Is daily wear "best" for accuracy/function?

[Wooddog44]

I’ve wondered about something for a while and, after reading the quote below, wanted to pose a question;

Is the optimal “state of being” for a self winding mechanical watch movement daily/constant wear in terms of function and accuracy?

There is an abundance of misinformation available on the topic – My watch runs +6.5 sec. per day. I was recently at a jeweler with my wife and he commented on my watch. I mentioned the time gain and that I would soon be sending it to Rolex for the scheduled service 5-7 year service. He told me that wasn’t necessary (scheduled service) and the problem is I wear it everyday which “over winds” the movement. His advice was to give it an occasional rest for a couple of days and let it wind down which would make it more accurate but I was hoping for a more informed answer from some of our experts.

All things considered, by design, is it “best” that a self winding mechanical watch be worn daily?

"When the mainspring is fully wound it does exert more of a pull on the gear-train than when it is not fully wound. Attempting to get uniform time-keeping (Isochronism) throughout the entire spring torque has been a desire of watchmakers and designers since the beginning.

The first step, is the amount of wind a watch has. designers have built in a ~50 hour reserve in the watch, not so you can go two days without winding, but so that if it is wound each day, it stays in the upper end of it's torque range.....if you allow the watch to fall into the lower range of torque, then it will be more erratic than a fully wound watch.

The escapement is the key along with the hairspring that oscillates at a known (approximately) frequency. Knowing how many times the pallet fork locks and unlocks the escapement wheel based on the frequency of the hairspring (28,800 beats per hour for a modern Rolex), along with the torque curve of the mainspring, you can calculate and design a gear train that rotates at exactly 24 hours per day (in theory).. Then you tap in extra gears off that main shaft to move the other functions.

But your watch will run differently throughout the optimum designed torque curve, and then more erratically at the bottom of the curve.

This is one of the reasons that Rolex opted to go with automatic movements throughout their main line....A self-wind watch is always adding to the mainspring wind (when worn) and, therefore, keeps the torque more constant and in the upper design range throughout the day, as opposed to a manually wound watch".

[Lion]

I thought I have read/heard that you can not over wind Rolex watches???

[Dan Pierce]

Way too may variables involved. All I know is my watches tend to stay more accurate when worn.
dP

[Rolex Lover]

I know that Rolex is an everday's watch and no harm for wearing it daily for long times!!!

[postiff]

I also heard the more you wear it the better it keeps time. As for me a little over a month into my new IIc and I set it yesterday around 1PM and it is still dead nuts accurate.

I do know that modern movements have a built in clutch so you cannot over wind it.


I wear the same watch every day and will do so until I can not.


6.5 seconds a day seems like a little much, how old is the watch? As for the maintenance I would do it. My grandpa has had is DJ for going on 9 years (never serviced) and it keeps horrible time not sure if it is from him working on Computers and the magnets within or simply because it has not ever been serviced.

[Wooddog44]

Originally Posted by postiff

I also heard the more you wear it the better it keeps time. As for me a little over a month into my new IIc and I set it yesterday around 1PM and it is still dead nuts accurate.

I do know that modern movements have a built in clutch so you cannot over wind it.


I wear the same watch every day and will do so until I can not.


6.5 seconds a day seems like a little much, how old is the watch? As for the maintenance I would do it. My grandpa has had is DJ for going on 9 years (never serviced) and it keeps horrible time not sure if it is from him working on Computers and the magnets within or simply because it has not ever been serviced.

K series so it's due now for the first 5-7 year service. I plan to take it to the RSC in NY this spring to get that done and that will include adjusting the time gain. It just struck me that a jeweler -someone you would think is knowledgeable about things like that- was so misinformed.

[cody p]

a rolex oyster perpetual has been engineered to be worn daily. it functions best when it is fully wound or close to.

[Chris B]

I had a problem last year where my Tudor Chrono would lose & actually stop on the winder, I spoke to a technician at RSC Bexley who mentioned during the conversation that Rolex do not give credence to a report of poor timekeeping unless the watch is being worn almost constantly.

He added that sometimes owners would be surprised when RSC's recommendation to an owner with accuracy issues is that in the first instance they just simply wear the watch then judge its accuracy, & not be guided by how it shapes up sitting on a winder or wound every other day & left sitting in a drawer.

