setting date?

[watchnut]

OK, I decided to quit being so anal and dragging my winder back and forth to Florida every trip but couldn't bear to leave any watches at home. So I wear one and let the other two run down. Day before yesterday I take out Subby, set the date and time and give him 40 winds. Yesterday, someone mentions the date, I look at my watch and I'm a day ahead. I'd caught the rollover on the 12 hour. So when starting one from stratch, what's the best way to insure you're on the 24 hour. That was one of my issues with the watches that might run down in the middle of a changing cycle and be damaged by setting then. (the older styles).

[SPACE-DWELLER]

I used to think that you would harm the date changing mechanism by adjusting the date at certain times (between 10 and 2).

But you can indeed adjust the date of a modern Rolex watch at ANY time. No harm will be done to the date changing mechanism.

If you want sure to do it without any "danger", see the part "Winding Setting Your Watch" in the FAQ's.

[Dan Pierce]

Originally Posted by watchnut

OK, I decided to quit being so anal and dragging my winder back and forth to Florida every trip but couldn't bear to leave any watches at home. So I wear one and let the other two run down. Day before yesterday I take out Subby, set the date and time and give him 40 winds. Yesterday, someone mentions the date, I look at my watch and I'm a day ahead. I'd caught the rollover on the 12 hour. So when starting one from stratch, what's the best way to insure you're on the 24 hour. That was one of my issues with the watches that might run down in the middle of a changing cycle and be damaged by setting then. (the older styles).

Just use the quickset function to set the date for the day before. Then wind the hour hand forward manually till it is on the correct date and time.
dP

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by SPACE-DWELLER

You can adjust the date of a modern Rolex watch at ANY time. No harm will be done to the date changing mechanism.

Bo,

I am certainly not as knowledgeable as you and some others in this area. Please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't there some talk about a while ago on this Forum about being marginally more careful with older Rolex models.

Is there a commencing build year when the issue of date setting on the changeover will not harm the watch.


Michael

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by Oscar

Bo,

I am certainly not as knowledgeable as you and some others in this area. Please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't there some talk about a while ago on this Forum about being marginally more careful with older Rolex models.

Is there a commencing build year when the issue of date setting on the changeover will not harm the watch.


Michael

Yes, correct. On OLD Rolex models with NON quickset date function you would want to avoid setting the date, say between 10 PM and 2 AM.

On modern Rolex watches, not only do you have a quicksetting feature of the date via the crown, but also a date that changes instantly around midnight and not semi-instantanously like on for instance Omega watches (where you'd again want to avoid setting the date between 10 PM and 2 AM).

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by SPACE-DWELLER

Yes, correct. On OLD Rolex models with NON quickset date function you would want to avoid setting the date, say between 10 PM and 2 AM.

On modern Rolex watches, not only do you have a quicksetting feature of the date via the crown, but also a date that changes instantly around midnight and not semi-instantanously like on for instance Omega watches (where you'd again want to avoid setting the date between 10 PM and 2 AM).

Thanks Bo.

I had heard about the issues with Omegas. What year/model did the 'quick set function' become a standard feature on Rolex watches?

Thanks in advance.


Michael

[Trurolexer]

Originally Posted by SPACE-DWELLER

I used to think that you would harm the date changing mechanism by adjusting the date at certain times (between 10 and 2).

But you can indeed adjust the date of a modern Rolex watch at ANY time. No harm will be done to the date changing mechanism.

If you want sure to do it without any "danger", see the part "Winding Setting Your Watch" in the FAQ's.

Another nice info, Bo!!! Thanks!!!

[Widows Son]

And here I thought you were setting your wedding date!!!! I was checking my mail for the invitation.

[abigsecret]

Originally Posted by SPACE-DWELLER

Yes, correct. On OLD Rolex models with NON quickset date function you would want to avoid setting the date, say between 10 PM and 2 AM.

If there is no quickset fuction; how can you set the date between those times?
You're always going to have to move the hands forward (or backwards), past 12am for the date to change...

The best way to set a date of a watch without quickset is look at the closest way to turn the least. Meaning that if your watch is on the 9th and today is the 14th, you have to manually go around with your hands, 10 full turns. Yet, if it is the 7th today and your date says the 9th, you don't have to go around 29 days (or 58 full turns), you can just go backwards 2 days. There will be no harm done!

[watchnut]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

Just use the quickset function to set the date for the day before. Then wind the hour hand forward manually till it is on the correct date and time.
dP

That sounds easy enough. Thanks, Dan!

[watchnut]

Originally Posted by Widows Son

And here I thought you were setting your wedding date!!!! I was checking my mail for the invitation.

Set my date about 44 years ago. Sorry I missed you!

[GMTII Owner]

Bo,

When I purchased my GMTIIc last month, my AD mentioned to me to make sure I didn't change the date when the watch was between 9 pm and 2 am. He didn't have the specifics but mentioned the date on the watch would not function correctly if manually changing the date during these times.

I asked if the watch stopped between those times and I didn't know it other than seeing the time (could be between 9 am and 2 pm), what should I do? He said to wind the watch and then change the time to go outside this time frame and then set the date.

Just wondering if this is the case....

John

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by GMTII Owner

Bo,

When I purchased my GMTIIc last month, my AD mentioned to me to make sure I didn't change the date when the watch was between 9 pm and 2 am. He didn't have the specifics but mentioned the date on the watch would not function correctly if manually changing the date during these times.

I asked if the watch stopped between those times and I didn't know it other than seeing the time (could be between 9 am and 2 pm), what should I do? He said to wind the watch and then change the time to go outside this time frame and then set the date.

Just wondering if this is the case....

John

Your AD told you utter

Especially with the GMT II, you can adjust the date at ANY time! That's one of the very main principle ideas of the GMT movement construction!

[GMTII Owner]

Originally Posted by SPACE-DWELLER

Your AD told you utter

Especially with the GMT II, you can adjust the date at ANY time! That's one of the very main principle ideas of the GMT movement construction!

Thanks.

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by GMTII Owner

Bo,

When I purchased my GMTIIc last month, my AD mentioned to me to make sure I didn't change the date when the watch was between 9 pm and 2 am. He didn't have the specifics but mentioned the date on the watch would not function correctly if manually changing the date during these times.

I asked if the watch stopped between those times and I didn't know it other than seeing the time (could be between 9 am and 2 pm), what should I do? He said to wind the watch and then change the time to go outside this time frame and then set the date.

Just wondering if this is the case....

John

As has been said here and in more other threads, Rolex watches aren't all that picky about adjusting the date. As I have more than a few watches that are picky, I just make it a point to be clear of the date change range (normally 9pm to 3am) just to be safe and then adjust the date.
The fear with some watches, the Zenith El Primero, for example, is that you are trying to change the date while it's locked into the change mode and that could cause mucho problems. I hope this clears it up for you.

If all you have is modern Rolexes, do it at any time. Certainly, your AD was COMPLETELY wrong about this caution and the GMT-IIC. The watch is made for back and forth hour and date adjustments without worry. Another case of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.