Watch gaining time

[sailmed]

Can someone explain to me why a watch would gain time as it goes out of adjustment? I can imagine why it might lose time, lubricants failing, tolerances widening, etc. Just can't get my head around why it would GAIN time? Mine gains about 50 sec per 24 hrs.

[sleddog]

Originally Posted by sailmed

Can someone explain to me why a watch would gain time as it goes out of adjustment? I can imagine why it might lose time, lubricants failing, tolerances widening, etc. Just can't get my head around why it would GAIN time? Mine gains about 50 sec per 24 hrs.

There can be a few reasons for an automatic to gain time...
However 50sec/24hours is a long way off.It could be simply magnetized or overly worn parts!!
Take it in for a checkup to see if a service is required or a simple regulation/demagnetizing is needed!
Maybe a forum Tech will chime in with a more detailed answer for you...

[Balboa]

Anything that causes the amplitude of the balance to be reduced will cause the watch to run fast. The most frequent culprit here is magnetism, but mechanical faults can also cause the problem.

Magnetized watches often run many minutes fast in a day. However, any watchmaker can demag a watch in a few minutes for very little cost. It might be worth trying that first.

If it has been a long time since your watch was serviced, maybe it is time for a complete service which will take care of all problems.

Mark

[DM101]

Originally Posted by Balboa

Anything that causes the amplitude of the balance to be reduced will cause the watch to run fast. The most frequent culprit here is magnetism, but mechanical faults can also cause the problem.

Magnetized watches often run many minutes fast in a day. However, any watchmaker can demag a watch in a few minutes for very little cost. It might be worth trying that first.

If it has been a long time since your watch was serviced, maybe it is time for a complete service which will take care of all problems.

Mark

How can it get "magnetized" shielded by these thick solid steel oyster case

[padi56]

Originally Posted by sailmed

Can someone explain to me why a watch would gain time as it goes out of adjustment? I can imagine why it might lose time, lubricants failing, tolerances widening, etc. Just can't get my head around why it would GAIN time? Mine gains about 50 sec per 24 hrs.

First thats no way to test the accuracy of any mechanical watch about 50 seconds that is not testing for accuracy.What you want to do is manually wind your watch about 40 full crown turns clockwise only.Then reset your watch with a reliable time source a quartz watch will do.Wear as normal check time daily with same setting time source,then average out the loss or gain over those 5 days.Now when a watch does get magnetised the first symptoms they generally speed up and run very very erratic or come to a complete stop and refuse to start.But most major Swiss watches today are very anti-magnetic its the hairspring that could become magnetised,but a very simple process to de-magnetise any mechanical watch most high-street watchmakers could do this very simple task only takes minutes to do.

If you find your watch not to be as accurate as you would expect after the break-in period, there are generally two courses of action to take to increase the accuracy, both very minor in nature,but require any good competent watchmaker to do it.Now if your watch runs consistently too fast or too slow remember the keyword being consistent. The solution for the watchmaker would be to regulate the true beat rate accordingly plus or minus.Now this is a very simple and quick procedure achieved by turning Microstella adjustment nuts and screws.And with the use of a time-measuring machinery a good watchmaker can accomplish this in a matter of minutes I just cannot understand why they send watches back to the RSC for such a simple task. Regulating is most probably one of the most common tasks for any watchmaker to do.Now when a watch is fast or slow or does not have a consistent rate, especially in different positions.Then the balance wheel needs to be adjusted further to compensate for the beat rate in the different positions. Although this too is a simple procedure, it does require a little more time to correct as each position needs to be monitored and adjusted carefully.

[kenhiraihnl]

Originally Posted by padi56

First thats no way to test the accuracy of any mechanical watch about 50 seconds that is not testing for accuracy.What you want to do is manually wind your watch about 40 full crown turns clockwise only.Then reset your watch with a reliable time source a quartz watch will do.Wear as normal check time daily with same setting time source,then average out the loss or gain over those 5 days.Now when a watch does get magnetised the first symptoms they generally speed up and run very very erratic or come to a complete stop and refuse to start.But most major Swiss watches today are very anti-magnetic its the hairspring that could become magnetised,but a very simple process to de-magnetise any mechanical watch most high-street watchmakers could do this very simple task only takes minutes to do.