I felt as if I'd been scolded at the time, felt like crawling back under my stone

[WatchSmith]

The 5 year service is a must. Just because the watch is running great is no indication that everything is perfect inside. Your car can 'run perfect' with low oil in the crankcase which is causing the engine to wear prematurely. Your watch is mechanical and it needs to be serviced and cared for in a timely manner. Period. If you doubt this, ask any watchmaker.

As for wearing, watches are optimized to run as accurately as possible in all positions (face down, face, up, crown down, crown up). Keeping the watch running in one position won't hurt it a bit, but its performance and accuracy will be slightly different than in the variety of positions of daily wear.

The Rolex cannot be overwound. The mainspring will slip in its barrel if you wind it too much. This is a safety feature so there are NO worries about overwinding.

Rolex is a robust movement that's designed to maintain COSC accuracy on Mt. Everest or the deepest oceans. They are tough as nails and require a clean and lube every 5 years. That's pretty amazing

[model4you]

I wear mine everyday as well. I have not experienced any overwiinding.

[mailman]

I wore mine every day for 8-1/2 years and the time keeping didn't change at all.

[fmalloy]

My GMT-IIC is at its most accurate on the wrist, where the constantly changing position cancels out any drift due to one position. When I put it on the winder, it starts to lose 4-6 sec. per day due to sitting vertical.

Watches are meant to be worn.

[Wildwing]

In my opinion, you've received bad advice. The advice I've gotten (and I've checked it out with Rolex Datejust and Date, and 60s IWC and Omega Seamaster) is that regular wearing is better for accurate time. Some of the more technical members might pipe up, but as a mechanical watch nears it's end of the wind-up, it actually speeds up, more times that not. Most think it would be the opposite, by the way.

Wear it every day. If it doesn't keep good time given that, it needs service.

[rkb]

My simple observations on my watches-

Wore my 64 Tudor Sub for more or less 10 years. In the beginning she ran a touch slow, but during a visit to an AD I had them tweek it a little and that watch became my 2nd most accurate watch next to my quartz Heuer.

Alternated between my DJ and Tudor Sub for the past 6 years. As such I would always have to wind and reset them. The DJ always ran a little hot, nothing changed regarding that matter.

For the past 2 years I have bounced between the Tudor, DJ ,Seiko automatic divers, Heuer, Suunto T4, and a Timex Indiglo (that glowing dial is just tooo cool.) Therefore the automaics "sleep" for several days to several weeks and I have noticed no change in timing.

The Tudor and DJ are both gone, but I now have a new Explorer. And out of the box it runs a tiny bit fast. I was told that Rolex sets them that way, but I don't know if there is any truth to that. At night or during time that I'm wearing a different watch I rest the Exp on it's side crown up. Correct me please if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that cause the watch to lose a few seconds?

[Z-Sub]

that depends on the watch.
My SD is most accurate when worn. if left sitting face up over night it may gain a second after 12hr or slows 1 if left crown up.
My GV is more accurate when left alone longer and slows down when worn. All my other ones also behaved differently from each other but at least they are consistent.

[gregdolley]

Originally Posted by Wildwing

Some of the more technical members might pipe up, but as a mechanical watch nears it's end of the wind-up, it actually speeds up, more times that not. Most think it would be the opposite, by the way.

You are right. Both my Rolex, Tudor, and Tissot speed up as the power reserve gets low. When it gets _really_ low - less than an hour or two left before stopping - the accuracy is horrible (gaining about 4s per _hour_).

-Greg

[mike]

A Rolex in good working prder can't be overwound. If your watch is consistent at six and a half seconds a day it is indeed very accurate, but might do with a bit of regulation. At it's age it's getting time for service.

These watches are mant to be worn and in my experience will be exceedingly consistent (accurate) if worn regularily.

[f16570]

You cannot over wind the watch as there is a clutch mechanism to stop this happening.
Your watch is very consistent if it is gaining 6.5 seconds a day so little to worry about. Have it regulated and then see how it goes when you wear it every day for a month.
I had my Exp II regulated twice and it is now consintently +2 seconds than my digital clock and accurist 123.