How long do you wait before sending a new watch to be regulated?

[Biginboca]

I have a 3 week old Tudor Pelagos with the in house movement (MT5612) which is running a very consistent -4 seconds per day since new.

I realize many people would probably be fine with it, but I’ll be honest it really bugs me. By all accounts I’ve read the Pelagos should be a stellar timekeeper and I find it especially annoying because I have several $800 Seiko automatics keeping better time than my new Pelagos.

This is my first experience stepping up to a Rolex/Tudor. I had high expectations for it keeping time to a few seconds per day, and now I realize maybe too high after reading reviews. So if you were me, how long would you wait to send it in? It doesn’t seem to have changed rate at all since new. Using watchtracker ap it’s between -3.9 and -4.1 every day, very consistent which I do realize is amazing.

If I can explain a bit, the reason this timekeeping bugs me is I wanted to get away from multiple watches. I came into some money recently and after some internal debate decided to sell my other watches and go down to just wearing one nicer watch everyday from now on. So that being said the timekeeping is more important to me than when I was doing a multi watch rotation and letting them run down every week.

I looked at the planet ocean also but it was a little too much bling for my daily wear because I work in a fitness center in gym clothes all day. So I wanted something high quality and rugged, but also casual appearance. I must say that outside of this minor timekeeping issue the Pelagos is pretty much my ideal watch, and I’m totally smitten with it!

[Tools]

If you are not happy, have it regulated.

[Johny]

Originally Posted by Tools

If you are not happy, have it regulated.

This. Perhaps give it a few more weeks to see if it changes.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by Tools

If you are not happy, have it regulated.

Also, might be best to do it at an AD or an RSC.

Opening a near new R/T model watch anywhere other than an authorized shop could be an issue. Its a relatively newish calibre and you don't want on the job training - even though its a simple adjustment.

[tudorbaja27]

I believe -4 (on average) is within COSC specs?

[kieselguhr]

If it bothers you that much, any time. Seeing as its new, it ought to be covered by warranty anyway. As other’s have mentioned, send it to an authorized service center. Just be aware that if scratches is another thing that bothers you, there is a potential that it may come back with a few (based on the various stories posted here on TRF). Good luck to you OP

Also, inb4 captain obvious states Tudor is not a Rolex...


AOW

[Commandopat]

I could give you a link for a $15 timex that is more accurate than your Seiko’s, which are more accurate than a Tudor or Rolex.
I think your expectations are more at fault than the accuracy of the watch which is within COSC standards....
also, I’ll be honest, it’s 4 seconds. Unless you’re going out of your way to measure the accuracy of your watch, why does it matter? If you are, then why buy something inherently inaccurate?
If you want the exact time then use your phone..

Also, the expectation of “a few seconds per day”, well, a few = 3 or 4, so it seems it is actually meeting your expectations...

I really don’t understand what the problem is.

[JasChCh]

I had my 2018 126660 Deepsea sent back for regulation twice - and I am not pedantic about time keeping, I swear!!

When I bought the watch last August it was a little outside the plus 2/minus 2 spec, running about 4 seconds per day slow, but that wasn't really going to bother me too much....but over the next few months it gradually got worse until it was losing 7 to 8 seconds per day, so I sent it back after 5 months as I was concerned about there being a problem.

When I got it back, it was now running 3 seconds per day fast, which I would have been very happy with. But, just like before it got worse and worse until it was now gaining 8 seconds per day....so I sent it back again 3 months ago.

I have it back now, it's within the specification that Rolex say it will be and is now consistent with no signs of drifting further, which has satisfied my concern that there was something wrong with the movement.

In your case, if it's consistently losing 4 seconds per day that's something I could personally live with, especially given it's (just) within the COSC standard of Minus 4/Plus 6.....consistency is great to have.

Also - I have a Black Bay with the In-house movement. It's superb, but I have found that it is possible to regulate the watch quite easily by over night position. Mine gains a couple of seconds dial down, and loses them crown down.

[Etschell]

I wouldnt send it in. 4 seconds is minimal in my mind. But if it bothers you send it in asap.

[Biginboca]

Ok thank you everyone for your input. I decided I’m going to give it a month and then make a decision. Hearing that it might get scratched up in the service center definitely makes me lean towards not sending it in, lol

[AzHadEnuf]

Maybe try changing the position you keep it stored overnight. Crown up/down. I don’t know the movement well, but you may pick up the lost seconds by changing the position.

[JodyHighroller]

Originally Posted by Biginboca

Ok thank you everyone for your input. I decided I’m going to give it a month and then make a decision. Hearing that it might get scratched up in the service center definitely makes me lean towards not sending it in, lol

If it doesn’t settle down then I would send it in. I’ve seen brand new watches out of the box need regulation. Sounds like you’d be happiest with that route as well (me too).

