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  1. watchknut New watch + Instagram + wife = dumbass Jan 6, 2016

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    You learn something new everyday...

    I had a collector point out that a majority of my watches have been "butchered" because they apparently don't set in the correct manner, and that any collector would have major issues with the watches.

    While I pay close attention to detail, in the last 30 years, I have never stopped and said, "wait, which way am I turning the crown to set the time? Is it clockwise? Counter clockwise?" If the watch set correctly (i.e. I pulled out the stem and set the hands) and ran well, I didn't care. Over 100 watches bought and sold, and never once did I check the rotation of the crown, and not once did anyone say something was wrong with the watch.

    Since I am bit dyslexic, I decided to draw a diagram of how most of the watches in my collection set the hands.
    [​IMG]
    As you can see, the vast majority of my watches set in the counter clockwise (crown) to clockwise (hands). What is odd is that all these watches have been serviced, if at all, by different watchmakers. A couple, the 166.091 and 166.077, I am fairly confident have never been serviced, and one, the Technos, I know for a fact has never been worn or opened--it is a true "sock drawer" find. As you will see, the Speedies are the only two that set clockwise and clockwise.

    What exactly does this mean?

    The Air King is the last watch I had serviced...in 1999, by an old school Rolex trained guy, and it apparently sets wrong. The 1665 has had a lot of routine service over the years (per the case back), and my Rolex trained watchmaker recently went over the movement, and put in a new mainspring, and everything checked it.

    Do I have incredibly bad luck to have collected watches that were manufactured or serviced by incompetent watchmakers? What causes the hands to go different ways? Does the way the hands set "make or break" the watch for anyone?

    How do other's watches set?

    Looks like I am just a backwoods watch rube, and have collected crappy watches that no one wants:(
     
    blubarb likes this.
  2. cicindela Steve @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 6, 2016

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    Alan_F likes this.
  3. M'Bob Jan 6, 2016

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    Not yet.
     
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  4. VetPsychWars Wants to be in the club! Jan 6, 2016

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    To be frank, this guy is an idiot. The way the hands move when you turn the crown is inherent in the design of the watch and cannot be changed during service. You would have to remanufacture or replace the movement for this to happen.

    It sets the way it sets and has no effect on its worth or value.This guy wasn't offering to buy anything, was he? Maybe he was trying to drive down the price....

    You have nothing to worry about.

    Tom
     
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  5. watchtinker Jan 6, 2016

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    Are you joking??? :cool:
     
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  6. watchknut New watch + Instagram + wife = dumbass Jan 6, 2016

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    He already bought the watch, made a claim about the dial, which I decided to agree on because there is the possibility of repair, and I gave a partial refund.

    He then texted me this morning with a video inquiring about the hand setting. I told him that I never really paid attention, and that a majority of my watches set in the same manner with the exception of the Speedies. He told me that all of the other watches were butchered, and I had a crappy watchmaker, and the only the Speedies were correct.

    He said that after handling 100s of watches, he had never seen a watch set in this manner, and I that I was a liar to state that I didn't know that all watches were suppose to set clockwise to clockwise. That any serious watch collector would have major issues with watch that set in this manner.

    I cannot make this up. I not joking.
     
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  7. tyrantlizardrex Jan 6, 2016

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    Sounds like a total arsehat.
     
    Scarecrow Boat, Mark020, MCC and 10 others like this.
  8. Garv no longer a member of the terminally hip Jan 6, 2016

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    +1
     
  9. cicindela Steve @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 6, 2016

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    Sound like he's looking for another rebate :thumbsdown:
     
  10. Geo! Jan 6, 2016

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    Whoever you have been dealing with is a total clown and certainly not to be trusted!
     
    George.A, chronos, MikiJ and 2 others like this.
  11. alam Jan 6, 2016

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    ::confused2:: interesting. I have never seen the winding you describe on the left column on your drawing... ::popcorn:: or maybe I'm the only one who doesn't understand your drawing?

    Edit: I'm slow with diagrams..I'm tracking now! :(
     
    Edited Jan 6, 2016
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  12. STANDY schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector Jan 6, 2016

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    Just send him a email and say it's all good I'm left handed.....should stump him for a bit....
     
  13. cicindela Steve @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 6, 2016

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    Yes, Do not let this man near your collection again (or in you house for that matter):cautious:
     
  14. VetPsychWars Wants to be in the club! Jan 6, 2016

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    I'd have this clown give you the watch back and refund him totally.

    Tom
     
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  15. Majork Jan 6, 2016

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    Depends on which side of the equator your on, doesn't it?
     
  16. watchknut New watch + Instagram + wife = dumbass Jan 6, 2016

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    Well, when you are held in such high esteem as a vintage dealer/collector that your watches are featured on Hodinkee's "Bring a Loupe", you are allowed to make such claims and belittle the mere mortals.

    I feel so humbled. Guess my dreams of having one of my watches featured on a blog are shot...they might as well be redialed with an over polished case.
     
  17. alam Jan 6, 2016

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    @cicindela Is this another case of how things operate in the Southern Hemisphere? :p
     
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  18. michael e Still learning. Jan 6, 2016

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    Ask this guy to come on here and argue his case, sounds like a crook to me.

    Any chance you could PM me his name so I can avoid dealing with him?
     
  19. kov Trüffelschwein. Jan 6, 2016

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    Hahah, hat guy desserves the Bullshitter certificate, keep him away :D
     
    Samir and Mods like this.
  20. alam Jan 6, 2016

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    May I propose a new rule for our FS ads..

    1. fully describe the rotation movement of the watch's hands when the crown is winded either in a clockwise/counter clockwise direction.
     
    Edited Dec 14, 2018
    Annapolis, Samir, McKinley and 2 others like this.