot on as a result.

Maybe someday, a technology like that will exist....

Well there are several hybrid Quartz mechaincal out in the market.And Seiko and Citizen have made quartz movements that were capapable of + - 2/5 seconds a year but they were expencive.

[DSJ]

Maybe the AK's and Subs the guy was seeing were the models that were subjected to the most use and abuse. I just wear my mechanical watches and adjust them "every so often" if it seems they are getting more than a few minutes off. I'm rarely overly late or early for anything.

[mj3200]

My Sub is more accurate than my Daytona. Although bith are less than 2 secs per day.

[MAC4130]

Very interesting thread!
As stated before that movement is base for basically all man models on the Rolex lineup! And the Air king and Subs are THE most popular models from Rolex (specially the Sub), these are also watches that people will use and abuse on a daily basis, so it is likely that he will see lots of them in for repair and or regulation! But regulate them well and not abuse them and they will work as fine as any other model!!! But hey these watches are meant to be used and abused!!!! The original Tool watch from Rolex!!!

[Trurolexer]

Originally Posted by Baptistman

no way can he say that because it all depends on
1) condition of movement
2) environment
3) position
4) Regulation

and that goes for any mech watch, so he's talking from his rosey red bottom end.

X3!!!

[chunala]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well there are several hybrid Quartz mechaincal out in the market.And Seiko and Citizen have made quartz movements that were capapable of + - 2/5 seconds a year but they were expencive.

padii56:
Not as expensive as a new GMT or Sub

[wantonebad]

I have been wearing my 16613 for a month straight. Partly because I put it on for vacation and never took it off when I got home. Anyway I'm playing with the idea of flipping my Oris TT1 so I polished it up and haven't worn it since I put on my 16613 the first week in March. I set my bluesy by my PC and atomic synch. I've lost 13 seconds in a month. I would say that is pretty damn accurate for a mechanical watch, nothing I've everworn (omega, oris, PP) come close the the accuracy of my current 16613 sub. Oh except my seiko-quartz, that lost 2 seconds a month

[Tools]

The watchmakers observation may be interesting, but not likely valid.

All Air-Kings, Explorers, and ND-Subs sport the same movement.

All Date-Subs, DJ's and Yachtmasters sport the same movement.

The date complication is simply added to the base movement......so

to pick a model and say it is more/less accurate when the mechanics and engineering is essentially the same just doesn't hold water.

[cmr]

Originally Posted by Tools

The watchmakers observation may be interesting, but not likely valid.

All Air-Kings, Explorers, and ND-Subs sport the same movement.

All Date-Subs, DJ's and Yachtmasters sport the same movement.

The date complication is simply added to the base movement......so

to pick a model and say it is more/less accurate when the mechanics and engineering is essentially the same just doesn't hold water.

i took it as a observation on the watch it's self and also how they are typically used by his clientèle. i would say it easy to surmise the watches he mentioned are treated a little rougher than a platinum day date. getting banged around has an effect on accuracy. it is very very safe for me to say a z06 corvette has a much higher warranty claim rate on drive train parts than a regular corvette with an automatic transmission. i am sure you can understand why. lol

[f16570]

All Rolex wathes can be exceptionaly accurate once they are regulated.

[mailman]

With a few exceptions, I've been wearing my Sub date pretty much 24/7 for 7-1/2 years doing all different kind of activities. It consistently loses 1/2 sec a day over that time.

Tell the 'watchmaker' that

[mdx77]

FWIW.....my Sub LV gains @ 1 second per week.

[warrenmich]

I like it when my watches are off by a second or two. It gives me a chance to take it off and fondle them!

[BigHat]

Just since Rolex basically owns the COSC program and qualifies over 750,000 watches (in 2001) as COSC chronos maybe it's best to see what they say is the most accurate.

Where's an excerpt from an interview conducted by a TZ rep with the guy that runs the place:

"Now, among all the assorted WISes, watch enthusiasts and experts that frequent TimeZone to tell the world what watches they wear, it is extremely unlikely that any owns a watch with the world’s best performing movement. It is equally unlikely that the woman who owns a Rolex automatic Oyster Datejust is aware that the caliber 2235 automatic inside is the most consistently precise and accurate movement tested by COSC.
Even more amazingly, at less than 20mm, the Rolex 2235 falls into the smallest category where the tolerances are at their widest, yet performs well within the tightest allowances reserved for pocket-watches. Almost 200,000 of these movements passed the COSC test in 2001. Does Rolex have a secret? "It’s their immense know-how in construction and manufacturing," says Mr Curchod reverently."

[Art 1]

He is wrong if that is indeed what he said.

[vukotab]

I really don`t know...
I had Explorer II for few years and it was always running a bit faster than it should be.And it was bought one year old!
And now I have OP Date from the 1960.`s and it`s incredibly accurate!
I guess that there are no rules about it...