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Time for a summary what we know
Rolex 32xx movements:
- are a completely new design which reaches 70 hours power reserve
- are a new design of many (80-90 %) components
- contain new materials
- contain new/modified synthetic oils and greases, developed by the tribology department of Rolex
Observed and reported issues for 32xx watches that are:
- daily worn, frequently worn, rarely worn, unworn (= full winding 3-4 times per year)
The key observables of the issues are:
- low amplitudes after full winding, followed by a significant deterioration of timekeeping
The root cause of the main 32xx problems must explain all observations summarized above.
It is:
- not a lack of lubrication during caliber assembly
- not wear on the seconds wheel pivot
- not wear on the date wheel pivot
- not wear anywhere else
- not misaligned jewels
- not assembly or maintenance errors
- not low amplitudes by design
What is common to all 32xx movements?
- the lubricants (oils, greases)
A possible mechanism?
- lubricants migrate away from their distinct locations to unwished places inside the caliber, then friction enhances, yielding to component wear, amplitudes decrease overtime, timekeeping becomes worse.
The root cause of the 32xx issues could be a combination of new movement design, new materials, new lubricants, high-performance epilames (thin film coatings), which should prevent oil from spreading across the surface, thereby preventing oil from flowing out of the friction zone.
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