Automatic Function Caliber 561

[AMcA]

I have a recently serviced pie pan constellation from the early ‘60s. Despite a full wind and wearing the watch 16 hours per day, it typically stops after 3-5 days at around 10:30 PM when the date change mechanism kicks in. I am active enough that under similar conditions my Rolex never requires winding. The watchmaker claims that it never stops running when on a watch winder and says I may not be active enough for the automatic mechanism to keep the mainspring fully wound. My Rolex experience would argue otherwise.

What are peoples’ thoughts on whether the service was performed properly and whether there is a reasonable solution to this problem.

 

[Peemacgee]

welcome @AMcA

I can't comment on the quality of your service but a freshly serviced and fully functioning cal 561 should run for the best part of a couple of days after taking it off, after winding it and wearing it for a day, unless you are really sedentary during the day.
If you are wearing it each day it shouldn't stop at all.

 

[SOG53]

I dont think you should have to keep a 60's constellation that is worn all day on a watch winder to prevent it from stopping at 10:30 pm. Something isnt right IMO.
One of our watchmakers might have an opinion.

 

[rendo]

Welcome! A few questions that may help with the troubleshooting:

- Any chance you wear your watches very loose?
- Do you wind the watch every morning, or only the first time you pick it up?
- Which Rolex are you comparing the constellation to?

 

[AMcA]

rendo

Welcome! A few questions that may help with the troubleshooting:

- Any chance you wear your watches very loose?
- Do you wind the watch every morning, or only the first time you pick it up?
- Which Rolex are you comparing the constellation to?

i do wear it a bit looser than the Rolex, but not so loose that it can rotate around my wrist. The Rolex is the basic “oyster perpetual chronometer officially certified” without calendar from 1976, Caliber 1560. I never wind the Rolex and I have not been winding the omega other than giving it 50 winds to get it started. I have a buddy who has to give his same model omega 7 winds every morning to keep it running.

 

[Peemacgee]

I’m not sure that a 561 takes 50 winds to a full wind ( I thought it was about 30) but the ‘clutch’ will continue to slip after that.

I’m sure it’s best to test it on a full wind but usually 10 winds and strap it on for the day generally does the trick for my Constellations (551, 561, 564)

The fact that the WM says it doesn’t stop on
a winder makes full sense as the rotor is winding the watch.
It’s when you take it off ( the wrist or winder) that the test begins.

Sounds like you have a mainspring issue - it may be that the coincidental effort of changing date is the final straw stopping the watch.

 

[hoipolloi]

First, I want to see if the rotor is free, not touching the case back or bridge.

 

[nkhandekar]

My Connie with a cal 564 after a service runs for almost 2 days after I have worn it all day. You are not getting a good transfer of kinetic energy to your mainspring.

And for what it is worth, I have two JLC chronographs (one from 2014 and from 2019) that have the same lack of automatic winding issue. I feel your pain.

 

[rendo]

Do you know if the watchmaker installed a new mainspring from Omega during the last service?

 

[AMcA]

I am not sure whether a new spring was installed and I have been told that installing the wrong spring could be a root cause. In the meantime the watchmaker has agreed to give me a full refund since he was apparently unwilling to open the watch again to find the problem.

I do get 2 days run time after a full wind with the watch on a table, so I think that a full wind stores the requisite amount of energy. For whatever reason, the automatic mechanism is not capturing the energy from my hand movement.

I am gonna take it to a Swiss-trained WM next.

 

[Archer]

In this sort of scenario, I recommend a test...

Fully wind the watch using the crown, set the time, and leave it dial up on a flat surface until it stops - note how many hours the watch has run. If the watch runs for the recommended/normal power reserve, you know that the base movement is likely in good shape, so it won't be an incorrect mainspring or something like that. That means it's an automatic winding issue of some kind, either the automatic winding is not working properly, or you are not active enough, or the watch is too loose on your wrist.