Yes, unfortunately any time a watch is opened or serviced there is always a chance for hairline scratches or minor dings. They’re usually very minor that it isn’t worth polishing out, etc. Just have to set your expectations accordingly, so you won’t be surprised once you receive it back.

[Gotemandrew]

I'd wait a while knowing what I know about watches of the quality of yours which have been dormant for a period of time. Given a period of "run in", you may find a gradual improvement over time, to the point where it will be performing closer to the standard you are expecting

[lawrence1]

Buy a quartz. Mechanical watches are not for you.

[brandog]

I would wait atleast 6 months before opening the watch up again. There are oils and parts that need to break in and settle. My Submariner has actually gotten more accurate with age. There is no downside in waiting.

[Friar]

Ask which RSC your AD uses when they send in watches. Mine only uses the Dallas RSC and I've had good experiences sending one Explorer II and two Tudors (Ranger and North Flag) in for regulation while under warranty.

[Jamie1111]

Originally Posted by Biginboca

I have a 3 week old Tudor Pelagos with the in house movement (MT5612) which is running a very consistent -4 seconds per day since new.



I realize many people would probably be fine with it, but I’ll be honest it really bugs me. By all accounts I’ve read the Pelagos should be a stellar timekeeper and I find it especially annoying because I have several $800 Seiko automatics keeping better time than my new Pelagos.



This is my first experience stepping up to a Rolex/Tudor. I had high expectations for it keeping time to a few seconds per day, and now I realize maybe too high after reading reviews. So if you were me, how long would you wait to send it in? It doesn’t seem to have changed rate at all since new. Using watchtracker ap it’s between -3.9 and -4.1 every day, very consistent which I do realize is amazing.



If I can explain a bit, the reason this timekeeping bugs me is I wanted to get away from multiple watches. I came into some money recently and after some internal debate decided to sell my other watches and go down to just wearing one nicer watch everyday from now on. So that being said the timekeeping is more important to me than when I was doing a multi watch rotation and letting them run down every week.



I looked at the planet ocean also but it was a little too much bling for my daily wear because I work in a fitness center in gym clothes all day. So I wanted something high quality and rugged, but also casual appearance. I must say that outside of this minor timekeeping issue the Pelagos is pretty much my ideal watch, and I’m totally smitten with it!

Damn, every $800 seiko automatic I see is +/- 30-45 secs per day. They must not sell the good cheap ones in Aus (not sarcasm)

Also I think tudors are only regulated to cosc which -4 per day falls within.

I wouldn’t send it in at -4 per day, maybe just set it forward 30secs or so?


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[1William]

As you have decided to give it some time before sending it in for regulation is a good move. If you are tracking and resetting on a daily basis why not set the watch and then track over a 3-4 day window and see where you are. Then track over one week without resetting and see how that goes. Over a period of time it may track better, may not. As far as being concerned about the watch being scratches during service it is always possible. But it could be lost in the mail, stolen from the Service Center, dropped during unboxing, etc. You get the idea, if it needs to go then send it.

[Brny11]

Originally Posted by lawrence1

Buy a quartz. Mechanical watches are not for you.

This. A cheap quartz. Expensive is not for you as scratches, inaccuracy, etc are inevitable. Sounds like this will drove you mad.

[Rolexoman]

I would wait a few months to see what happens, I have a BB with the newer in-house movement and at first it ran -4 SPD but now it’s a consistent -1 SPD

[Jostack]

Originally Posted by Brny11

This. A cheap quartz. Expensive is not for you as scratches, inaccuracy, etc are inevitable. Sounds like this will drove you mad.

This is the least useful kind of advice I ever see. It is a silly argument. Someone that likes watches and pays a premium for a premium brand has no interest in wearing a cheap quartz.

While the watch is within COSC spec, and thus would not warrant warranty regulation, it is absolutely possible and reasonable to have it regulated. If a watch can be consistent at -3 -4, it certainly can be regulated closer to zero. It may take more than one shot to get it where you are happy with it, but if it is important to you, it is only money, and being without your watch for a period of time for the work to be done.


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[Catatafish]

Originally Posted by Jostack

This is the least useful kind of advice I ever see. It is a silly argument. Someone that likes watches and pays a premium for a premium brand has no interest in wearing a cheap quartz.

While the watch is within COSC spec, and thus would not warrant warranty regulation, it is absolutely possible and reasonable to have it regulated. If a watch can be consistent at -3 -4, it certainly can be regulated closer to zero. It may take more than one shot to get it where you are happy with it, but if it is important to you, it is only money, and being without your watch for a period of time for the work to be done.


