Settle in period....

[Hookie]

Just wondering how long does it take for a new Rolex to settle in? Since ive set the time last week its lost about 30 secs. Is this normal?

Cheerzz

[Hamilton Carvalho]

About 3 months. When exactly did you set the time?

Originally Posted by Hookie

Just wondering how long does it take for a new Rolex to settle in? Since ive set the time last week its lost about 30 secs. Is this normal?

Cheerzz

[Hookie]

Umm, last time i set the time it was a week today.

[Hamilton Carvalho]

It is loosing about 4.3 seconds per day, so, it is within the COSC specifications. In the first 30 days mine was gainning almost 4 seconds per day, after 30 days it was 2.3 seconds per day, now is about 1.6 seconds per day.

Originally Posted by Hookie

Umm, last time i set the time it was a week today.

[Hookie]

Cool ! Thanks, should i set the correct time then keep an eye on it every week or so?

[Hamilton Carvalho]

Sure. You're much patiently than I; I used to check the accuracy everyday for the first 3 months.

Originally Posted by Hookie

Cool ! Thanks, should i set the correct time then keep an eye on it every week or so?

[ZROLEX]

All of my rolexes or other mechanics didn't have any settle in period. For example my GMT IIC is loosing 3.8 -4.0 secs in 24 hr. It was like that when it was brand new from the box and today it's almost three months old and it is absolutely the same. No deviation and difference from day one. My DJ was gaining 2,5 secs in 24 hours when it was brand new and for a year and a half it remained absolutely the same. Also same story with my my Seamaster and Raymond Weil. So my experience showed me that there is no settling in. My 2 sents.

[dkpw]

James, Hamilton is correct. My Sub is three months old and the differences I've noticed after this time are that whereas I was gaining about two seconds a day, I'm now down to a gain of one second a day. I synchronise mine on Sunday and check it throughout the week. I can easily check the divergence without too much wear on the crown and tube.

The other thing I've noticed as part of the settling in period, is that the date changes over at about a minute past midnight. New, it would change over between 4 and 5 minutes past.

You'll be fine - enjoy your watch.

[Hookie]

Thanks all !

[skeen]

Why is it that Rolex's aren't more accurate? I've had my Seiko Premier for a week now, and it's almost losing a second; that's an $850 watch.

[ZROLEX]

Originally Posted by skeen

Why is it that Rolex's aren't more accurate? I've had my Seiko Premier for a week now, and it's almost losing a second; that's an $850 watch.

I believe it is the matter of regulation. Also what I noticed is that you have to regulate mechanical watch where you wearing it the most. For instance regulation done in Switserland not always good for watches going overseas. I noticed that last year while I was in Europe for holidays my Seamaster was losing seconds when in at home (DC) it gains seconds. But my DJ was running faster than usual. So go figure. I do not know if it is the same deal with watches with new parachrom-blue. I guess I'm gonna figure that out when I'll go to Europe in August with my GMTIIC. I'm not satisfied with regulation of it especially because it loses time not gains, but i'm gonna hold on to re-regulation and will see how it works in Europe....

[Hamilton Carvalho]

It's a pain to see that a much cheaper watch can keep better time. My first watch (Orient) gain less than one second per day for the last 32 years. It has never been serviced, still keeps great time.

Originally Posted by skeen

Why is it that Rolex's aren't more accurate? I've had my Seiko Premier for a week now, and it's almost losing a second; that's an $850 watch.

[Hamilton Carvalho]

Originally Posted by dkpw

The other thing I've noticed as part of the settling in period, is that the date changes over at about a minute past midnight. New, it would change over between 4 and 5 minutes past.

The same thing happened to mine David. Sometimes the date changes at exactly 12:00 AM.

[ZROLEX]

date changes at around 12:08 on my GMT. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is -4 secs in 24hr. It should be much more accurate. Well, I'm wearing it 24 hours. If I put it face down at night that will reduce to about 2 seconds and if I shake the watch couple times it will gain another 2 seconds. That way I can self regulate it and be spot on all the time but I don't like taking it off my wrist. I guess I will re-regulate it after summer.

[dkpw]

Originally Posted by ZROLEX

date changes at around 12:08 on my GMT. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is -4 secs in 24hr. It should be much more accurate. Well, I'm wearing it 24 hours. If I put it face down at night that will reduce to about 2 seconds and if I shake the watch couple times it will gain another 2 seconds. That way I can self regulate it and be spot on all the time but I don't like taking it off my wrist. I guess I will re-regulate it after summer.

Why not get it done now? It will cost next to nothing and take a short amount of time. -4 secs a day is at the edge of certification. You should not have to shake the watch to speed it up.

[shoppy]

Normal, but you can have it regulated.

[Haole]

As a new Submariner owner can you please tell me the best way to "synchronize" one's watch and how to go about this exactly (i.e. which benchmark time to synchronize with and where that is, etc.)? Thanks much and sorry if this is too newbie of me... ;)

[Hamilton Carvalho]

Welcome to the Forum! I use this site to synchronize http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java

Originally Posted by Haole

As a new Submariner owner can you please tell me the best way to "synchronize" one's watch and how to go about this exactly (i.e. which benchmark time to synchronize with and where that is, etc.)? Thanks much and sorry if this is too newbie of me... ;)

[JPP]

There is no such thing as a settling in period. I must start a crusade to stop this nonsense being disseminated over the net - it is SO misleading.

There may be small irregularities depending upon how you wear the watch and if it's left to stop and then re-wound a lot but that's very different from a settling in period.

