I just found this "Create Thread" button in Member support! Now I can detail what I think I've learned!

My favorite Jeweler does not carry anything but Citizen/Bulova and offered a "Just Like Swiss" automatic watch (Signature?) and I resisted thinking to get a REAL Swiss automatic. So...I found another Jeweler (part of a worldwide chain) who carried Swiss brands. I bought my new Longines HydroConquest (HC) 6-3-15 from this Authorized (AD) near my home.

As a new person to automatic watches, I often believed everything I was told. I have since learned that there are people and organizations you trust and there are the others. Being a trusting person, it is the grace of God that these 2 Jewelers I befriended tell the truth.

I took my HC on a cruise ship with my family and sister-in-law's family to the Yucatan and Cozumel in July 2015. I had never been on a cruise ship before and it was a revelation and a thrill and money well spent. I discovered the blue dial of the HC matched the Caribbean water color as I leaned over the rail. (COOL!)

I attended a shopping seminar on board the ship and discovered the presenter knew about watches, etc. He directed me to a Jeweler on the duty free strip. While the family decided to go swimming/snorkeling, I went watch shopping. (yeah, I know...while wearing 300m HC...shows you MY priorities. ;-)) Silly man that I am.

I found the Jeweler and was stunned by the new Breitling Colt and settled on the marine blue dial (the color of the bay at Cozumel...REALLY!) Pretty, do-it-all, and they threw in a matching blue leather Breitling strap...all for more than double the discount of my AD back home! I was nervous at spending the cost of the cruise on a watch, but I could not let that deal slip through my fingers...7-7-15.

So here I sat after vacation with a Longines HC with cal. L633 (based on 2824-2) and Breitling Colt with cal. B17 (based on 2824-2). What better thing to do than to test them against each other under a variety of conditions? (within reason). The Colt (COSC) and the Longines (not COSC) head-to-head data collection was on!

Preliminary timing studies July 15-20 indicated:

Longines HC varied from (per day, 24 hrs) 1 sec fast, to 2, to 3 secs fast, to 1 sec slow per 24 hrs. (and a few numbers in between) AVG. = 2.25 sec fast per day. COOL!

Breitling Colt varied from +5 secs fast to +12 secs to +2 secs per day.

The Breitling varied past COSC, and I thought it not so good that a watch more than twice the price and COSC certified should perform less consistently than my Longines, not COSC.

I was told and had read that magnetism could cause a watch to vary significantly and was advised to see if the Colt was magnetized, if so, get it de-magnetised. (Especially if I went through any metal detectors on the cruise) Off I went to the one person in DFW that the Jeweler (AD) knew who was trustworthy and could do this. The deed was done and the Colt seemed to behave for a bit.

By the first week of August, the HC started to slow... -1 sec per day, -4.8 s/day, -2.37 s/day, -1.68, 2.29... Odd going from +2 s/day consistently to slow varied...I thought, maybe it needed de-magnetizing too? 8-8-15 demagnetized.
After that adventure, it still ran over -2 s/day slow. hmmm...maybe it just went through a break-in period...and now has settled into its normal performance behavior.

I then started reading about various magnetism sources and over a few months noted that both the HC and Colt both started slowing significantly so that by January, 2016 both watches were 16-20 secs per day slow. I blamed the disk drive on my computer that I use for work many hours of the day (and sometimes night). My Omega AT Master Co-axial had no variance in its performance with equal numbers of desk hours, so this helped convince me.

I have previously posted on this site concerning my HydroConquest and Colt. I was led to believe the the slowing of the movement was due to the computer drive. (I have since read that "speeding up" is the more common phenomenon with magnetism) I was convinced that I was a cool guy and really had this issue figured out. Multiple trips to the de-magnetizer woman resulted in no change, however.

I bought a serious degausser for watches and instruments...and used it. No change.

Now I was in a dilemma. I was either a cool guy who missed something, or not cool at all. The evidence weighed heavily in favor of "not cool at all".

Something was happening to these two watches at about the same time, and I could not figure out what it was.

I shipped the Longines HC to the hospital via the AD (Longines warranty fix place) in early April 2016 and when it returned it ran and continues to run (worn) +1.85 to +2.58 s/day. Mode is +2.08 s/day...to this day. Generally +4 s/day on winder...+2 s/day worn active.

I shipped the Breitling Colt to the hospital via the AD (Breitling warranty fix place) April 25, 2016 and it returned 17 days later. (!!!fast in my book!!) Now runs worn +2.7 to +3.7 s/day. Winder = +4 to +4.5 s/day. I need more data on this one, but I have little doubt it will settle into a high +2 s/day fast.

The wacky PLUS seconds to steadily worse MINUS seconds on both watches purchased within 34 days of each other, both using very similar movements, having the same issues at the same time, tells me something is happening in common.

The only thing I can think of is lube. The watches were on display in cases with hot lights etc. for a year each (at least). After service, they both deliver consistent performance each individually. The two are close comparisons with each other as cousins of the 2824-2 movement. Amazingly close in my book.

Lessons learned:
1. It takes a long time to ramp up a learning curve on a new subject (automatic watches)
2. Magnetism is likely only a factor when you go through metal-detector machines or REALLY strong sources...at least this is my working theory now...after all my data and adventures.
3. It is stunning (TO ME) that mechanical watches can perform as well as they do in everyday life.
4. There MAY be little difference between grades of the same ETA movements.
5. It may become regular practice to send watches in for service before the warranty is out. (I am convinced the Breitling came back prettier than it left!)...depending on performance.
6. Longines HydroConquest edges forward (so far) as the leader in consistency and accuracy.
7. STAIB Mesh bands are cool!