6-Minute Date Change on New Datejust

[Roleston]

Hi,

I've recently purchased a new Datejust 116200 from an authorised dealer. The date change is occurring a little after 6-minutes past midnight, is this acceptable? It's my first model with a date feature, so I'm only curious- it's not something that bothers me, long as it's within the expectations of the model.

Thanks!

[Tools]

While some of us may like it to change closer, 6 minutes is fine.

The mechanism changes every 24 hours, but when we see it visibly change is a function of where the watchmaker installs the hands. It's hard to put them on when the date is changing, or know that exact instant, so they are always off a bit.

[ROLLiWORKS]

Originally Posted by Tools

While some of us may like it to change closer, 6 minutes is fine.



The mechanism changes every 24 hours, but when we see it visibly change is a function of where the watchmaker installs the hands. It's hard to put them on when the date is changing, or know that exact instant, so they are always off a bit.

No not that difficult. 6 mins is quite a bit. I’ve always felt date change early 11:58 -12:00 is better than after midnight.


All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

[Roleston]

Originally Posted by ROLLiWORKS

No not that difficult. 6 mins is quite a bit. I’ve always felt date change early 11:58 -12:00 is better than after midnight.


All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Were it your watch, having just purchased for full-retail, would you be asking for the date change to be pulled-back?

I think it would only bother me if it started taking longer than the 6-minutes, but if it's likely to remain as it is I could live with it (I could work more on not being awake at midnight, for a start!)

Thanks!

[214270Explorer]

I had an Omega DAY-DATE once that changed 37 minutes after midnight. Sad. Plus it was overall a very troublesome watch. Glad to have gotten rid of it.

My antique OP Date changes about two minutes after midnight. If it were six minutes I would not care. Beyond ten minutes I think would begin to bug me. Maybe.

[SG56]

I couldn't even tell you when mine changes. Not a deal breaker for me.

[ROLLiWORKS]

Originally Posted by Roleston

Were it your watch, having just purchased for full-retail, would you be asking for the date change to be pulled-back?



I think it would only bother me if it started taking longer than the 6-minutes, but if it's likely to remain as it is I could live with it (I could work more on not being awake at midnight, for a start!)



Thanks!

Yes it will stay the same. If it doesnt bother you then its a non issue. Basically hands need to be removed and pressed at your next (1st) service. My understanding is the hands are pressed via a cnc press. Curious why its that far off.


All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

[037]

Originally Posted by ROLLiWORKS

Curious why its that far off.

6 minutes late out of 1440 minutes in a day is only 0.004% deviation. Sure, it can always be timed better but four thousandths is a pretty small number in the big picture.

[ROLLiWORKS]

Its not a timing issue. Hands are pressed 6 mins off from midnight


All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

[padi56]

The date change is purely mechanical process and not electronic, as long as date changes by next morning and you can see its changed you have no problem.

[037]

Originally Posted by ROLLiWORKS

Its not a timing issue. Hands are pressed 6 mins off from midnight

Right, so wouldn't hands being pressed at the wrong time be a timing issue? Parts aren't timed correctly. Semantics?

Hands can be pressed on at the 00:00 position after the movement has run for six minutes traveling down the assembly line. That could certainly happen in production if everything is as automated as we suspect. I'd still call that a timing issue, personally. And, I'd still consider it only 0.004% off even though you and I both know a watchmaker can get it closer.

[1WatchDawg]

Don't worry about it, my Sub 16610 changes dates at 6 minutes after and no problems and I've had it for years.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by 037

Right, so wouldn't hands being pressed at the wrong time be a timing issue? Parts aren't timed correctly. Semantics?

. . .

Nope, timing isn't affected at all - it will precisely change date exactly 24 hrs apart, each time. Even with no hands timing will remain constant.

The hands are not being pressed on "at the wrong time", rather, they are pressed on at an imprecise location, although, they will always visibly portray a correct "time".

[andrewjb88]

My Rolex Datejust, Tudor BB GMT and Omega Seamaster all change between 0005-0015.

[Valenciawatchrepair]

6 Minutes isn't a lot. But, I can say that when I press hands on watches I've done, I get a lot closer. With Rolex having an instant date change, it's easy to get it almost perfect.

I usually find midnight without the hands on. Then lightly put the minute hand on. Then precisely find where it "clicks." Then remove the minute hand and then install all hands. Then check. This method easily nets a +/- 1 minute deviation at the most. I then go around a few times to see if it consistently changes in the same place.

[037]

Originally Posted by Tools

Nope, timing isn't affected at all - it will precisely change date exactly 24 hrs apart, each time. Even with no hands timing will remain constant.

The hands are not being pressed on "at the wrong time", rather, they are pressed on at an imprecise location, although, they will always visibly portray a correct "time".

I'm not saying the movement timing is altered in any way, only that the hands were installed at 00:00 after the movement has advanced 6 minutes beyond the precise moment the cam advances the date wheel. To me that's "at the wrong time" since "the right time" was 6 minutes prior. Perhaps 'timing' isn't the correct word choice here? "Imprecise location" and "timing of hands" seems like semantics though.

[ROLLiWORKS]

Ahhh yes, timing of the assembly line. I would assume escapement side first, from there the date wheel in the perfect position before date change allowing enough time for all the dial side components to go on. Even if for some reason (stoppage in the assembly line perhaps) timing was off, should this have been corrected during QC? I assume the Rolex factory QCs every watch? Not sure but I would hope so.

Originally Posted by 037

Right, so wouldn't hands being pressed at the wrong time be a timing issue? Parts aren't timed correctly. Semantics?

Hands can be pressed on at the 00:00 position after the movement has run for six minutes traveling down the assembly line. That could certainly happen in production if everything is as automated as we suspect. I'd still call that a timing issue, personally. And, I'd still consider it only 0.004% off even though you and I both know a watchmaker can get it closer.

[ROLLiWORKS]

037 was referring to timing of the assembly line

[Valenciawatchrepair]

Originally Posted by ROLLiWORKS

Ahhh yes, timing of the assembly line. I would assume escapement side first, from there the date wheel in the perfect position before date change allowing enough time for all the dial side components to go on. Even if for some reason (stoppage in the assembly line perhaps) timing was off, should this have been corrected during QC? I assume the Rolex factory QCs every watch? Not sure but I would hope so.

I would think in an assembly line setting the stem would be pulled out to the setting position, thereby stopping the watch. So, the time passing between stations would really be irrelevant.