Acceptable accuracy?

[Nandor]

Hey all. I am relatively new to mechanical watches so I am not sure about the expected accuracy. I've been tracking my X1 over the last week and it seems to be gaining 3.4s/day. I have no feelings about this either way at this time, but wanted to collect some opinions - where does this land on the scale of great to garbage?

Also is there anything I should be doing to increase accuracy? I think I recall reading in a post on this forum about storing in various positions making a difference. At night the watch is face up in a watch case.

Timing data:



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[padi56]

Please remember there are 86400 seconds in a day, to maybe lose a second or so off wrist rest vertically winding crown up.

[Rashid.bk]

It seems that you are probably very active, at least I find that my watch runs fast when I'm very active, i.e. I work outdoors. It would also help to ensure your watch is fully wound as it may speed up as it runs down, just possibilities. Lastly, I wouldn't worry about it, I prefer that it runs like a champ than slow...is it new, it may also settle.

ps: confirm with multiple sources before you completely conclude that there is an issue.

[The Libertine]

Excellent accuracy, IMHO.

[Blansky]

Mechanical watches are rarely as accurate as even cheap quartz watches, so keep that in mind. It’s sort of fun to test to see what it’s doing but after a bit you just forget about it and enjoy the beauty of the watch.

[Nandor]

Originally Posted by Rashid.bk

It seems that you are probably very active, at least I find that my watch runs fast when I'm very active, i.e. I work outdoors. It would also help to ensure your watch is fully wound as it may speed up as it runs down, just possibilities. Lastly, I wouldn't worry about it, I prefer that it runs like a champ than slow...is it new, it may also settle.

ps: confirm with multiple sources before you completely conclude that there is an issue.

I am relatively active these days - this is a good data point to know thanks!

Excellent accuracy, IMHO.

Mechanical watches are rarely as accurate as even cheap quartz watches, so keep that in mind. It’s sort of fun to test to see what it’s doing but after a bit you just forget about it and enjoy the beauty of the watch.

Agreed. This isn't (thankfully) one of the things I am OCD about but as an engineer I was curious about:

1) How accurate my specific watch is
2) How that fits into the general accuracy expected of mechanical watches.

Thanks for the replies all!

[schoolboy]

IMG_6031.JPG

Is this what you’re talking about?

Some members have said that it doesn’t apply to modern Rolex watches.

Others have said that it does.

Who knows!

But, here it is :)


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[c41006]

What is an X1?

[Nandor]

Originally Posted by c41006

What is an X1?

Explorer I. 214270


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[T.Mas]

That is amazing accuracy. Stop worrying, wear and enjoy your timepiece.

[Uhtred59]

This always gets folks excited. There is the folks that are amazed that mechanical watches work at all, then there are those that say if Rolex is going to guarantee +/-2 seconds per day, that is the standard. I happen to fall in the second group.

[El Cascarrabias]

Originally Posted by Uhtred59

This always gets folks excited. There is the folks that are amazed that mechanical watches work at all, then there are those that say if Rolex is going to guarantee +/-2 seconds per day, that is the standard. I happen to fall in the second group.

If they advertise it they should back it up.

[The Libertine]

Originally Posted by El Cascarrabias

If they advertise it they should back it up.

The less a watch is opened the better, and for a variance of a couple of seconds would leave well-enough alone.

[torifile]

My SubC is running +0.5s/d. I still marvel at that fact. That said, I’d be fine with it running less accurately, too. For me, consistency is more important than accuracy as long as it’s not too bad.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by El Cascarrabias

If they advertise it they should back it up.

They do back it up
But sometimes it's simply best left until the first service for such a small amount of variance.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by The Libertine

The less a watch is opened the better, and for a variance of a couple of seconds would leave well-enough alone.

Agreed

[Fraz]

Originally Posted by Nandor

Hey all. I am relatively new to mechanical watches so I am not sure about the expected accuracy. I've been tracking my X1 over the last week and it seems to be gaining 3.4s/day. I have no feelings about this either way at this time, but wanted to collect some opinions - where does this land on the scale of great to garbage?

Also is there anything I should be doing to increase accuracy? I think I recall reading in a post on this forum about storing in various positions making a difference. At night the watch is face up in a watch case.

Timing data:



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My Explorer is the same model as yours. It runs +1.5-2 on the wrist and 0 crown up. So I rest it crown up at night.

[tuna_gmt]

+3 s/d is totally solid. My GMT 16710 is typically +2-2.5 s/d and it’s totally fine. The nice thing about running slightly fast is you just hack the seconds every few days till time catches up with your watch. If your watch runs slow you have to mess with the minutes and everything to correct the time.

[Nandor]

Originally Posted by Fraz

My Explorer is the same model as yours. It runs +1.5-2 on the wrist and 0 crown up. So I rest it crown up at night.

I am going to try it crown up for a few days and see if that changes anything.

[SoCal_Batman]

Crown side up !!

