Resting position and accuracy on Modern movements

[bjw]

Lately I've been reading that the resting position of Rolex's with modern movements are not affected the resting position. Is this supposed to be true?

I have a 2013 BLNR that will consistently loose 1.5-2 seconds over night if I leave it resting crown up. And gain about the same if left dial up.




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[JacksonStone]

I don't know if it's *supposed* to be true, but I can say that in the case of my SubC, purchased last November, it isn't true. My experience more or less mirrors yours with the BLNR. If I wear the watch daily, and then rest it flat/dial up overnight, it stays between +0.5s and +1s/day. In some other positions, including on a winder, it can gain more, or even lose time. The fluctuations aren't huge, but they exist.

[Tools]

Position and gravity always affect a mechanical movement, as does temperature and movement.

However, modern references have a stronger mainspring and a much faster beat (ticking) movement.

These two things mean that the variance is less noticeable. A fraction of a percent of 28,800 beats per hour is much less than that same fraction of a percent of the older 18,000 BPH movements.

So, leaving a modern movement face-up will be slightly faster than on it's side, but overnight, that change may only be a very small fraction of a second and not visually noticeable.

[minute_man]

My GMT IIC stays dead-on or loses less than 0,5" when resting crown down at night. That is in warm climate / adequately heated room.
In colder climates it gains 0,5" a day in that resting position.
Crown up, it gains 1-2" a day depending on temperature. The lower the temperature, the more it's gain.

[natosub]

Positional variation will affect any mechanical movement. The only difference is in the past it could vary multiple seconds, now it varies generally less than a second.

Generally speaking crown up is the slowest, dial up is the fastest, they just aren't as far apart as they used to be.

[Old Expat Beast]

Works very well with all my Tudor ETA movements, but not so much with my Rolex.

[KingRichard]

I have heard similar, but really can't comment. Experiment with it and post results

[T. Ferguson]

My GMTC loses about 1 sec/day in all positions except dial down, in which it gains about 1 sec/day. Makes it pretty easy to keep the time dead bang on.

[Friar]

The difference between the position in which the watch gains the most and loses the most is called the movement "delta". My Explorer II 216570 delta is 6 s/d, Explorer 214270 is 4s/d and my North Flag with the new Tudor movement is 2 s/d.

Unfortunately, the North Flag doesn't really gain in any position so it loses a bit every day on the wrist no matter how I place it at night. The Explorers can be kept close to perfect by positioning at night.

[gossbeau]

I never really noticed any difference with my modern Rolexes, although I tried all the positions. I came to the conclusion that a few more or a few less seconds per day isn't going to ruin it or get in between me and my watch. I have other fish to fry!!

[padi56]

Never bothered to check mine myself just check once a month or so even then seldom a minute out either way.With this method used for the past 20 odd years never been late for any appointments or missed a bus or plane life to short to worry over a few seconds out of 86400.