Reply With QuoteOP,Originally Posted by Slamdoor
Others may have differing experiences, my watches (I only have a few) don't seem to be affected by not being worn for months at a time.
Clearly many of you have watch collections so must rotate the models. what are the chances that my new Rolex will loose accuracy if I buy something else and frequently it needs rewinding and setting as I rotate them.
Sorry if it's a boring question but I'm in learning mode.
OP,
Others may have differing experiences, my watches (I only have a few) don't seem to be affected by not being worn for months at a time.
Does it really matter!,I've always had to set the time on my autos after not wearing for a few days,even some Quartz may show a second or two drift.
So just reset and wear them....job done.
If you don't use an automatic watch for a while it will wind down completely and if you want to use it again, you'll have to wind it up, then set the time. So you wouldn't know if it's lost any time.
Eventually an automatic watch will loose accuracy which will be a good indicator that it needs a service, but we are talking years not weeks or even months.
That's as I understand it, I'm sure more learned people will be along to correct me if I'm wrong
For example: I've a watch with an ETA movement, bought new. Each month I wear it for at least 5 days in a row.
Every day I wear it, it, without fail, gains exactly 10 seconds, whether it's been sat there for three weeks, or whether it's had a week on my wrist.
(I've never left it alone for longer than that)
I have a ten watch rotation and I always check the time, the plus/minus per day, over the period that I wear them.
Never encountered heavy discrepancies unless as someone noted before the watch is in need of a service.
I'm not too sure, for shorter periods (30-60 days? Who knows) I'd say its likely a non issue but any longer there could be some impact with gumming of oils.
I know for a fact that some movements (4R36 Seiko for example) will run faster as the power reserve runs lower so I'm not sure if that helps answer your question at all...it will vary with each movement though.
Interesting question.....
I've found that my Sub, which is worn pretty much daily, rarely needs adjusting and is pretty much spot on. Whereas my Explorer 11 which I only tend to wear when I go abroad, seems to take quite a while to settle down....for the first few days it's losing around 10 to 15 seconds per day. After a week or so it seems to lose only a few seconds per day.
I don't wear my Datejust all the time, and in fact have never worn any of my Rolex watches as daily watches.
I have never had an issue with any of them after not wearing them for a couple of weeks or so, and then winding them.
They are magnificent pieces of engineering, winding them now and again should not do them any harm.
They can drift a few seconds over time, this can also depend on how the watch is left overnight, ie crown up, crown down etc.
As long as it keeps within the stipulated specification, there is no need to worry.
Just wear and enjoy.
I guess I'm a bit hung up on accuracy having used a Quartz for the last 25years. I'll get over it! Much more satisfying to have a mechanical watch with some soul.
My understanding is that one of the benefits of modern synthetic lubricants is that they don't gum up. They may oxidise and lose lubricating properties but this will be a decade or so rather than months.
Have never had a problem with the accuracy of watches that have been idle for even for a few years (none are near expected service intervals though). All have been identical to where they were when I last checked (yes, I do keep a note and I am a saddo)
I've got 5 auto watches, varying price points and manufacturers, and no issues like that. Some don't get worn for months.
Thats a huge relief to know, thanks! Are modern synthetic lubricants quite common in watches and services these days, or is it something only making its way into common use very recently?
Though not a watchmaker (or tinkerer), I'd find it hard to believe any watchmaker or manufacturer would still consider using mineral oil in watches as synthetics have been available for donkeys years. Moebius brought out the first synthetic lubricant in the 1950s IIRC though when they became universal I wouldn't know!
Can`t imagine anyone doesn`t use synthetic lubricants thesedays.
I can`t think of any reason why a watch would lose accuracy if it's stored and not run for a long time. I`m not convinced modern synthetic lubricants suffer significantly through ageing but there's no reliable data out there as far as I know. I`m sure the manufacturers of Moebius oils will know the answer, but if they stated that the oils are stable for 20+ years they'd sell far less!
Paul
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 22nd February 2016 at 20:41.
Sorry, I can't help myself, it's a tic....
LOSE GODDAMMIT, IT'S LOSE
Thats good to know, cheers fellas. I'm ever the pessimist so will assume the worst, but an expert's experience is reassuring.
Am not an expert and the only expert on the thread (Paul ) didn't express a view.
However, wearing this today after a few months and find it is gaining 8 min per hour.
I am not sure if it is magnetized or it is just because it hasn't been worn for a while.
If it's gaining 8mins/hr it's poorly! Has it had a knock in storage? I suspect the hairspring coils are sticking together or something similar. You could try giving it a careful tap when it's running and fully wound, it may help. If there's any oil on the hairspring the coils could stick together, but there shouldn`t be.Am not an expert and the only expert on the thread (Paul ) didn't express a view.
However, wearing this today after a few months and find it is gaining 8 min per hour.
I am not sure if it is magnetized or it is just because it hasn't been worn for a while.
Not sure I`m an expert, more like the one-eyed man in the valley of the blind! There are some serious watch gods around who've forgotten more than I`ll ever know, that's who I consult if I need advice.
Paul
on a similar theme - how long would people recommend servicing an automatic watch?
depend on the watch? movement?
i guess if the OP's watch has been in storage maybe a service might be appropriate?
Thanks.
Will give it a go and report back.
There have been a few threads about this
This is somewhat old but will give some idea
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...omatic-watches
My best friends brand new omega seamaster started loosing 5 minutes over night after first 6 months. He had to send it back to omega to sort out. Apparently it was due to him not wearing it regularly and the oils had solidified.
Lucky it was still under warranty, sure it was just unlucky as I leave some of my autos for weeks and they're all ok.
Anyhow he's now bought a watch winder
Am not an expert and the only expert on the thread (Paul ) didn't express a view.
However, wearing this today after a few months and find it is gaining 8 min per hour.
I am not sure if it is magnetized or it is just because it hasn't been worn for a while.
I just hope that that beautiful TV remote control is working well
Thwacked the watch with the remote as per Paul's recommendation.
Remote is alive and well.
Timekeeping results awaited.😄
Oil solidified? Best check my stocks of watch oils!
Whatever the reason for the watch going faulty, it definitely wasn't due to the oil solidifying. Can't believe he was expected to believe an explanation like this, which is total bollocks in my view.
I have several watches that don't get worn for months.........I've never had a problem. Frankly it's not a feasible scenario.
This is how internet factoids originate.
Paul
Well, eventually they run down and stop.
Positional variation may make them lose or gain time.
But the accuracy should remain the same, whether worn or unworn....
I've noticed a similar thing on a number of my mechanical watches.
In my naivety, I've assumed that it's down to the lubricant warming up/redistributing itself, but I'd very interested in what Paul (or any of the other knowledgeable folk) thinks might be behind this effect.
Ha, I know what you mean. I would have been asking questions myself. Although it's s true story :-)
This thread has brought up another question, actually.
If its fine to let the watch sit, obviously you want to avoid having it run out around midnight with a date complication. Would you be alright hacking the seconds at a point in the daytime, or would this cause any issues? Seems like you can have a definite safe moment to stop it or if its run out of power near midday, you'd have to rotate it until it gained enough power to run far enough past the date change.
I don't think its a problem unless you manually advance the date
I left my longines in a drawer for a couple of years and the oil went off and I had to have it serviced again
i have 2 auto watches and one quartz, so not the most up on this, but, i tend to wear my prs18a most of the time, but i have a vostok amphibia which i just hand wind each day so i don't have to mess about with time/date when i do want to use it. and it keeps very good time i suppose because it doesn't run down. posh people probably have watch winder thingies for that purpose.
atb
steve
Isn't that begging the question?
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