Smoothness/slipping of crown when adjusting time - 3861 Speedmaster moonwatch

Exarkun12 · Jul 22, 2023

Hi everyone, I just purchased a 3 month old Speedy moonwatch and just noticed a worrying “issue” and wanted to ask you folks for your advice/experience. The watch is as new and I didn’t notice it when inspecting the watch 🙁

With the crown pulled out to adjust the time, the crown seems to sporadically “skip” when I adjust the time forward. It feels/sounds like it is skipping a gear tooth, before reengaging again, if that makes sense. I hear a very soft click when this happens (have to bring the watch up to my ear). This doesn’t happen when I adjust the time forwards very slowly, or backwards.

Is it maybe linked to this topic, or I do indeed have an issue with my watch?: https://omegaforums.net/threads/hour-hand-jumping-stuttering-when-setting-the-time.150363/

My 1861 Speedmasters do not exhibit this behaviour and are very smooth when adjusting time.

I’m really hoping I do not need to bring it in for warranty repair as I just got the watch today 🙁

thanks in advance for your inputs!

Duckie · Jul 22, 2023

Have you tried pushing the crown back in and pulling it back out again?
If so, has it changed your experience?

You may be well placed to send it in for a correction under warranty if it concerns you on an ongoing basis and you're adjusting time more often than you would like or as lifestyle factors dictate.
Alternately, Omega may have a good look at it when service time comes around if you make special mention of it.

Exarkun12 · Jul 23, 2023

Yeah I’ve tried to push the crown back in and pulling it out several times, but the behaviour is still there.

My preference would be to enjoy the watch and only send it in later for warranty service since I have coverage until 2028. This watch will we worn in rotation with other watches so I wouldn’t need to adjust the time so often.

However I am wondering if this might make things worse or affect the watch in other ways? And does anyone know what is causing this?

The time can be adjusted normally, just that I feel this small crown slippage sporadically (like a bike chain skipping on the rear cog).

Any other 3861 owners and @Archer care to chime in?

thanks guys!

BAJJ · Jul 23, 2023

I have a 3861, I've just run the time forward through 24 hours and definitely do not have the issue you described, the crown action is very smooth when changing time.
If it was me I would be very reluctant to leave it as is and would definitely get it sent back for identifying the problem, it could cause lots of issues in the future.

Exarkun12 · Jul 23, 2023

Thanks for your feedback. I am now wondering what are these lots of issues that can happen in the future? And if the issue gets worse, I assume I will notice it if it starts slipping more?

Some additional info: the watch winds and runs fine, and the hands are aligned nicely. Would hate for it to be sent in now, not have it for a couple of months and then have it come back with other issues 🙁

scubafan · Jul 23, 2023

Afaik, a symptom like this appears when the cannon pinion is not tight enough. If so, only a service can solve it. I am not a watchmaker, tough.

Archer · Jul 23, 2023

Exarkun12
With the crown pulled out to adjust the time, the crown seems to sporadically “skip” when I adjust the time forward. It feels/sounds like it is skipping a gear tooth, before reengaging again, if that makes sense. I hear a very soft click when this happens (have to bring the watch up to my ear). This doesn’t happen when I adjust the time forwards very slowly, or backwards.

Do the hands stop moving when this skipping happens?

Exarkun12 · Jul 23, 2023

Archer
Do the hands stop moving when this skipping happens?

The hands continue to move smoothly...I just feel a slight stutter in the crown when turning it...and it is sporadic too.

Archer · Jul 23, 2023

Okay, just to illustrate what is going on when you pull the crown out I made a quick gif. Not a Speedmaster, but the dial side of the watch looks pretty much the same as this on the 321/861/1861/3861 movements when it comes to the winding and setting parts. I've removed the setting lever jumper (setting spring) to show the parts under it more clearly.

When the stem is pulled out, the setting lever moves the yoke, and that in turn moves the sliding pinion towards the center of the movement.

The sliding pinion teeth now contact the teeth of the setting wheels, which in turn contact the minute wheel, and then the cannon pinion. Now when you turn the stem, the hands will move.

If there is any real skipping happening, it means that the teeth are not engaging somewhere along this sequence. Since most of these are located in place very rigidly (the wheels turn on posts that are fixed locations, so the engagement of teeth can't be changed) the skipping usually happens where the sliding pinion meets the first of the setting wheels. If it's happening somewhere else, that means a damaged tooth on one of these wheels, but that is unlikely.

Skipping can happen if the sliding pinion teeth don't properly mesh with the setting wheel when the stem is first pulled out - that is why pushing the crown back in, then pulling it out again can solve this problem.

If this is really skipping, the hands would not move during the skip, and it would feel pretty pronounced. Since you say the hands don't stop, I'm not sure what it is that you are feeling, but I don't think it's anything to worry about unless it gets worse.

7enderbender · Jul 23, 2023

Not to be a smarty pants here, but this is exactly why I don’t like buying “new and improved” models. When it was time for a Speedy Pro, I went out of my way to still get a big box 1861. Tried and tested.
Same mess with Rolex and their new movements. “Better” on paper - but turn out to be unreliable (by Rolex standards). Happy to have a 5-digit version there also with the movement that had been around forever and all kinks worked out.

Exarkun12 · Jul 23, 2023

Archer
Okay, just to illustrate what is going on when you pull the crown out I made a quick gif. Not a Speedmaster, but the dial side of the watch looks pretty much the same as this on the 321/861/1861/3861 movements when it comes to the winding and setting parts. I've removed the setting lever jumper (setting spring) to show the parts under it more clearly.

When the stem is pulled out, the setting lever moves the yoke, and that in turn moves the sliding pinion towards the center of the movement.

The sliding pinion teeth now contact the teeth of the setting wheels, which in turn contact the minute wheel, and then the cannon pinion. Now when you turn the stem, the hands will move.

If there is any real skipping happening, it means that the teeth are not engaging somewhere along this sequence. Since most of these are located in place very rigidly (the wheels turn on posts that are fixed locations, so the engagement of teeth can't be changed) the skipping usually happens where the sliding pinion meets the first of the setting wheels. If it's happening somewhere else, that means a damaged tooth on one of these wheels, but that is unlikely.

Skipping can happen if the sliding pinion teeth don't properly mesh with the setting wheel when the stem is first pulled out - that is why pushing the crown back in, then pulling it out again can solve this problem.

If this is really skipping, the hands would not move during the skip, and it would feel pretty pronounced. Since you say the hands don't stop, I'm not sure what it is that you are feeling, but I don't think it's anything to worry about unless it gets worse.

Thanks so much for the detailed explanation Archer! Always appreciate your insights 😀
I feel more assured now and will simply enjoy this great watch!

Califfo · Jan 19, 2024

Hi all
Let me say that I believe to have experienced on my 3861 moonwatch the same feeling as exarkun 12 (my watch is 5months old and not used every day): after pulling the crown to adjust time, following a full winding after 2 days of no usage, the twisting of the crown was not smooth but periodically a higher friction could be felt. Hands never stopped rotating though, I am quite sure.
I repushed and repulled the crown and it was smoother.
I understand that it might be normal to have this random behavior when wanting to adjust time, mightn’t it? Or is it abnormal to have such an occurrence even if sporadically or even if fixed by pushing / pulling again the crown?
anything to be worried about please?
Thanks a lot
Emanuele

Smoothness/slipping of crown when adjusting time - 3861 Speedmaster moonwatch

Exarkun12

Duckie

Exarkun12

BAJJ

Exarkun12

scubafan

Archer

Exarkun12

Archer

7enderbender

Exarkun12

Califfo

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