Rolex 18038 skipping a day!?!

[rolexlover]

Recently my 18038 is skipping a date, for instance today is the 27, but it jumped to the 28th, tomorrow it will jump to the 30th instead of the 29th. Was it set wrongand there is an easily solution or is it time to get it serviced?

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by rolexlover

Recently my 18038 is skipping a date, for instance today is the 27, but it jumped to the 28th, tomorrow it will jump to the 30th instead of the 29th. Was it set wrongand there is an easily solution or is it time to get it serviced?

How many days has this happened? What happens when you manually advance the date via the hacking mechanism?

[rolexlover]

Sometimes it skips a day when I manually set other times it does not, 3 days ago the date changed normally on its own the next day it skipped a day.

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by rolexlover

Sometimes it skips a day when I manually set other times it does not, 3 days ago the date changed normally on its own the next day it skipped a day.

That sounds loopy to me, i haven't heard of that before. As long as you are sure it's ont a one or two time thing and you've tested it to rule out AM/PM mistakes then it sounds like you need service.

Others may have a different idea but this sounds mechanical to me.

[Rikki]

The calendar jumper spring maybe too strongly adjusted or the calender holding spring maybe too weak or broken or out of place either way have it looked at because if it gets out of place things may grind to a halt. Rikki

[aandrianto]

I have this problem now.

from 9th jump to 11th

from 12th jump to 14th

[aandrianto]

i have this problem fixed by RSC jakarta twice but not succeeded yet...
any suggestion?

[Rikki]

The 18038 Model is a 3055 calibre and the calendar discs actually sit on top of each other so if one is slightly warped or bent it can cause the underlying date wheel to skip along more than it should. It could also have picked up some errant oil causing the calendar wheels to stick together. First have a professional look at it and have the discs checked for bends or warpage if nothing found have them dipped in naptha benzene which will remove any surface contamination. Next check the yoke spring for proper tension and the stop clicks for the same. This model is difficult to test the calendars with the dial off because there is nothing to hold them in place except the dial, so it's trial and error till you get the tensions right. Takes time to make the adjustments. That's the short version there's more but would have to see the watch to make a correct diagnosis. Rikki

[varld]

huh, i have never heard of this before, that is very unusual.

[mrbill2mrbill2]

Rikki definitely has a handle on potential problems.

My advice - send the watch to Rikki. You will not be sorry - just impressed.

[Throttle]

Originally Posted by Rikki

The 18038 Model is a 3055 calibre and the calendar discs actually sit on top of each other so if one is slightly warped or bent it can cause the underlying date wheel to skip along more than it should. It could also have picked up some errant oil causing the calendar wheels to stick together. First have a professional look at it and have the discs checked for bends or warpage if nothing found have them dipped in naptha benzene which will remove any surface contamination. Next check the yoke spring for proper tension and the stop clicks for the same. This model is difficult to test the calendars with the dial off because there is nothing to hold them in place except the dial, so it's trial and error till you get the tensions right. Takes time to make the adjustments. That's the short version there's more but would have to see the watch to make a correct diagnosis. Rikki

👍👍

This is exactly what my watchmaker with 40yrs experience said to me.
He had to try 3 times before getting it right for me after cleaning the discs.
I watched him do it through a glass window right in front of me.

👍👍

[AlabamaLawyer1988]

I bought a vintage day date in February of 2021 and its date skipped exactly as OP was describing. I bought it from Bobs and it had a one year warranty so early December, I decided to send it back to see if they can service it to correct the problem.

They said to expect a month turnaround so I should hear something back soon. Ill update this thread as soon as I get it back.