Sea Dweller Help

[Gil F.]

Hi everyone! I'm new here, but I have enjoyed your helpful and knowledgeable posts! Hoping someone can help give me some advice about my new Sea Dweller which I received as a wedding gift just over a week ago (GREAT present, and I love it).

I've noticed my SD appears to be running much faster than it should: +15 sec/day. When I first received it, I fully wound it before setting and wearing. I have an old habit of wearing my watches to bed and only taking off for showering, and I have done the same with the SD. Probably, the spring stays fully wound 24/7 and maybe it needs some breaking in, which I've seen recommended before. It also seems that most people take the watch off, and that doing so may create some balancing time deviation. It occurs to me, however, that the timepiece should be accurate under most conditions, whether it is worn all the time or not.

I'm not sure if I should just send my SD in to the RSC and be without it for 3 weeks (Arrrgh!) or develop a new habit of sleeping without my watch (Arrrgh!).

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks much -

Gil

[frostie]

The watch needs 4 weeks to break in just be patient. 15 secs a day is too much but if you still have the same problem after 4 weeks you should send it to RSC that's what i would do

[Warped]

Hi Gil

I'm also a relative newcomer. Nevertheless, welcome

The SD is certified to comply with COSC standards of between +6 and -4 seconds per day. Yours is well outside this and you can have it regulated immediately. However, it may settle over a period of of a month or so. This should never involve more than a couple of seconds, but the 15 seconds may in fact be 12 or 18 and you may still be unhappy if it's regulated too soon. I cannot see you being able to avoid having it regulated, though. 15 seconds a day is too much.

What I would do is set it two to three minutes slow (so that you don't have to keep resetting it) and make sure you record the daily variance from the same source every day for two weeks. Carry on wearing it as you desire (i.e. 24/7). The ideal is for the variance to be constant, which means it is accurate (or is that precise? I keep on confusing these terms). If the daily variance is always, say, 15 seconds then they should be able to regulate it to pretty well spot on.

The rotor winds the watch when worn and there is a mechanism to prevent over-winding. I understand that a fully-wound watch is likely to be more accurate. The positional variation over night off the wrist was applicable to the older movements. The 3135 movement you and I have in the SD should not vary by more than about 1 second over night, if at all.

In my case, irrespective of whether I wear it at night (also my preference) or leave it crown up, crown down or face up etc seems to make no difference and it gains a constant 4 seconds per day. That augers well and I will wait another couple of weeks before deciding whether to have it regulated.

Good luck. It's a maginificent watch that you'll enjoy for many years.

[Gil F.]

Warped and Frostie -

Great advice, and thank you for the reply! Warped, great that you too have the SD, and I appreciate your comments about wearing it at night/not wearing it. I'm very excited about owning this incredible watch, even if it needs a trip to the RSC!


Thanks again guys!

Gil

[frostie]

You should be excited cause it's a great watch and it's rolex after all. As for the help and advice from me and warped it was a pleasure to help you my friend. Welcome to TRF and enjoy your stay here.

[Letsgodiving]

Welcome and congrats on a great watch. That is well beyond tolerances so you will probably need to have it regulated. You should be able to find a competant watchmaker/AD who should be able to adjust it w/out sending it to RUSA.

[mike]

Warped has nailed it!!

Regulated to five positions the modern 3135 movement should experience little, if any, positional variation. The older 15xx slow beat movements could be helped a bit by varing the resting position, but the newer movements are quite consistent. Indeed one of the great things about Rolex movements is their consistency through out the power range. Your watch appears to be accurate, just not well regulated.
I had the same problem with a GMT II. Regulation is a simple process.

Good luck!!

[Gil F.]

Thanks again for the warm welcome and the reassuring advice, friends! Look forward to participating more!

Gil

[frostie]

Great keep your posts coming

[roadcarver]

Its its new, leave it be for a month. Reset and use an atomic clock, and find out after 30 days the deviance per day. From there see if you still need to get RSC to get it regulated. No rush to get into it since its still warranty.

[Seadweller]

Welcome to the EXCLUSIVE 4000 FT CLUB.

[CPTL]

I don't know much about movements...

But I say put a CYCLOPS on it. That little bubble oughta slow it down.