Constellation 561 Power reserve

Gui13250 · Dec 4, 2019

hi there,
I’m looking information and feedbacks about mouvement 561.
Mine, from 1966 is quite accurate (about -7s/day when the watch in on the wrist) but the power reserve is about 24 or 25 hours long.
Is that correct for you?
Plus, when wearing it 2 days without winding the crown it happens that the self winding is sometime not enough (the watch stoped on the second day).
I’m mainly sitting at the desk on day and not wearing it at night, I assume that the self winding on the 561 is working only in one way, so maybe is it all normal. The watch has been controlled and adjusted few month ago.
What are you though on it?
Thanks

Peemacgee · Dec 4, 2019

Hi @Gui13250
AFAIK the 561 has bi-directional winding.
You don’t say if you wind it at the beginning of your test.
However, with no more than 10 ‘starter’ winds and wearing for a working day in an office environment my Connies will still be going two days later. (Ie if I start on Monday I can pick them up on wed morning)
Your watch should definitely not stop whilst wearing it.

Caliber561 · Dec 4, 2019

Peemacgee
Hi @Gui13250
AFAIK the 561 has bi-directional winding.
You don’t say if you wind it at the beginning of your test.
However, with no more than 10 ‘starter’ winds and wearing for a working day in an office environment my Connies will still be going two days later. (Ie if I start on Monday I can pick them up on wed morning)
Your watch should definitely not stop whilst wearing it.

+1

Gui13250 · Dec 4, 2019

Thanks for your feedbacks.
It seems that mine is only self winding in one way (reverse clock)... I’ll test it again when it will stop and let you know, maybe it deserves a go to the watchmaker!
So I understand that your 561 has almost 48h power reserve? Right?

Peemacgee · Dec 4, 2019

I couldn’t guarantee the exact length of power reserve but it must be roughly that.
My 551 performs the same.
Note: they have all been serviced, so new mainsprings etc.

If your watch is only winding one way then there is something decidedly wrong.
IIRC there is a component that allows the movt to wind both ways
(something like the reverse winding wheel mechanism) - our incumbent watch makers will know and should be able to advise.
@ChrisN
@Archer

Gui13250 · Dec 4, 2019

Peemacgee
I couldn’t guarantee the exact length of power reserve but it must be roughly that.
My 551 performs the same.
Note: they have all been serviced, so new mainsprings etc.

If your watch is only winding one way then there is something decidedly wrong.
IIRC there is a component that allows the movt to wind both ways
(something like the reverse winding wheel mechanism) - our incumbent watch makers will know and should be able to advise.
@ChrisN
@Archer

Thanks.
I’ll see if it winds both way when it will stop, maybe I did not turn enough in the clock side when I tried.

Peemacgee · Dec 4, 2019

Gui13250
Thanks.
I’ll see if it winds both way when it will stop, maybe I did not turn enough in the clock side when I tried.

Now I’m confused.
Do you mean using the crown or tipping the watch back and forth?
Without the back off the watch then you wouldn’t know which direction the rotor (auto-winding mechanism) is travelling.

Gui13250 · Dec 4, 2019

Peemacgee
Now I’m confused.
Do you mean using the crown or tipping the watch back and forth?
Without the back off the watch then you wouldn’t know which direction the rotor (auto-winding mechanism) is travelling.

Sorry, my English is maybe not good enough..
When it was out of power reserve, I tested it this way:
I handle the watch vertically in my hand, and then turn the whole watch 2 or 3 time in reverse of the clock side, and it start working. I tried the same thing in the clock side, and it did not start.
Using this way I can know which side i’m Winding even if the back is not off? Or am I wrong?
(I do apologise for my English, I guess it is not Chrystal clear...!)

Peemacgee · Dec 4, 2019

I understand now thank you.
So, strictly speaking, you are winding the rotor clockwise when rotating the watch head anti-clockwise.
It should work both ways.

I suspect it needs a trip back to the watchmaker to check it out properly.

Gui13250 · Dec 4, 2019

Peemacgee
I understand now thank you.
So, strictly speaking, you are winding the rotor clockwise when rotating the watch head anti-clockwise.
It should work both ways.

