So ok I ran the chrono accidentally when I left town over the weekend. Fully wound around 7pm Friday evening. Came home 5pm Sunday and the watch was dead. Didn’t look at the hour on the chrono when it stopped though (my mistake), reset the chrono and it ran again. I didn’t wind it yet, and observing it as we speak. It dies again and again in less than thirty minutes so far. Can it be that the power reserve is just out? Is it supposed to stop and not run again if this is the case? Sorry my first Chrono and manual wind.

 

It's pretty hard to interpret your post. Power reserve refers to how long the watch will run before stopping if you start fully wound. The power reserve will generally be less when the chronograph is running. From your post, I can't determine what the power reserve is on your watch, either with or without the chronograph running. I can only infer that the power reserve is less than 46 hours with the chrono running, which doesn't shock me. Also, if the watch runs down, you may be able to get it to run a little longer without the chronograph running. But if you leave the chronograph running, obviously it will just stop again.

 

https://omegaforums.net/threads/386...e-read-first-post.120071/page-20#post-1838522

 

The 3861 stated power reserve is 50 hours, but most users will get 60-62 hours (chrono off). Not enough data to know whether you have a problem or not.

 

I just did a full wind, and running chrono now. I'll report back soon.

 

How much power reserve is it supposed to have with chrono running?

 

Sorry just read your post. So are you saying when the chrono stops assuming the power reserve is out, chrono should not run again when restarted? Or it may still run and eventually stop?

 

Omega does not state. What are you exactly trying to prove? If it's power reserve....turn the chrono off and let it run until it stops.

If you run the chrono until the watch stops, and then turn off the chrono it will restart and run until the mainspring is depleted because disengaging the chrono mechanism removes a load off the timekeeping train. That's why checking power reserve running the chrono doesn't tell you much.

 

Correct, it will not run much longer just because you reset the chronograph. Maybe a short time, but nothing significant. The watch stopped because the resistance from the entire watch (including the chronograph) exceeded the torque available from the run-down mainspring. If you stop the chronograph, there will be less resistance and the watch can continue to run somewhat longer without the chronograph. But simply resetting the chronograph doesn't reduce the resistance.

 

In line with the other responses so far, nothing to me indicates you have the 3861 issue, at least as of yet. On the two 3861s I had for a few days, I tested the power reserve out of curiosity with the chrono engaged and not engaged. My understanding from some of the experts on here was the watch should stop earlier with the chrono engaged, and then if I stop the chrono, the watch should continue to run for an amount of time that equals the power reserve without the chrono engaged — which is exactly what happened with both 3861s. Of note, the total power reserve for both, whether chrono plus no chrono after initial stoppage, or no chrono the entire time, was right around 64 hours. Very consistent with other 3861 owners.

Of note for the poster here, one of the 3861s stopped with the chrono engaged at 47 hours. About what the poster referenced. It then ran for another 17 hours with the chrono off. I was a little surprised, but the math worked. The other 3861 with the chrono engaged didn’t stop until 59 hours, and then ran 5 more with the chrono stopped.

Your watch sounds to me like it may be behaving correctly, although I defer to others on here. As for the 3861 issue, that is typically evidenced by a watch being at or close to a full wind and the chrono being engaged causes the watch to seize.

Hoping you’re in good shape with your 3861 and will read your follow up.

 

The 50 hours power reserve is without the chrono running to my understanding. I did it twice and got 48 hours one time and 52 another time with the chrono running.

 

After winding fully, now working as advertised. Sorry all for the false alarm. A bit paranoid with all the problems reported.

 

Ha ha I think we all get hyper vigilant with new things like that, or at least I do.

 

You know what they say about buying a new car model in the first year of production …