If your watch is that slow per week I'd have it regulated. COSC specs are so huge that I really wouldn't pay them much mind and get it regulated so it tells the time a bit more accurately. 30 seconds a week is a lot when you add that up over a month. COSC specs only really have meaning to watchmakers and give Rolex a great get out clause as they don't have to regulate watches under warranty that fall within these specs (but invariably they do.) And the specs are so huge that it's a total cop out if you ask me. Loads of mechanical watches tell the time perfectly well without a COSC certificate. And anyway COSC is practically owned by Rolex anyway. It may be "independent" but when a company gives you 99.9% of your business in my experience "independent" becomes a somewhat loose term.

COSC means nothing to me - it's marketing blurb, nothing more.

Anyway - they'll regulate it to perhaps +3 seconds and actually when you wear it even if regulated to that it might be just + or - 1 sec a day so it bears little relation to real world conditions...

[Art 1]

Originally Posted by Hookie

Just wondering how long does it take for a new Rolex to settle in? Since ive set the time last week its lost about 30 secs. Is this normal?

Cheerzz

There is no settle in period.

[dkpw]

Originally Posted by JPP

There is no such thing as a settling in period. I must start a crusade to stop this nonsense being disseminated over the net - it is SO misleading.

There may be small irregularities depending upon how you wear the watch and if it's left to stop and then re-wound a lot but that's very different from a settling in period.

If your watch is that slow per week I'd have it regulated. COSC specs are so huge that I really wouldn't pay them much mind and get it regulated so it tells the time a bit more accurately. 30 seconds a week is a lot when you add that up over a month. COSC specs only really have meaning to watchmakers and give Rolex a great get out clause as they don't have to regulate watches under warranty that fall within these specs (but invariably they do.) And the specs are so huge that it's a total cop out if you ask me. Loads of mechanical watches tell the time perfectly well without a COSC certificate. And anyway COSC is practically owned by Rolex anyway. It may be "independent" but when a company gives you 99.9% of your business in my experience "independent" becomes a somewhat loose term.

COSC means nothing to me - it's marketing blurb, nothing more.

Anyway - they'll regulate it to perhaps +3 seconds and actually when you wear it even if regulated to that it might be just + or - 1 sec a day so it bears little relation to real world conditions...

I disagree with you. Not my experience and not the advice from some of the most experienced members here.

[Hamilton Carvalho]

X2

Originally Posted by dkpw

I disagree with you. Not my experience and not the advice from some of the most experienced members here.

[RolexNoob]

Originally Posted by Hamilton Carvalho

Sure. You're much patiently than I; I used to check the accuracy everyday for the first 3 months.

Come on Hamilton. You still check it everyday....

:ba nghead:

[ZROLEX]

Originally Posted by dkpw

Why not get it done now? It will cost next to nothing and take a short amount of time. -4 secs a day is at the edge of certification. You should not have to shake the watch to speed it up.

Originally Posted by shoppy

Normal, but you can have it regulated.

Thanks for your advices guys. Yeah -4 secs in 24hrs is a lot. I live in DC so I probably will have to go to NYC to regulate it. I don't want to send my watch.

[Hamilton Carvalho]

And I'll make you do the same thing, give me time.

Originally Posted by RolexNoob

Come on Hamilton. You still check it everyday....

:ba nghead:

[DoxaDavid]

After doing a little research on several other watch forums I have come to the conclusion that for some reason, many watches..NOT ALL, but many watches tend to become more accurate after a certain period. There is no rule or time specs but it seems to fall around 2-3 months after initial wearing.

I would say this phenomenon has been experienced by too many watch affectionado's to simply write it off as a "myth" even though there isn't a lot of manufacture feedback on the subject.

My personal observation in the dozens of mechanical watches I have owned is that SOME of them have in fact improved their accuracy after a short period of wearing them. There could be many reasons for this but the most likely is the movements individual components,i.e. cogs, springs gears etc.. free up a microscopic bit allowing them to run a tiny bit "looser" as well as letting the oils work their way into the tightest spots for increased lubrication.

Controversial as this topic may be, I do think there is enough evidence to call it plausible given the real world observations of so many watch owners who have witnessed this first hand.

Other opinions will vary..

Cheers!

[patsee]

I have a "Z" series Datejust I purchased new. I checked it every day against Time.gov for a period of approximately eight months (10/30/06-6/24/07) at the same time every day. It went from an average of +3.7 seconds gain a day to +5.6 seconds a day. I have seen some of my other Rolex watches speed up also as they "wear in".

[JPP]

Originally Posted by patsee

I have a "Z" series Datejust I purchased new. I checked it every day against Time.gov for a period of approximately eight months (10/30/06-6/24/07) at the same time every day. It went from an average of +3.7 seconds gain a day to +5.6 seconds a day. I have seen some of my other Rolex watches speed up also as they "wear in".

An eight month "wear in" period...?

Come on guys - doesn't matter how experienced some members are here or not. Every watchmaker I have ever met in person or read on the net says the same thing: "the so called 'settle in' period is a fallacy".

That's not to say that the watch will not be affected by other factors however.

Why do people so want there to be a settle in period? I don't understand.

If someone can point me in the direction of a watchmaker who says that in his or her experience there is indeed a settle or wear in period then do send me a link or telephone number or post them here as would be intrigued to hear...

[JPP]

Originally Posted by ZROLEX

Thanks for your advices guys. Yeah -4 secs in 24hrs is a lot. I live in DC so I probably will have to go to NYC to regulate it. I don't want to send my watch.

Hey there

I would get it regulated. It's a beautiful watch and capable of much better accuracy - worth taking it in for sure. That's what upsets me - Rolexes are gorgeous watches and capable of telling the time pretty accurately so why settle for the outer limit of a spec that really is pretty wide ranging. I had my SD regulated and it's only a couple of seconds a month out.

Best

JP

[diamondgirl]

Originally Posted by Art 1

There is no settle in period.

+1!

If it is bothering you, get it regulated.