I suspect it needs a trip back to the watchmaker to check it out properly.

That’s it! But i’ll Try one more time, maybe I did not turn enough when doing it clock side. If no, i’ll Send it to the watchmaker hoping it will not cost too much

Archer · Dec 4, 2019

Official numbers for the 55X, 56X, and 75X series for power reserve is 38 hours from Omega. But if in good condition it's not unusual to get around 48 hours from them.

Your watch clearly needs a service.

Cheers, Al

Gui13250 · Dec 4, 2019

Just to let you know, I’ve called the professional (of selling vintage watch but not a watchmaker) who sold me the watch 1 month ago, explaining that:
- When I fully wind the watch using the crown and then let the watch alone, it keeps working for about 24hours. (For this I’ll say it is ok for a vintage)
- When I fully wind the watch using the crown and then wear it during the day it keeps working for about 27 hours and then stop working even if i’m currently wearing it...( During this 27 hours period i’ve Just let the watch on a table at night) so it seems that the automatic wind using the rotor is not working...

His answers: “totally normal for a 561 so old (1966)... even if the watch has been recently controled and Adjusted, you have so much to learn about vintage, and you’re expecting too much from a vintage watch »

Ok i’m A newbie in vintage watch, but according to your answers it is not normal and it needs servicing, am I right or expecting way too much from a vintage constellation?

Archer · Dec 4, 2019

Gui13250
Just to let you know, I’ve called the professional (of selling vintage watch but not a watchmaker) who sold me the watch 1 month ago, explaining that:
- When I fully wind the watch using the crown and then let the watch alone, it keeps working for about 24hours. (For this I’ll say it is ok for a vintage)
- When I fully wind the watch using the crown and then wear it during the day it keeps working for about 27 hours and then stop working even if i’m currently wearing it...( During this 27 hours period i’ve Just let the watch on a table at night) so it seems that the automatic wind using the rotor is not working...

His answers: “totally normal for a 561 so old (1966)... even if the watch has been recently controled and Adjusted, you have so much to learn about vintage, and you’re expecting too much from a vintage watch »

Ok i’m A newbie in vintage watch, but according to your answers it is not normal and it needs servicing, am I right or expecting way too much from a vintage constellation?

Typical dealer bullshit...

Was the watch sold "as is" or was it sold as recently serviced? If it was sold as serviced, who did the service?

You are not expecting too much from a vintage watch - again when properly serviced it should run a lot longer than this does. The last two 55X watches I serviced both ran for 47.5 hours on a full wind...

Gui13250 · Dec 4, 2019

Archer
Typical dealer bullshit...

Was the watch sold "as is" or was it sold as recently serviced? If it was sold as serviced, who did the service?

You are not expecting too much from a vintage watch - again when properly serviced it should run a lot longer than this does. The last two 55X watches I serviced both ran for 47.5 hours on a full wind...

One more time it is not about « raw » power reserve. I’m ok with 24 hours. I mean, i’m Just expecting that the watch do not stop working while I am wearing it. I mean it is an automatic watch and not a mechanical watch.

Are you ok with the fact that if I wear the watch even during, let say 70 hours, it shouldn’t stopped working as long as i’m Wearing it? (Not talking about accuracy)

The watch was sold controled and adjusted by his watchmaker. I have one year warranty, but he told me that even fully serviced it will keep like that. I guess I will go to another watchmaker than his, because even if I m sure the watchmaker is serious, he works a lot with this watch seller and I guess he will not want to be my side against the seller.
Anyway, the watch is really nice, it will just cost some money to service it. I’ll be better next time

Archer · Dec 4, 2019

Gui13250
One more time it is not about « raw » power reserve. I’m ok with 24 hours. I mean, i’m Just expecting that the watch do not stop working while I am wearing it. I mean it is an automatic watch and not a mechanical watch.

