Hacking a Daytona Zenith - warning-

[DGB]

Hi,
Not sure if I should put this post here or in the vintage area.
I tried to synchronise my 16520 with the time on my phone.
As we know this watch has no hacking system but if you gently and very carefully reverse the time with the minute hand going backward 1 or 2 minutes ticks, you will notice the second hand stop or even go backward also.
DO NOT DO THAT.

My watch stopped working. I tried to move the hands forward, charge the barrel.... no result.
So now I have to service the watch.
Lesson learnt.




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[kieselguhr]

Thanks for the heads up. Sucks to hear the issue with the watch though. Hope you get it back sooner rather than later.

[tp0821]

I used to do this "hacking trick" with my speedy all the time, thankfully with no ill effects. I've stopped doing it mainly because I don't care about time syncing anymore, but it is interesting to know that damage may occur. Sorry this happened your Daytona!

[Jocke]

It is time for a service when the watch works like this, see it on the bright side. If it have take a year more before it stops maybe you have to change more parts.

[moyrules]

Awful! Sorry to hear that ...

I’ve never heard of that before.


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[Onequik135i]

That sucks & am truly sorry to hear this. I get in the habit of time setting the 16520 similar to my previous 3592 Speedy. I will not time set the minute hand backwards (only fowards). I Didn’t know it could damage the 4030 movement until reading your post. Now I know, thank you for the heads up.

[mimo5000]

Wow. I used to set my 5512 that way, and still do so with my 5712 to get an accurate time setting. Only works with minimal power in the barrel. I thought that was the proper way

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[77T]

It’s one of the carryover issues of the El-Primero Caliber 400 by Zenith which Rolex modified for its 4030. They heavily modified it but never completely modified the going train.

The technique the OP used is not harmful in and of itself when gently done on a movement with no issues. This sounds like a coincidental outcome - a sharp rap (not suggesting OP do it) has helped me in the past when I jammed a non-hacking movement.

But as Jocke said, the overhaul is now the next step.


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[seasubmariner]

Originally Posted by DGB

Hi,
Not sure if I should put this post here or in the vintage area.
I tried to synchronise my 16520 with the time on my phone.
As we know this watch has no hacking system but if you gently and very carefully reverse the time with the minute hand going backward 1 or 2 minutes ticks, you will notice the second hand stop or even go backward also.
DO NOT DO THAT.

My watch stopped working. I tried to move the hands forward, charge the barrel.... no result.
So now I have to service the watch.
Lesson learnt.




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So sorry to hear that.

Thank you for sharing your bad experience. From now on I will never ever set up the time and date on any of my mechanical watches anymore. I will just start wearing them at the exact time I see on the dial and only start the movement with 15 20 manual turns and wont set up anything.

These stories make me feel very stressed and paranoid.

[roystrex]

Is there a manual for the 16520?

[Calatrava r]

Either a movement has a stop seconds function (Hacking) or it does not. Turning the hands backward is jamming the movement which is never good for it. Some people do it with no issues and others have a problem. Unfortunately most watches tend to be fast so reversing the hands is a necessary thing to do to set.

[ArtNouveau]

Hmmm...I use that technique on my modern non-hacking Speedmaster without issue and as far as I can remember did the same on my 16520 when I had it 20 years ago. I think it’s a coincidence that it stopped after doing that and probably time for a service.