Questions about automatic watches

[Griin]

The search function has unfortunately spit out no suitable thread on this topic and since it is certainly interesting for many "newcomers" (like me), I'll open one.

I want to start with three questions:

- Are there automatic watches that use wireless technology to make up for their (in my opinion only) shortcoming the minimal inaccuracy? Since I have not been able to find any I suppose this is not technically possible - but it does not hurt to hurt ;)

- I've often read that watches are "going wrong" by xseconds / day. By this I mean, (example here: 5 seconds) that the clock on the first day 5 seconds goes wrong, the next day 10, then 15, etc., an adjustment is therefore always againrequired. Elsewhere I have read that automatic watches sometimes go wrong by only 5 seconds and run almost exactly by a single or rare readjustment. What happens more often? What is the dependent (happiness, price, quality, brand, model ...)?

- Last but not least, I have noticed that repairs to automatic watches are almost impossible or extremely expensive. Is that correct? Then, of course, the question of the "natural wear": it is certainly difficult to answer something like that flat rate, yet I ask how long an automatic watch usually "participate", which influences to a large extent how much money I am willing to spend.


So much of me first, thank you for your explanations already.

Your,
Griin

[MTBer]

Mechanical watches are inherently less precise (but not necessarily less accurate...semantics) than quartz watches by several orders of magnitude. Some watches are guaranteed to gain or lose no more than a certain number of seconds each day. Typically, the narrower the guarantee, the more you’ll pay. Obviously no one wants a watch that deviates too far each day, but if absolute accuracy/precision is important, you may be better off sticking to quartz watches.

Repairs are rarely impossible, but can be expensive, relatively speaking. In general, the standard cost to service or maintain the watch tends to scale with the original price.

[JR16]

Originally Posted by Griin

The search function has unfortunately spit out no suitable thread on this topic and since it is certainly interesting for many "newcomers" (like me), I'll open one.



I want to start with three questions:



- Are there automatic watches that use wireless technology to make up for their (in my opinion only) shortcoming the minimal inaccuracy? Since I have not been able to find any I suppose this is not technically possible - but it does not hurt to hurt ;)



- I've often read that watches are "going wrong" by xseconds / day. By this I mean, (example here: 5 seconds) that the clock on the first day 5 seconds goes wrong, the next day 10, then 15, etc., an adjustment is therefore always againrequired. Elsewhere I have read that automatic watches sometimes go wrong by only 5 seconds and run almost exactly by a single or rare readjustment. What happens more often? What is the dependent (happiness, price, quality, brand, model ...)?



- Last but not least, I have noticed that repairs to automatic watches are almost impossible or extremely expensive. Is that correct? Then, of course, the question of the "natural wear": it is certainly difficult to answer something like that flat rate, yet I ask how long an automatic watch usually "participate", which influences to a large extent how much money I am willing to spend.





So much of me first, thank you for your explanations already.



Your,

Griin

Hi Griin,
Welcome to TRF!
1. I don’t know of any mechanical watch that can sync to an iPhone or atomic clock for purposes of correcting time

2. All mechanical watches will lose or gain time over the long term . A movement is usually rated , such as “+/- 2 sec per day” in the case of modern Rolex. So in this example the watch may gain or lose up to 1 minute in a month. Less expensive watches - say a seiko diver, are less accurate and may be +15 / -25 per day for example . This is just the nature of a mechanical watch .

3. Automatic watches can be easily repaired assuming they are not so old that parts are no longer produced. Repairs and routine service however can be expensive depending on brand and complication. For example a full routine service on a Rolex may run $800 and even more if it’s a Daytona, which has a chronograph. Think of it like a car - it’s a machine and you need to take care of it and sometimes things will break or wear down. Rarely are owners bringing their watch in for repairs unless it hasn’t had its routine service for a long time . Recommended routine service intervals vary by manufacturer.

Hope these answers help. Mechanical watches are wonderful to own and enjoy, a mix of engineering and art.




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