116900 Always Running Fast

[Kap007]

Just got the A-K back from New York for the second time under warranty. From the day I got it new ran fast. +30 seconds a day for the first 6 months. Sent it in. Ran at +20 seconds a day for a year. Sent it in. Just got the watch back on Monday. For the last three days plus holding right at +15 seconds a day. My A-K 14000 from 1993 serviced independently runs at +9 seconds a day. Perfect for me; set it once a month when it's just about 5 minutes fast. I would be very happy if Rolex could get my fairly new watch to do +10 seconds a day. Why can't Rolex figure it out? Any ideas from the experts or kinda experts? Thanx

[Rolex1982]

This sounds very weird to me. RSC should set is to +2/-2 seconds a day according to their own promises. It was a official RSC which did the warranty work?

[Driver8]

It's really strange, but sometimes you can just come across movements that can't be brought into tolerance no matter how many times a service centre looks at it.

I had exactly the same type of issue with an IWC Big Pilot a few years ago. I forget the initial timekeeping, but it was something like +30 secs a day, so I sent it in to IWCSC for work as it's supposed to be a COSC rated movement. It came back still running around +20 secs a day (and with a scratched case!). Back it went for the scratches to be sorted out and another attempt at fixing. It came back with no scratches this time, but still upwards of +15 secs per day. So this time it went all the way back to the IWC mothership in Switzerland. I also actually had a phone call from someone from IWC in Switzerland apologising for the problems and promising me that it would be brought to within COSC cert. Back it came, along with an IWC Swiss Kubik watchwinder by way of apology, but it was STILL over +10 secs a day.

I basically came to the conclusion it was a lemon and ended up selling it pretty soon after.

I hope RSC can sort yours out for you.

[Kap007]

Yes. Under Warranty. No one has touched it other than RSC NY. The watchmaker at the Benari Exton opened the watch. It's an AD. After explaining+20 seconds a day. She said timegrapher said -4 seconds a day. After wanting it slowed I know she sped it up. 45 seconds a day now gaining. Sent to NY. Got it back +15 seconds a day. Whatever at this point.

[Kap007]

I'm not sending again. I'm guessing a lemon in the Rolex world. I'm attached to the watch. I really don't want to sell. Anyone else out there experience anything like this with the 3131 caliber?

[slide13]

Very strange, especially if it was reading slow on a timegrapher.

Do you have any local watch minded friends? Wonder if there is something odd about your wearing habits that causes it. Because even +9 for your '93 isn't very good. Maybe let a trusted friend/family member borrow and wear the watch for a few days and see how it performs for them in a different environment and wearing conditions? Weird, but just an idea as it doesn't seem what the watchmakers are seeing is lining up with your wearing experience. And Having two watches both running quite fast is...unusual.

[Driver8]

Originally Posted by Kap007

I'm not sending again. I'm guessing a lemon in the Rolex world. I'm attached to the watch. I really don't want to sell. Anyone else out there experience anything like this with the 3131 caliber?

RSC are the ones best placed to fix it, so if they can't (and if you aren't prepared to send it in again), and you don't want to sell it, then I'm afraid you're stuck with it and it's poor timekeeping.

[Kap007]

I let RSC know that I wear 24/7. That has to make a difference in timekeeping. How do they regulate if it can vary so much person to person?

[Driver8]

Originally Posted by Kap007

I let RSC know that I wear 24/7. That has to make a difference in timekeeping. How do they regulate if it can vary so much person to person?

How the owner wears a watch doesn't have any bearing on how it's regulated, unless you walk around holding the watch rigidly in one position all day. That said, the more you wear it, the more "averaged out" the watch's position is, which is actually a good thing if the watch has been regulated correctly.

Watches can be adjusted in up to 6 positions - dial up, dial down, crown up, crown down, crown left, crown right - although it's worth noting that Chronometers are generally tested and adjusted in 5. (The crown up position is the one omitted)

The point of using 5 (or even the full 6) positions is to get an average deviation as the different positions are an approximation of the variety of positions a watch will be in throughout the day when it's worn. Thus by regulating that average deviation it should mean that when you wear the watch it all averages out and the overall deviation should be within the prescribed tolerance.

[Kap007]

Thanx for all the info. Would one think it just needs to be regulated down a hair?

[Ontime]

Sounds weird.