chippyfly
778
"Technical" help please on my new Rolex, which looses too much time.
My first Rolex Oyster ref 116000 worn on my wrist consistently looses 7 seconds per 24 hours since it was brand new last November. Fully wound and on my Timegrapher for approximately 50 minutes covering all six vertical and horizontal positions, the overall average rates show -6 seconds per day. The smallest loss was at horizontal, dial down position at -1 sec/day. No positions showed any gain per day.
It is difficult to judge full power of the automatic watch but I wind the crown approximately 35 times. Sometimes as much as 40.
I conducted a COSC-type test over 15 days, including days 11 and 13 at low and high environmental temperatures with full power windings of the crown at the beginning of each test day. The results of my COSC test were that the watch was well within the COSC certification and complied with Rolex’s claim of “+/- 2 seconds per day”. Three days showed a small gain (+1 and +2 seconds/day). All the other days were small losses (-1 and -2 seconds/day, accept for the days 11 and 13 temperature changes). I was surprised.
I have just carried out a little experiment. I placed the watch, fully wound on my Timegrapher at 6-up (crown left) position for a prolonged period. During the first half hour the rate was -3.4 seconds/day, beat error 0.4 and amplitude 262º. After another 2 hours the rate showed +/- 0 seconds/day, beat error 0.4 and amplitude 252º. After another 10 hours the rate shown was +2.1 seconds/day, beat error 0.4 and amplitude 245º. After a further 12 hours the result was +0.1 second/day, beat error 0.4 and amplitude 245º. I intend to carry out similar prolonged checks at the other watch positions. My little test indicates that as the watch winds down over 13 hours or so, the amplitude decreases, which I understand is consistent with an increase in the daily rate, although I would have expected a new Rolex to be much better than that.
What is the acceptable on-the-wrist accuracy for my new Rolex? I appreciate that the COSC and Timgrapher checks are static ones. I work in an office environment, walk and drive a car no more than an hour and a half per day, accept at weekends when I walk rather more. I strictly avoid magnetic environments and have never subjected the watch to blows or water.
I really do not want to cope with a watch that looses 7 seconds/day while being worn and requires regular adjusting. I do not have that problem with my other regular wearing, and much older, watches. At the moment I set the Rolex 21 seconds fast every three days, which is annoying and I can see the crown seals etc wearing out. Is there a problem with the rotor not winding the watch sufficiently? There is no position to rest the watch overnight to adjust its timing at rest.
Help and advice please before I take the watch back to the AD, two hours travel away! Best Clive
"Technical" help please on my new Rolex, which looses too much time.
as you’re still under the warranty
