Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

Sometimes in automatic calibers the rotor by itself is not enough to top up the power needed, this generally happens in older micro rotor movements but can also happen with normal automatic movements too, why not wind the watch manually say every 2-3 days? That would have solved your problems.
Right now I’m having the same problem with my Iwc, and I can see that the rotor is not fickle enough to to up the power reserve, it went to service under guarantee but when it came back the movement of the rotor was still sluggish so I sent it back again without even trying it on, explaining in detail what I thought was the problem to the boutique, hopefully they will find a solution this time. Before sending it to service I was just winding the watch every 3 days to have it work within spec but I realized that I could maybe damage the screw in crown and affect the water resistance of the watch so decided to send it to service under guarantee. In your case though since you are not going to swim with the watch just winding it manually every couple days could be a solution for you to enjoy this old love of yours.

💰587 Marketplace Listings for IWC›

Returning to the Original Ludwig Perpetual After a Very Difficult Ownership Experience, Need Advice From Long-Term Owners

By: Nate1580 : May 16th, 2026-06:45

Hi everyone, I’ve been going back and forth on this for years and would really value insight from those of you who have owned or lived with the Ludwig/Oechslin perpetual calendar pieces long term. A few years ago I purchased an early Ulysse Nardin Ludwig ...

Hi my friend, sorry to read that your experience with this piece has been extremely frustrating, to say the least.

By: amanico : May 16th, 2026-06:51

I never owned a first generation U.N PC but I never heard that kind of problems before. The one I owned was this one: And during my 4 years or so of ownership, zero issues... Best, Nicolas ...

❤️

By: Nate1580 : May 16th, 2026-06:55

Thank you so much for your reply!! That, my friend, is a beautiful watch (and picture

Thank you very much for the thoughtful reply, and honestly, your explanation probably makes the most practical sense. I also really hope they’re able to figure out the issue with your IWC, because that sounds incredibly frustrating as well, especially whe...

I hope you can find a specimen

By: Derreck : May 16th, 2026-14:56

that will make you happy through and through, it seems your love for this watch is too powerful to ignore. I understand your frustration but in your place I would just buy the watch and wind it every couple days, you are so passionate about this watch, mi...

I find this watch very appealing and I fully understand your desire to come back to it.

By: quattro : May 16th, 2026-10:56

Unfortunately I have no experience with this model nor even with the brand. So, my comment is pointless, I know, but I just wanted to let you know how much I can feel and understand the appeal of this watch. Best, Emmanuel

Thank you 🙏

By: Nate1580 : May 17th, 2026-08:29

I really appreciate this

I have the Perpetual Ludwig GMT +/- ... and I can't say that I've ever had an issue with its power reserve.

By: pkonos : May 16th, 2026-12:52

But then again, I usually only wear most of my watches including this one for about 3 days in a row max., before I switch to another piece. Perhaps, if you get one again, you might consider putting it on a winder ? It IS a beautiful watch with an ingeniou...

Wish you posted here before parting with this special watch

By: iadxb : May 17th, 2026-06:22

In my experience with several UN watches, including GMT +/- Perpetual, Sonata, and Marine Chronometer, I can confidently say that automatic winding was not very efficient (no idea if UN made any improvements in this regard, I have experience with 15+ year...

I had the same problem with the Sonata. They fixed it and since then it works flawlessly.

By: amanico : May 17th, 2026-08:47

Interesting:)

By: Nate1580 : May 17th, 2026-18:29

Did they explain what the problem was? It kinda gives me some hope for the watch I sold. Because right now I’m just looking at other examples such as the +- GMT variants.

A problem with the rotor.

By: amanico : May 17th, 2026-20:39

Thank you 🙏

By: Nate1580 : May 17th, 2026-15:21

Thank you again for the reply. Honestly, hearing from someone who experienced similar behavior with these older UNs is both comforting and kind of messing with my head at the same time Part of what made the whole experience so frustrating was that I could...

Somewhat similar to what lead me to service my AP Survivor...

By: MichaelC : May 17th, 2026-15:50

The watch ran great and kept proper time on my wrist. But soon after taking it off, it would stop running. And it definitely had power reserve. I can't recall the specific reason the watchmaker told me causes the condition, but a general movement overhaul...

I owned and still own numerous UN perpetuals and never had an experience similar to yours

By: MrkK : May 18th, 2026-00:02

As a matter of fact my current perpetual gmt is the best timekeeper I ever owned. That being said I had a similar experience with a watch from different brand: it was a terrible timekeeper and the customer service couldn't find anything wrong with it. As ...

Ulysse Nardin