Keeping good time

[Kairos]

I have to say I am astonished. I don't know what you use for checking the time but I use 'Time Is', I expect it is as good as anything and provided the same one is used each time it should be pretty representative. I set my Longines Hydroconquest, not the chronograph, multi-dial version, the normal watch face type, on Sunday night when I went to bed, ready for the week's work. I set the hands and the second hand stopped and waited for the time to come round to meet it at 23.00 exactly. I have checked it again this morning at 06.45 and it is only 3 seconds adrift, slightly slow. For what is basically a fairly standard ETA movement that is not chronometer standard I find this remarkable and more than acceptable.

Is there a better way of keeping tabs on 'accuracy' without buying fancy equipment? I shall check, using 'Time Is' for the rest of the week and see what the situation is at 23.00 on Sunday, a full week of just being worn and put down at night and see how far it has slipped. If anyone has any tips on time checking I would be grateful for them. I do sometimes have a listen to the pips on the radio too, but I don't set my watch by them.

[walkerwek1958]

Keep it simple!

I use an analogue quartz watch that lives in my work room for regulating watches, write down the result every few hrs and calculate the rate in secs per day. That’s quicker and easier than going to the computer and looking at Time Is. The quartz watch gains 1 sec/ week, in the context of timing iver a 24 hr period that’s negligible.

Accurate time sources are everywhere thesedays, hard to envisage what things were like prior to the 70s when quartz watches became popular. I remember the mantle clock being set against the time pips on the radio!

[RobDad]

I have a solar atomic G shock that synchs every night without fail. That’s my reference. I don’t check timekeeping on my watches that often - but if I do I might check it once a week and divide the difference by 7, or similar. I don’t think checking daily is worth it tbh

[dkpw]

Time.is is an excellent resource as it takes into account your computer's network lag - it's specifically designed to compare your computer time versus NTP pool servers.

Using a quartz watch isn't recommended as these drift just like mechanical watches.

If you have an iPhone may I recommend the Atomicclock app, which is highly configurable, connects to the NTP pool servers and has a useful range of analogue, digital and anadigi displays.

In comparison to Time.is, it also has audio feedback as it ticks and replicates the time signal from 5 seconds to the minute. This allows you to concentrate on setting the watch, rather than have to look at the watch and a screen.

[earlofsodbury]

I have a solar atomic G shock that synchs every night without fail. That’s my reference. I don’t check timekeeping on my watches that often - but if I do I might check it once a week and divide the difference by 7, or similar. I don’t think checking daily is worth it tbh

Likewise - an old Casio that synchs to the atomic clock directly on a daily basis - accurate enough for me.

About a month ago I set 8 of my favourites to the second using just that and put them onto watch winders - interested to find that for accuracy:

Seiko < Sinn < Omega < Damasko - and there are 4 different Damaskos all keeping time better than the more expensive stuff.

[sprite1275]

Just get a GS 9f. All doubts wondering if the time is right on your watch disappear.

[earlofsodbury]

Just get a GS 9f. All doubts wondering if the time is right on your watch disappear.

Sometimes the joy of a hobby is in the faff!

[sprite1275]

Sometimes the joy of a hobby is in the faff!

Very true. I do like the set up process when wearing autos but after a few days I never really trust the time on the watch. The GS I set up months ago to my phone. The seconds hand still hits the 12 o'clock when my phone changes to the exact time. Awesome.

[Redwolf]

My pelagos loses 4 spd no matter what position it’s worn or stored in. Quite annoying actually but I just set it 30 secs fast now. On the contrary my north flag gains 1spd and then loses 1 spd stored 12 high overnight.
I use atomic clock app.


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[dkpw]

Just get a GS 9f. All doubts wondering if the time is right on your watch disappear.

Sound advice! :)

[helidoc]

I use WatchTracker on my iPhone. I can see the overall accuracy and how it varies with position. I use time.is to set them before monitoring with WatchTracker

D


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[Saint-Just]

I use WatchTracker (iPhone app)

It’s simple to use, can keep track of many watches simultaneously and does all the calculations for you, instantly.

As an aside, I am genuinely surprised (and not in a good way) when all people say about a watch they’re selling here is “keeps good time”. I mean, WTAF?

I accept that they may not worry about technical details like amplitude, as that is the job of the watchmaker during service but how much it gains or loses in a day surely is not too much to ask! (If you’re selling you’re probably not wearing it and can always update your listing after 24 hours).

And breathe.

[Kairos]

Just get a GS 9f. All doubts wondering if the time is right on your watch disappear.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is one of those please?

[verv]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is one of those please?

Its a grand seiko quartz watch (movement)

https://www.grand-seiko.com/uk-en/co...ovement/quartz

[Kairos]

Its a grand seiko quartz watch (movement)

https://www.grand-seiko.com/uk-en/co...ovement/quartz

Oh I see. Thank you. I am not interested in quartz watches, I have had them.

[Montello]

I use the WatchTracker app.

I am always impressed how good the time keeping is on my watches.

Also keeps a track of how much you wear them.

[Stuno1]

Agree with the above. The watch tracker app is not perfect but is very good.

[Mick P]

I have used time.is for yonks and the major advantage is as well as being spot on it is also displayed in local time anywhere in the world.

[MartynJC (UK)]

https://apps.apple.com/app/id1554558770

all watch news has a built in clock - which is driven from net time not your local device - with sound built in. Time.is is my go to though.

WatchTracker is a great app for building up a history.

in the old days I used 3 sources and did a standard deviation with a straight line fit - over time for my Breitling B1 SQ to check it was running within the 5s variance per year. It was! I’ll try and dig out the graph - goodness that was 19 years ago!