Dear All:

May I please ask if it is normal or expected that a watch's accuracy changes dramatically when resting it on its side (9 o'clock side in my case) versus dial facing up?

Inadvertently, I performed this experiment by having my brand new Tokyo 2020 red bezel Omega on its 9 o'clock side for the first week or so, at the end of every day, i placed it on its 9 o'clock side. it was running 1 minute fast per day!

Yesterday, determined to experiment a little more before having to bring it in for regulating, i left it dial up last night. It appears like it is keeping good time this morning. Of course, another day or two would give me more information.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks.

 

All mechanical watches will have some positional variation. How much depends a great deal on the watch.

It would be unusual for a Speedmaster in good condition to gain 1 minute per day in one position, and be okay in another position.

Are you fully winding the watch (until the crown can't be turned any longer) every day?

 

Hi @Archer, thanks for your post.

i finally was able to figure out how to use one of these watch accuracy apps (android) and tried it over two days. well, with the dial up, it's pretty accurate! i am certain that over the first 1 1/2 weeks of my receiving my watch (that was around 3 weeks ago), i noticed it was running 1 minute fast per 24 hours roughly. however, the watch was mostly resting on its 9 o'clock side as i wore it only for around 2-4 hours per day, so not much.

after i complete a longer test period of my current test (dial up), say for another several more days, i'll test with the watch resting on its 9 o'clock side again.

in the meantime, over the last 2 days, these are the results.

needless to say, i'm pleased (if these results are to be trusted) and hopefully, when i go to test the watch laying on its 9 o'clock side again some time next week, it will also test well. i would not know what happened a week and half ago when it was entirely obvious it was running roughly 1 minute fast per day. you just couldn't miss that! strange.

i'm also slightly tempted to get this timegrapher:

https://www.amazon.com/OTOOLWORLD-C..._5?keywords=timegrapher&qid=1580143856&sr=8-5

though, i must say, as a non-watchmaker, i don't think i'll use it much at all. i don't want another $200+ purchase just sitting here gathering dust.

 

i'll test it with dial up for a few more days, then i'll go back and test it when the watch is laying on its 9 o'clock side.

i had dinner with two watchmakers today and they mentioned that often, watch companies merely adjust to 3 positions only, rather than the more traditional 6 positions.

they said that laying on the 9 o'clock side is the least important of the various positions as when one actually wears the watch, one's hands are down (when walking) and the crown is facing down, so essentially, the watch is "laying" on its 3 o'clock side.

 

Unless the owner wears it on their right wrist.

 

Only chronometers and railroad watches were adjusted to five or six positions. Your average wristwatch, including your vintage Omega watches, were adjusted to two or three positions. Of course watches for the US market and made overseas were marked "unadjusted" but that has to do with tarrifs and not the actual number of adjustments made to the watch when it was assembled.

Tom

 

https://watchesbysjx.com/2020/02/positional-error-and-accuracy.html

 

Here is data I collected with several of my Speedmasters over various positions. Definitely a positional variance but not even close to a minute per day.



Here is another chart showing how a typical Speedmaster starts losing time after initial wind (hence @Archer question about full wind). The more time that passes, the more time the watch loses (not gains).