Is there a break in period for a brand new watch? Let’s say after a month or so of steady wear should I expect any change in time keeping from new a Seiko 4R36 or 6R15 automatic movement or a new Swiss ETA 2824-2?

I have a few watches that just are not quite keeping the level of accuracy they should. Is it a good idea to wear a newer watch for a while before sending it in to be regulated?

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
Is there a break in period for a brand new watch? Let’s say after a month or so of steady wear should I expect any change in time keeping from new a Seiko 4R36 or 6R15 automatic movement or a new Swiss ETA 2824-2?

I have a few watches that just are not quite keeping the level of accuracy they should. Is it a good idea to wear a newer watch for a while before sending it in to be regulated?

I own several watches that have a ETA 2824-2 COSC movements. COSC is a certification/test for watches that guarantees a certain accuracy of a daily rate of −4/+6.
ETA has several 2824-2 movements that meet different standards so you have to find out what movement you have in your watch. I am not familiar with the Seiko movements.
With that said I always give my new watches a "settling in period" of about a month. I also do the same with a watch that has just come back from a full service.
There are several factors that can effect watch accuracy from day to day. Thing like is it fully wound ,temperature,position on your wrist also position of your watch for periods of time in between wearing it, think of taking it off overnight.
I would wear it for a while and then see what it has lost or gained.
When I put on a watch I have not worn in a while I set it to my atomic clock and check it after about 2 to 3 weeks to see how it is running.
So far my watches have been running well within standard.

My only experience is with Seiko automatics. My SKX-007J started off running about 2 minutes/day slow, but has, after 18 months, improved a great deal-maybe it runs 3-4 minutes a week slow, now. I don’t know why.

Yes, there most definitely is a break in period.

Somewhere between 1 ~ 2 months of continuous operation.

I have 6R15, 7S26, 8L35, 3035, 3135 and a 7750.

In every case they needed break in when new and also after service.

Had my 8L35 and 6R15 regulated to @ 1.7+/day and they run like trains, same error every day. Can't beat that.

My 7750 is 9+/day and that's unacceptable in my world for a chronometer, so back to the mothership it will go after its continuous operation over the last 2 months. I'd have a local mechanic do it but for the case being Ar filled.

Stickman, most watches are regulated to be worn on the left wrist. Wearing them on the right causes them to run slower. I don't know if that applies to your situation.

Also, Seiko does not regulate their movements. We get what we get. That may explain part of the problem. My SDGM003 runs -30 seconds per day.

Face down, face up, crown down, crown up, the position a watch sits affects its regulation. In theory you can 'correct' the time somewhat when the watch is not being worn.

Personally, I'd not sweat it too much. A fast watch is not hard to correct. Set-it-and-forget-it might be quartz.

With a couple of hundred dollars in tools, you can begin regulating your own watches as well as a novice technician. There is also a widget to display *amplitude?* (the beats per hour?), which is used in regulating a watch.

Woodman I think I’ll end up doing that eventually. I love automatic watches and definitely have an interest in extracting the best possible accuracy from the various watches/movements I own.

Mechanical watches require a break in period, just like a new engine. I would wear it a month and then work on getting it regulated. The watches we typically buy (<$1000) generally are not adjusted (generally) but can be adjusted within limits.

The cheap Chinese Timegraphers available on Amazon or Ebay are generally pretty good and a great benefit for regulating movements. Move the regulator a tiny bit and give it time to settle.

RMD

Some timing porn for you:

The New & Improved Otto Frei Watch Timing Machine Multifunction Timegrapher MTG 1000

http://www.ofrei.com/page256.html

Thanks for the link!!! That really isn’t that expensive. It looks like a nice rig, I might have to order one of those.

I performed an amusing but not quite scientific experiment nah more of a head to head shootout in only one position (dial up) between some of my newer automatic watches. I shook the snot out of each watch for around 5 minutes then synched all the watches to atomic time and left them alone for 24 hours.


-Tissot T-Nav with a ETA Caliber 2836-2
-Tsao Baltimore with a Citizen/Miyota 9015
-Seiko SBDC063 (baby MM) with a 6R15 & 50hr power reserve
-Tissot PR-100 auto with a ETA2836-2

Any guesses on how they finished? I was a little surprised by the winner and overall results.

Disregarding slow/fast, just closest:

-Seiko SBDC063 (baby MM) with a 6R15 & 50hr power reserve
-Tsao Baltimore with a Citizen/Miyota 9015
-Tissot PR-100 auto with a ETA2836-2
-Tissot T-Nav with a ETA Caliber 2836-2

Putting them into a quad auto-winder for a couple of weeks would give you a better reading.

I wear them so sporadically, that I never check the timing. But I thought I'd post my new goto for service. Watchmann.com has fixed me up twice now at prices that are within reason (in the two digits) vs. a few others that were trying to do overhauls I assume (nearly 4 digits) for simple fixes.

Very close Woodman. They all run a little fast but flip the Seiko and Miyota and you had them in the correct order.

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
Very close Woodman. They all run a little fast but flip the Seiko and Miyota and you had them in the correct order.

Almost! I was guessing. Citizens makes some amazing JDM watches. They have/had an in-house quartz movement which some HAQ forum members clocked as accurate to within ONE SECOND per year.