[phraxos5]

My 2.9 million 1675 gmt runs 0 to + 3 depending on the position after the rsc service. Before the service it was - 30 secs pd so I was happy since it’s so old. Glad I went to rsc. My sd43 runs 0.0 all the time. The new movement compensated perfectly active or inactive. Sounds like ringing bells.

[RolexWombat]

+3/d is actually pretty good definitely well within what your watch (or another very good quality COSC mechanical watch) is expected to perform like. Rest it at night on it’s side rather than face up and it could improve it even a bit more. If you are pretty good with the measurement try one measurement at night when yo take it off and one in the morning when you put it on, measure like a whole week and then look at the graphs (including variance) over that whole run to see the impact of the resting position at night.

But that’s a totally acceptable rate to start with, any improvement playing with the resting position is just gravy on top.

[bobby81]

Yes your Watch is keeping reasonable time, all Watches differ. I have a Sub 116613LB & it gains about three seconds a day but my Daytona 116503 only gains about three seconds over the space of three or four days. So your Watch is keeping good time. Yes I was also told, to improve timekeeping to try different positions when storing the Watch & I have to say that I did find a position that increased accuracy

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Uhtred59

This always gets folks excited. There is the folks that are amazed that mechanical watches work at all, then there are those that say if Rolex is going to guarantee +/-2 seconds per day, that is the standard. I happen to fall in the second group.

Originally Posted by bobby81

Yes your Watch is keeping reasonable time, all Watches differ. I have a Sub 116613LB & it gains about three seconds a day but my Daytona 116503 only gains about three seconds over the space of three or four days. So your Watch is keeping good time. Yes I was also told, to improve timekeeping to try different positions when storing the Watch & I have to say that I did find a position that increased accuracy

Reasonable time???, the watch is keeping fantastic time consistency is the most important.

Originally Posted by El Cascarrabias

If they advertise it they should back it up.

Well in the real world just like they market the fuel consumption MPG on new cars in a controlled environment,but its doubtful the car buyer will achieve those exact figures just to many variables.Like how heavy the foot is on the gas,traffic variables different weather conditions and so on same with watches on the wrist


This new spec now for Rolex watches they are exactly the same Rolex movements that are still tested at the COSC to Average of -4+6 seconds to get the COSC certification.After certification the movements are shipped back to Rolex perhaps stored for weeks months or longer.Then when movement is matched to its case if its true Rolex further regulates on a machine to this new precision of -2+2 seconds.What does this mean well just like the COSC test at time of testing movement met said spec,they have not put some special foo foo dust in the case to make them better. As all the Rolex movements since the 15 series when regulated on a machine could match this new spec.But on the wrist too many variables to 100% guarantee movement will be -2+2 every day for life.Many things affect any mechanical movement while on the wrist,the movement is constantly affected by the earth's gravity, metal expansion and contraction, temperature variations,mainspring power-reserve subtle changes in lubrication and friction, shocks, and so on.The fact is that no mechanical watch made will keep 100% perfect time, very close yes but perfect no.And I am sure this new spec is more marketing than anything,as Omega started it so Rolex had to follow.But this term accuracy will perhaps 2 or 3 seconds out of 86400 in a day make any real difference only if you have this new timing app sydrome plus the constant checking time syndrome.Just cannot understand why some worry and fret over a difference of a second or so out of 86400.

[RolexWombat]

^ what Padi56 says: unless you are wearing the watch exactly the same amount of time every day and do the same movements with your wrist every day you won’t get the exact same rate every day so the watch showing consistently the same rate is probably even more important than that rate being just a handful of seconds per day.

Also over time lubricants will age and maybe the main spring change as well so the accuracy you get today will change over time (over the next few years)

[padi56]

Originally Posted by RolexWombat

^ what Padi56 says: unless you are wearing the watch exactly the same amount of time every day and do the same movements with your wrist every day you won’t get the exact same rate every day so the watch showing consistently the same rate is probably even more important than that rate being just a handful of seconds per day.

Also over time lubricants will age and maybe the main spring change as well so the accuracy you get today will change over time (over the next few years)

Have to agree today many have no idea how a mechanical movement works.

[Nandor]

Originally Posted by schoolboy

Attachment 963705

Is this what you’re talking about?

Some members have said that it doesn’t apply to modern Rolex watches.

Others have said that it does.

Who knows!

But, here it is :)


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Wow! What a huge difference this made. After you posted this yesterday I put the watch crown up until today at noon. Look at the difference :




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[Roll the Lex]

My GMT gains +6 sec/day.
A bit annoying as I prefer not to constantly adjust the time, so I hold out until I have to change the date and sometimes I'm several minutes fast by the end of it.
But by no means a deal breaker.

[Burlington]

It is excellent accuracy - curious what you are using to measure these timing data on ?

[SeaAndSky]

Falls within COSC which is great. A spring releases energy and through mechanical means your watch tells the time and you gain a minuscule few seconds per day. I think that's amazing and one of the niftier things we humans have accomplished.