If you find your watch not to be as accurate as you would expect after the break-in period, there are generally two courses of action to take to increase the accuracy, both very minor in nature,but require any good competent watchmaker to do it.Now if your watch runs consistently too fast or too slow remember the keyword being consistent. The solution for the watchmaker would be to regulate the true beat rate accordingly plus or minus.Now this is a very simple and quick procedure achieved by turning Microstella adjustment nuts and screws.And with the use of a time-measuring machinery a good watchmaker can accomplish this in a matter of minutes I just cannot understand why they send watches back to the RSC for such a simple task. Regulating is most probably one of the most common tasks for any watchmaker to do.Now when a watch is fast or slow or does not have a consistent rate, especially in different positions.Then the balance wheel needs to be adjusted further to compensate for the beat rate in the different positions. Although this too is a simple procedure, it does require a little more time to correct as each position needs to be monitored and adjusted carefully.

Very informative post. So, if my watch is consistently running 'minus 2' (understandably within COSC), would a competent watchmaker be able to regulate it to 'plus 2' with confidence and without much difficulty? I don't think I would take it in for such regulation, but just wondering how precise the art of regulation can be. Thanks.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by kenhiraihnl

Very informative post. So, if my watch is consistently running 'minus 2' (understandably within COSC), would a competent watchmaker be able to regulate it to 'plus 2' with confidence and without much difficulty? I don't think I would take it in for such regulation, but just wondering how precise the art of regulation can be. Thanks.

Afraid it don't always work like that, the watchmaker could set it to say plus 2 seconds on machine.But that don't mean it will always perform to +2 seconds on your wrist.While most would prefer a watch to be on the plus side if watch is showing tremendous accuracy at a consistent -2.Myself would leave it well alone and try different resting positions while off wrist like watch flat dial up first.

[kenhiraihnl]

Hi Padi56...Thanks for your insight and recommendation.
-Ken

[Andad]

Hi Peter,

Just a thought.

If you are confident that your watch is consistantly running at -2 seconds for your 'wrist' would it be possible for a watchmaker to adjust the microstellas to give +2. From memory they do have reasonably exact seconds/turnrates for the two? different sizes of microstella screws.

I only ask because I prefer my watches to run faster than slower and it should be a simple adjustment.

[Rolexsd4000]

Same here!!!!

[padi56]

Originally Posted by directioneng

Hi Peter,

Just a thought.

If you are confident that your watch is consistantly running at -2 seconds for your 'wrist' would it be possible for a watchmaker to adjust the microstellas to give +2. From memory they do have reasonably exact seconds/turnrates for the two? different sizes of microstella screws.

I only ask because I prefer my watches to run faster than slower and it should be a simple adjustment.

Originally Posted by Rolexsd4000

Same here!!!!

As stated in my above post all a watchmaker can do is set to what the machine gives the beat rate in the various positions.Then hopefully it will be same on wrist, but there will always be some tiny almost daily deviations.But for any mechanical watch to run to, or inside, its rated COSC spec is quite a feat of engineering for any mechanical watch,.What I am saying don't get to anal about 100% accuracy its not going to happen with any all mechanical watch very close yes. And even at minimum COSC spec to be 99.994% accurate is quite a marvel for any mechanical watch.

[kenhiraihnl]

FWIW, regarding my watch that runs -2... Whenever I decide to wear it, I hack it and set it a minute ahead of the official time. I'm perfectly happy with that. If I ever wore it for a month, it would be exactly on time in 30 days, but I usually rotate to another watch before that, and let it run down. My newest watch, a Hamilton hand-winder w/ ETA 2804-2 movement and 28.8 vph, runs slightly on the plus side. My quartz watches are always in the ballpark. If the second hand on my watches are gaining/losing an outrageous amount, I'll do something about it. Otherwise, I enjoy the watches, even with their slight imperfections. Thanks again, padi56...
-Ken

[kenhiraihnl]

FWIW, my 50 year-old Sub, which was running minus 20 after an overhaul, was returned to me today after a checkup and regulation. The results were beyond my expectations. Here's the watch and the regulation stats (I have no idea what the numbers mean.)

[usergiovi]

my Milgauss gains about 1 " for day(28" during 30 days).It is too much?

[rmfnla]

Is 1" one second or one minute?

In the U.S. 1" is one inch...

[kenhiraihnl]

Originally Posted by rmfnla

Is 1" one second or one minute?

In the U.S. 1" is one inch...

20 minutes, 50 seconds is usually written this way:

20' 30"

BTW, here are pics of my Sub after service and regulation. I'm very satisfied with the accuracy.

[rmfnla]

20 minutes, 50 seconds is usually written this way:

20' 30"

Usually?

First time I've seen it.