Oysterquartz accuracy

[datejuste]

Hi everyone,

As a satisfied customer of the brand since 1986, when I was given a DJ 16000 which has been worn daily since then with absolutely no issues, I recently decided to buy an Oysterquartz 17000 because I liked the retro style and the idea of having a Rolex which was a bit different.
In the 2 weeks since I received the watch I have noticed that it is losing 1 second per day. This is very linear, there is no erratic +/- going on. According to the seller the battery was changed 18 months ago.
I love the watch anyway, and it is not really an issue if I have to alter the time every couple of months when I change the date, but if there is a way to get it to perform better I would like to do this. Equally, if this is normal for a 1980 OQ then I will shut up and enjoy the click-click-click every second.................

Any advice welcome.

[Darlinboy]

You may just need a service or simple regulation. Love the look of that watch, congrats on a nice pickup!

[dysondiver]

half a min a month wouldnt stress me , or a min at the worst when you have to do a date change ,,,, nice watches though . very gg actually i think they are very modern looking. still.

[Xenophon]

I think that Rolex used a thermocompensated quartz for their movements. One second a day loss sounds a bit too much.

"The next thermocompensation method in the single crystal category is the forced constant frequency method. This method uses a Voltage Controlled Crystal Oscillator (VCXO). This is a special crystal package that is designed so that its frequency can be adjusted over a small range by varying an input voltage. (Note that the crystal itself is still a tuning fork.) The designers then create an analog compensation circuit for which the output voltage varies with temperature in an 'equal but opposite' way. When the output of the compensation circuit is coupled to the input of the VCXO, the frequency of the quartz oscillator is forced to be constant over a wide temperature range. This overall circuit is called a Temperature Compensated Voltage Controlled Crystal Oscillator (TCVCXO). Because this method achieves thermocompensation via purely analog techniques, it was realizable in the pre-digital era. The Rolex 5035 and its variants used in the Oysterquartz are the pre-eminent (and possibly only) examples of movements that use this method. While elegant, this method has some disadvantages. First, the temperature variation of the compensation circuit and the crystal must be precisely matched. Mismatch of only a few percent will lead to errors on the order of seconds per year. Such precise matching is difficult for an analog circuit. Second, adjusting the trimmer condenser changes the temperature curve of the oscillator, again compromising the match between it and the compensation circuit. Finally, because their frequency is adjustable, VCXOs are more prone to low level noise. Still, these watches are very appealing for their unique approach"

[padi56]

Originally Posted by datejuste

Hi everyone,

As a satisfied customer of the brand since 1986, when I was given a DJ 16000 which has been worn daily since then with absolutely no issues, I recently decided to buy an Oysterquartz 17000 because I liked the retro style and the idea of having a Rolex which was a bit different.
In the 2 weeks since I received the watch I have noticed that it is losing 1 second per day. This is very linear, there is no erratic +/- going on. According to the seller the battery was changed 18 months ago.
I love the watch anyway, and it is not really an issue if I have to alter the time every couple of months when I change the date, but if there is a way to get it to perform better I would like to do this. Equally, if this is normal for a 1980 OQ then I will shut up and enjoy the click-click-click every second.................

Any advice welcome.

There is nothing published by Rolex on the accuracy of the OQ only loss or gain around 60 seconds a year.So its possible its the battery or it wants a tiny bit of regulation it needs to have the trim screw adjusted that's the only way to get timing back on track.

[mmmmp]

Excellent explanation on the quartz crystal. Thank you for posting it.

[datejuste]

Thanks for the help and suggestions posted so far. I think I will wait and, if it gets worse, I will change the battery. If that fails, service and regulation. Losing a steady 1 second per day is not ruining my OQ experience. I have already had the inevitable "It can't be a Rolex, the second hand doesn't sweep" from a couple of armchair experts! It makes me chuckle.

[Cleveland]

battery change needed. rolex wouldn't regulate, it would either be a battery, service or something else is going wrong inside the watch.

[GTS Dean]

First try a battery change. Keep track of performance for a couple of weeks. If it is headed for being off by more than 5-6 secs/month, then it probably needs to have the trim screw adjusted.

____________________________
TT OysterQuartz
SS/Black "U" Daytona
TT GMT II-C
DD OysterQuartz
Breitling Aero
Omega Speedmaster Pro

[KZZN]

Hi,

I'd say that's probably in need of servicing, yes. My previous Oysterquartz, a Day-Date ref. 19018, ran at between -2 and -3 seconds per month. The difference from one day to the next was almost always so small as to be virtually un-noticeable.

My current Oysterquartz, a Datejust ref. 17014, is running at between +1 and +2 per day, and so is very much out-of-spec. I'm going to wait and get it serviced at the next battery change, since I don't feel a diference of a few seconds a day is so bad that I have to get it dealt with immediately. Inded, were this an Oyster Perpetual Datejust, I'd be happily singing its praises at only +1/+2 per day !

[OysterDavid]

There's a place on the web that you can search for that specializes in Oysterquartz. If you find it there will be a page from the Rolex technical manual regarding battery changes. It explains that in the world of Rolex Oysterquartz, a battery change is very different than taking your 'normal' quartz watch to the mall, popping the caseback, inserting a new cell and going on your way.

The specs for what one would think is a simple battery swap actually at the RSC level (or the independent shop that follows the guides) actually involves a timing adjustment that based on my prior ownership of the Oysterquartz, can be within a few seconds per year. So, just swapping a battery may not be the cure all to the timing issue. But a Rolex RSC won't just do a battery change if they haven't any service history to the watch. When an RSC does a service, they will change batteries for free and adjust for what amounts to the next two or three battery intervals until it's time once again for the full treatment.

[zapokee]

Bought mine last week with a new battery. Doesn't lose or gain at all.

[crew]

Originally Posted by KZZN

Hi,

I'd say that's probably in need of servicing, yes.

Originally Posted by OysterDavid

When an RSC does a service, they will change batteries for free and adjust for what amounts to the next two or three battery intervals until it's time once again for the full treatment.

Just out of curiosity, what does a service cost for a Rolex quartz watch?

[Cleveland]

Originally Posted by crew

Just out of curiosity, what does a service cost for a Rolex quartz watch?

£400 in UK.

[OysterDavid]

Originally Posted by crew

Just out of curiosity, what does a service cost for a Rolex quartz watch?

The USA RSC's charged me more than the mechanical service price...at the time I owned and serviced the Oysterquartz, it was about $150 more than what was charged for an automatic servicing. If the RSC's now have a minimum drop charge of $600, then I'd figure on around $800...of course, that won't likely include the almost always mandatory new crown and tube. But, as stated, the RSC will then offer up at least two and maybe three battery changes and adjustment and return shipping at no cost. The timeline is based on when they deem the watch in need of a new service, and based on my experience of just around two years of battery life, there you have either a six or seven year turnaround.