Are you ok with the fact that if I wear the watch even during, let say 70 hours, it shouldn’t stopped working as long as i’m Wearing it? (Not talking about accuracy)

The watch was sold controled and adjusted by his watchmaker. I have one year warranty, but he told me that even fully serviced it will keep like that. I guess I will go to another watchmaker than his, because even if I m sure the watchmaker is serious, he works a lot with this watch seller and I guess he will not want to be my side against the seller.
Anyway, the watch is really nice, it will just cost some money to service it. I’ll be better next time

One more time...If the watch will not run for at least 38 hours on a full wind, there's something wrong with it - period.

The fact that you would accept a 24 hour run time doesn't mean anything - the fact is it's not right. Any other parameters or tests you want it to pass are irrelevant at this point, because if it won't run for the full 38 hours at the very least, there's a serious issue going on.

Not sure I can make it any clearer than that.

Cheers, Al

Gui13250 · Dec 4, 2019

Archer
One more time...If the watch will not run for at least 38 hours on a full wind, there's something wrong with it - period.

The fact that you would accept a 24 hour run time doesn't mean anything - the fact is it's not right. Any other parameters or tests you want it to pass are irrelevant at this point, because if it won't run for the full 38 hours at the very least, there's a serious issue going on.

Not sure I can make it any clearer than that.

Cheers, Al

Crystal clear! I just need to find a trust full watchmaker in the south of France!

Gui13250 · Dec 5, 2019

Guys,
The watch stopped again even if I was wearing it.
So I now can say that it is automatically winding in both way ( I tried turning the watch on itself in clock side, it starts again few seconds, then in the opposite clock side, it also works few second)
Anyway, it will needs a go to a watch makers as all of you says that it shouldn’t stop working while wearing it.
It is hard to get into vintage watch with some sellers that are not really trustful!

Peemacgee · Dec 5, 2019

Gui13250
Guys,
The watch stopped again even if I was wearing it.
So I now can say that it is automatically winding in both way ( I tried turning the watch on itself in clock side, it starts again few seconds, then in the opposite clock side, it also works few second)
Anyway, it will needs a go to a watch makers as all of you says that it shouldn’t stop working while wearing it.
It is hard to get into vintage watch with some sellers that are not really trustful!

There is one more thing you could do - to discount possible issues rathe than pin-down the problem.

Wind the watch fully via the crown , about 30 turns. (don't worry - you can't break it by winding it more turns)
This should give you an indication of the health of the mainspring.
The watch should last longer than your current 24 hours and it shouldn't stop.

If the watch does only last a short time and/or stop then there is likely something wrong with your mainspring (which is the best case scenario)
However, if it runs ok, for say 36 hours, then you may have an automatic winding issue.

In the first instance, you should take advantage of the warranty on the watch before sending to a different watchmaker at your cost as it could be a potentially expensive fix.

Gui13250 · Dec 5, 2019

Peemacgee
There is one more thing you could do - to discount possible issues rathe than pin-down the problem.

Wind the watch fully via the crown , about 30 turns. (don't worry - you can't break it by winding it more turns)
This should give you an indication of the health of the mainspring.
The watch should last longer than your current 24 hours and it shouldn't stop.

If the watch does only last a short time and/or stop then there is likely something wrong with your mainspring (which is the best case scenario)
However, if it runs ok, for say 36 hours, then you may have an automatic winding issue.

In the first instance, you should take advantage of the warranty on the watch before sending to a different watchmaker at your cost as it could be a potentially expensive fix.

Fully winding the crown and not wearing it, it last 24h or a bit more.
Fully winding using the crown and then wearing it it will last only few more hours, less than 30 hours... but when power reserve is over, I turn the whole watch in my hands and it works few seconds... so it is automatically winding, but not as it should...
I’ll try to call the watchmaker owning the guarantee but the seller does not even pay for the delivery till the watchmaker... saying there is no problem...!

VetPsychWars · Dec 5, 2019

Show him this thread?

Tom

Constellation 561 Power reserve

Gui13250

Peemacgee

Caliber561

Gui13250

Peemacgee

Gui13250

Peemacgee

Gui13250

Peemacgee

Gui13250

Archer

Gui13250

Archer

Gui13250

Archer

Gui13250

Gui13250

Peemacgee

Gui13250

VetPsychWars

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