Automatic watches

[Wiry PAYE]

Hi

The Mrs is buying me another watch for a big birthday. I have chosen a automatic which will be my first I’ve been wondering what they are like to live with. Do they wind themselves during normal use also having to set it after it’s not been used for a bit does this take the edge off ownership?

[alabbasi]

Yes, they will wind fully usually with 10 hours of use and have a 40 hour reserve. If you wear one everyday, it's like wearing any other watch.

I wear a g-shock every day and my automatic watches when going out. It takes max 1 minute to set it and wind them by hand. It's not a big deal

[r159]

As long as it’s a quick set date or you haven’t left it too long then it’s no bother. If the watch as a manual wind feature that helps.

You could get a watch winder if it bothers you.

[trickywoo]

Worth also knowing automatic watches aren’t very accurate. Even high end ones can be 5 seconds fast a day, or more.

I

[Wiry PAYE]

r159 said:

As long as it’s a quick set date or you haven’t left it too long then it’s no bother. If the watch as a manual wind feature that helps.

You could get a watch winder if it bothers you.

Hi quick set date isn’t mentioned in the specs for the watch I’m interested in. it’s a Breitling Superocean Automatic 42.

[21st Century Man]

trickywoo said:

Worth also knowing automatic watches aren’t very accurate. Even high end ones can be 5 seconds fast a day, or more.

Yes this is true. However my Omega seems to be a fluke, I don't bother to reset until it's about 30 seconds out, which can be several months and even then it's largely pointless as it can be quite a while before the minute hand starts to move after setting to the second, so the second hand and minute hand are rarely in sync which irks me.

[Wiry PAYE]

Thanks for the replies I won’t be wearing it every day so I guess I will just have to adjust it each time.

[gregs656]

Wiry PAYE said:

Hi quick set date isn’t mentioned in the specs for the watch I’m interested in. it’s a Breitling Superocean Automatic 42.

It will have a quick set date.

You might find your self wearing it all the time.

[Wiry PAYE]

gregs656 said:

Wiry PAYE said:

Hi quick set date isn’t mentioned in the specs for the watch I’m interested in. it’s a Breitling Superocean Automatic 42.

It will have a quick set date.

You might find your self wearing it all the time.

Very likely : )

[Mezzanine]

You could always put it on a watch winder so it will be wound and set whenever you want to wear it.

[covmutley]

Wiry PAYE said:

Thanks for the replies I won’t be wearing it every day so I guess I will just have to adjust it each time.

Getting to interact with the movement is one of the nice things of a mechanical watch!

[Castrol for a knave]

Wiry PAYE said:

r159 said:

As long as it’s a quick set date or you haven’t left it too long then it’s no bother. If the watch as a manual wind feature that helps.

You could get a watch winder if it bothers you.

Hi quick set date isn’t mentioned in the specs for the watch I’m interested in. it’s a Breitling Superocean Automatic 42.

Nice watch.

I think they have the B17 movement, which is a variation of the 2824-2, and built to COSC spec, so they keep very good time.

That said, my favourite watch is my Meistersinger, so I'm not that fussed about accuracy.....

[NDA]

trickywoo said:

Worth also knowing automatic watches aren’t very accurate. Even high end ones can be 5 seconds fast a day, or more.

Most 'high end' automatic watches, such as Rolex, have a minimum accuracy of 1 or 2 seconds a day. If it were 5 seconds, then it would probably need servicing.

You can also self regulate them by lying them dial up, dial down, crown up, crown down overnight - each watch will be different - to allow the mechanism to either slow down or speed up a fraction. I do this with an automatic I have and it hasn't been adjusted since January 2020 and it is currently 12 seconds fast. Pretty impressive for a mechanical movement.

[Ninjin]

NDA said:

Most 'high end' automatic watches, such as Rolex, have a minimum accuracy of 1 or 2 seconds a day. If it were 5 seconds, then it would probably need servicing.

You can also self regulate them by lying them dial up, dial down, crown up, crown down overnight - each watch will be different - to allow the mechanism to either slow down or speed up a fraction. I do this with an automatic I have and it hasn't been adjusted since January 2020 and it is currently 12 seconds fast. Pretty impressive for a mechanical movement.

I think you'll find whilst most Rolex for example will actually run to around zero secs per day, actually Rolex limits are not zero and maybe +/-5secs. Rolex I doubt will take a watch back for warranty for 5secs variance.

However, like you said, most automatic watches can be self regulated and even Rolex mention how to do this in the older user booklets.

[mikeveal]

trickywoo said:

Worth also knowing automatic watches aren’t very accurate. Even high end ones can be 5 seconds fast a day, or more.

I

Actually automatics tend to be more accurate than hand winders. But even with a COSC certified watch the spec. is up to -4+6 seconds per day.
But more pertinently: who cares?

[trickywoo]

mikeveal said:

Actually automatics tend to be more accurate than hand winders. But even with a COSC certified watch the spec. is up to -4+6 seconds per day.
But more pertinently: who cares?

Nobody really but OP is interested in everyday use and didn't seem familiar with self winding so I thought it worth a mention as some people may expect an expensive watch to keep perfect time and be disappointed when it doesn't.

[NDA]

Ninjin said:

NDA said:

Most 'high end' automatic watches, such as Rolex, have a minimum accuracy of 1 or 2 seconds a day. If it were 5 seconds, then it would probably need servicing.

You can also self regulate them by lying them dial up, dial down, crown up, crown down overnight - each watch will be different - to allow the mechanism to either slow down or speed up a fraction. I do this with an automatic I have and it hasn't been adjusted since January 2020 and it is currently 12 seconds fast. Pretty impressive for a mechanical movement.

I think you'll find whilst most Rolex for example will actually run to around zero secs per day, actually Rolex limits are not zero and maybe +/-5secs. Rolex I doubt will take a watch back for warranty for 5secs variance.

However, like you said, most automatic watches can be self regulated and even Rolex mention how to do this in the older user booklets.

Rolex quote an accuracy of +/- 2 seconds a day. Most high end makers quote a similar accuracy on their movements. This would be a warranty issue on a new Rolex and Rolex would regulate the watch for free to bring it within their quoted tolerance.

[Wiry PAYE]

Hi

Thanks for all the replies. Losing or gaining a few seconds a day is no big deal for me. I must admit I didn’t know that was the case but I guess being completely mechanical it makes sense. Are these something that you need to keep on top of the servicing to keep in good order?

[irc]

Another thing to watch if your watch has a day/date. Don't set the date when the time is between 9pm and 3am. Can damage the watch. Set date the previous day then wind it forward to get correct date then you know whether it is at AM or PM. IE if it is 3pm when you are settinh it wind the hands forward until the date clicks over then go past 3 and round another 12hrs.

https://chronometercheck.com/how-to-set-time-and-d...

[Mark V GTD]

r159 said:

You could get a watch winder if it bothers you.

Wow thanks never heard of such a thing - and have been wearing an auto watch daily for three years!