GMTIIC Slow Date Flip - random or constant?

[Sir Larry Wildman]

I know from being on this forum a long time that the slow date flip between 12-2 AM is fairly common for a GMTIIC, with there being too much oil causing the date wheel to not just flip over. Well after 8 months of GMT BLNR ownership, I witnessed mine doing it. I suppose I never really look at it past 12 AM religiously, so there's no real reason I would have ever noticed it. I know I have been out past midnight before, and have never seen it, so it certainly wasn't an all the time thing.

I read through the forums, and took the advice: cycled through the date 3x (so, 3 months worth) in position 2, as well as 1x in position 3 just for good measure. However, I didn't witness the date being slow between 12-2 during any of those rotations. Is that strange? Is this ever just a one off issue? From reading, people would see it be slow, and then go back and forth on the slow dates. Nothing like that for me. Every time, the date flip was perfect. That's why I did it a fourth time in position 3. Each time I did it, the date flipped at 12 on the nose.

This is more of an OCD question, because I really don't intend to crack it open. The watch runs at +0.5 second/day, and I am really thrilled with every other part of the watch. And if it has taken me 8 months to notice it, then I don't want to make too much of this, but I am curious!

[jujin]

I noticed mine used to do that when I'd stay up past midnight. It would actually get stuck between dates but eventually it would flip over. I guess I never noticed it when I didn't stay up because by the morning it had already flipped over. I sent it to RSC to get it fixed and now it clicks at precisely 5 seconds after midnight. I did the whole cycle through the dates method but it didn't work for me...

[Sir Larry Wildman]

Originally Posted by jujin

It would actually get stuck between dates but eventually it would flip over.

Right. That's what's happening.

[77T]

The thing about manually quicksetting the date change in position 2 is that your own "finger torque" on the stem will almost always be enough to trip it over crisply (except in very stiff date wheel problems). And the same goes for position 3.

The best way to know if there is a mechanical bind (or other cause) is to use a non-quickset method and let the movement do the work.

Start in position 3, advance the time to 10PM and then press the stem into position 1 to observe the date go to the next "day" at virtual midnight.

And then wait until virtual 2AM to do it again...and again...this takes time but will let you see the change at least a few times per day to determine if it was a random event or recurring problem.

But of course it could just be the OCD

[Sir Larry Wildman]

Originally Posted by 77T

But of course it could just be the OCD

Yeah... I know.... it's a curse

Tonight it was normal, fwiw.

[Sir Larry Wildman]

Update: another night of a perfect, crisp date flip.

Hopefully it worked itself out! :)

[jujin]

Originally Posted by Sir Larry Wildman

Update: another night of a perfect, crisp date flip.

Hopefully it worked itself out! :)

I'd continue to monitor it for another week. Mine wasn't consistent and it would only get stuck every few days. I thought that the date cycling worked after I did it but a few days later it still got stuck. Hopefully yours worked itself out.

Here's the old thread btw

http://rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=246761