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My thoughts as well. I expect an automatic to be off in relation to a quartz, but part of the appreciation I have for these expensive useful toys is the manufacturers care and time they took in making something as accurate as possible. To me this is somewhere between 0 and +2 seconds a day when worn on my wrist. Anything outside of that and I'm selling it and if it's a must have keeper, then yeah I'll have it regulated.

[abozz]

Seiko is a wonderful brand, I loved my SBDX017 Marinemaster (2.000$ watch at that moment, today is more than 3.000 $), but Seiko is not a Champion in timekeeping, is more or less 10 to 30 seconds of desviation for day. 4 second for day is a chronometer movement parameter. Do you have a very precise Pelagos.

[Jostack]

Originally Posted by Catatafish

My thoughts as well. I expect an automatic to be off in relation to a quartz, but part of the appreciation I have for these expensive useful toys is the manufacturers care and time they took in making something as accurate as possible. To me this is somewhere between 0 and +2 seconds a day when worn on my wrist. Anything outside of that and I'm selling it and if it's a must have keeper, then yeah I'll have it regulated.

You have to realize if you want to get the best accuracy, you have to understand your average on wrist deviation, and what the different resting positions do. Some resting positions may gain more or less. Some may lose more or less. If you know these things you can rest overnight in a position that will offset the on wrist deviation. It is a balancing act that requires your intervention if you want optimal accuracy.

This is where regulation plays a role. If the watch is regulated to a point where there are no resting positions that run faster, you will not be able to offset an on wrist average that is negative, and visa versa.

Clearly some people don’t care about this and/or don’t realize this, and that is fine. But offering quartz as the only solution to accuracy is simply false.

Some people want to optimize their automatic watch performance. I’m guilty. If you don’t care about it that’s absolutely fair, and it is obviously much easier to enjoy your watch if you don’t care. But the desire to want an incredibly precise instrument to perform as accurately as possible is not unreasonable. I do have quartz and spring drive, but I get more satisfaction in regulating a purely automatic watch to extreme accuracy. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.

Rather than criticize someone’s desires and offer undesirable solutions, why not provide information to be helpful?


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[The Libertine]

I think each of us are entitled to what we think is a reasonable amount of per-second deviation per day.

For me, I would rather my watches run fast than slow. Also, I’d rather not have my watch opened unless absolutely necessary.

[Biginboca]

Originally Posted by Brny11

This. A cheap quartz. Expensive is not for you as scratches, inaccuracy, etc are inevitable. Sounds like this will drove you mad.

This is an odd comment. I said this was my first Rolex/Tudor, not my first expensive watch. I have owned multiple watches from Panerai (4), Breitling (3), IWC (5), Spring Drive Seikos (5), Omega (7), etc. I think you are too quick to pass judgement, I have been collecting watches and active on many other watch forums for over 20 years.

Out of all the watches named above only 1 panerai kept worse time than this Pelagos currently is for me, and that watch cost several times what this Tudor did. That also bothered me and I sold it. Looking at this thread it seems like I’m not the only person who is active here and enjoys an accurate mechanical watch.

Like I said in my first post, I really love this Pelagos though and want to get out of rotating watches and just wear/use one watch everyday.

And a brand new watch coming back with a scratched up case would absolutely bother me. I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t be bothered to be honest! I don’t mind them put on though use/ownership. These are totally acceptable and show character. Scratches put on by careless service personnel are not. I haven’t had a watch come back from service with scratches yet from those brands I named above, but what’s being inferred by other posters is that there’s a high likelihood of that happening with my Pelagos. That does give me pause about sending it in.

[Jona]

I have a few modern Tudors which are very consistently a few seconds slow/day. I set them fast and in a few days they even up.

I am not an expert but my understanding is that the new Tudor movements require a special tool to adjust the balance wheel. I don't think you'll find anyone other than an AD or RSC with that tool.

[zewill]

Originally Posted by AzHadEnuf

Maybe try changing the position you keep it stored overnight. Crown up/down. I don’t know the movement well, but you may pick up the lost seconds by changing the position.

Try that? :)

[Biginboca]

Originally Posted by zewill

Try that? :)

I wear my watches 24/7. I need corrective lenses (contacts/eyeglasses) to see so I’m not able to read a bedroom clock or see a watch on the nightstand during the night. The amazing Lume on the Pelagos has been much appreciated though!

[Ragna]

Originally Posted by Biginboca

[...]running a very consistent -4 seconds per day since new.

Please stop.

Stop everything youre doing right now.

Go live your life and enjoy your nice watch.

Best regards.