Watch accuracy tolerances - one for the watch peeps?

Curio · 22 Aug 2008 at 12:58

Oh no, the anti-watch people are going to have a field day

Yes, a 10 quid Casio digital from Argos is technically more accurate than a 3 grand Rolex auto. Which just goes to show that, for some people, a watch isn't just about telling the time.

Berserker · 22 Aug 2008 at 13:41

If you think you'd have trouble adjusting a watch that gains/loses a few minutes a month, then you'd better not get a grandfather/granddaughter/wind-up clock. Most of them have eight day mechanisms - forget to wind them up and they stop. You soon get into a routine (every Sunday morning in the case of my parents).

Tefal · 22 Aug 2008 at 13:43

Berserker said:
If you think you'd have trouble adjusting a watch that gains/loses a few minutes a month, then you'd better not get a grandfather/granddaughter/wind-up clock. Most of them have eight day mechanisms - forget to wind them up and they stop. You soon get into a routine (every Sunday morning in the case of my parents).

Nixie tube clock > grand father clock

Jez · 22 Aug 2008 at 13:47

Bigsy said:
If its gaining time, then lay it vertical (with crown facing up) at night and it should gain a lot less time..... or just get it regulated/serviced.

Cheers for the tip, i will try it

Tefal said:
Well we arn't talking split second are we, if he didn;t ajust it then he'd be almost an hour early by the end of the year.

A minute, not an hour

Tefal · 22 Aug 2008 at 13:49

Jez said:
A minute, not an hour

is losing around 1 minute a week

1x52 =52 minutes :confused:

Jez · 22 Aug 2008 at 13:50

Tefal said:
1x52 =52 minutes

Oh sorry, read it as though you thought it was gaining an hour per week!

So the consensus here is that i should leave it crown up for a while and see how it goes?

R.O.S.S.I · 22 Aug 2008 at 13:53

HOLY MOLEY NOT A WHOLE HOUR?!?!!?1

surely by the time it got that far, you'd have noticed, and just took 2 seconds out of your life to put it back a bit?

boycee · 22 Aug 2008 at 14:19

Losing a minute a week? Really?

I have a Seiko kinetic, and that loses no where near that much. I don't think I ever adjust it except during day light savings etc...

I know it probably loses some time, but it defo doesn't lose a 1min a week!

Col_M · 22 Aug 2008 at 14:33

boycee said:
Losing a minute a week? Really?

I have a Seiko kinetic, and that loses no where near that much. I don't think I ever adjust it except during day light savings etc...

I know it probably loses some time, but it defo doesn't lose a 1min a week!

That's because Kinetic watches use an Automatic quartz movement. They convert kinetic energy from a pendulum to electrical charge which powers a quartz movement.

Automatic chronometers use the kinetic energy from the pendulum to store energy in a spring which then powers the mechanical movement.

Quartz is just more accurate than a mechanical movement.

snowdog · 22 Aug 2008 at 14:41

Apparently mine is off 2 seconds a month, cheapo casio G-shock thing half digital half analog

.

Jez · 22 Aug 2008 at 15:32

boycee said:
Losing a minute a week? Really?

I have a Seiko kinetic, and that loses no where near that much. I don't think I ever adjust it except during day light savings etc...

I know it probably loses some time, but it defo doesn't lose a 1min a week!

I have a seiko kinetic too, its spot on. Oh well, i will try the suggestion above.

Rotty · 22 Aug 2008 at 17:06

if it is gaining a minute a week consistantly then a simple reglation adjustment will improve things

darwin · 22 Aug 2008 at 18:07

A little off topic, but there are several watches on the market that sync with radio signals from atomic clocks if you really need accuracy. One example is the Citizen Skyhawk JY0000-53E - priced quite reasonably as well.

Jez · 22 Aug 2008 at 18:57

darwin said:
A little off topic, but there are several watches on the market that sync with radio signals from atomic clocks if you really need accuracy. One example is the Citizen Skyhawk JY0000-53E - priced quite reasonably as well.

I'm really not bothered by reasonably priced, or 100% accuracy. So thats not for me

I was just wondering if my watch is broken or not

Tefal · 22 Aug 2008 at 18:59

So am I the only one who sees more engineering charm, not in simple cogs, but a device which came about because someone thought "I wonder what happens if i electrocute this rock"

Aod · 22 Aug 2008 at 19:34

Tefal said:
So am I the only one who sees more engineering charm, not in simple cogs, but a device which came about because someone thought "I wonder what happens if i electrocute this rock"

Look, quartz watches were interesting when they were new and interesting, but look at it like this, i could built a Quartz watch that would be just as accurate as any i could buy if i had all the components, but there isn't a single chance i could build a mechanical watch that would keep more than 10 minutes a day, even if i had unlimited resources.

Mechanical watches are interesting because they are special. quarzt watches are boring because they hold no secrets or mysteries.

Tefal · 22 Aug 2008 at 20:14

Aod said:
but there isn't a single chance i could build a mechanical watch that would keep more than 10 minutes a day, even if i had unlimited resources.

no need

with that much money, you could afford to take a year or so to do the engineering course/buy the equipment. then spend a few years to make the whatch.

And I doubt you could build a quartz watch from scratch, without buying in prebuilt components, which you could do with any watch what so ever, even the worlds most complicated mechanical whatch, just a case of putting it together..

daz · 22 Aug 2008 at 20:31

I bought a cheap chinese skeleton style automatic watch the other week on ebay. Cost £15 all in and it's definitely more interesting than most "fashion" watches which are pretty boring and quartz.

AndyOcUK · 22 Aug 2008 at 20:37

Bigsy said:
What? A second a year for an auto? lol good one.

I have an ExpII and a seamaster both gain between 1 sec and 2 secs a DAY and that imo is pretty damn good.

1 minute a week is a tad annoying, if its really getting to you get it regulated, or you could try and lay it flat during the night (face upwards) and it should gain some time back.

Agreed - I have a Bell & Ross and my mate has a Panerai Auto and BOTH lose more than that!

Aod · 22 Aug 2008 at 20:42

Tefal said:
with that much money, you could afford to take a year or so to do the engineering course/buy the equipment. then spend a few years to make the whatch.

And I doubt you could build a quartz watch from scratch, without buying in prebuilt components, which you could do with any watch what so ever, even the worlds most complicated mechanical whatch, just a case of putting it together..

i don't particularly appreciate the implied insult, but nevertheless.
have you any idea how many components there are inside an automatic watch? it's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like building a small kit. it would be absurd of me to believe i have the skills to build a watch like that properly.