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Sudden reduction of time average of my 8500 (Si14) after about 2 year

  1. JCBS Feb 13, 2017

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    Dear all,

    I do own an Omega De Ville Hour Vision from begin 2015. Sinds the beginning I have composed a document with all the possible information found on this superb movement. But sinds a few weeks I begin to wander whats the matter with my watch?

    The first year I measured a phenomenal wrist average of -1 sec/week (-0.14 sec/day) and for the second year this was -1.5 sec/week (-0.21 sec/day), dependable of the activity and rest of the watch. At the end of the second year the watch started to run on a still fabulous average of -6 sec/week (-1 sec/day). Nothing to complain about, sure not when I get the sec/day in mind, from -0.14 sec/day (through -0.21 sec/day) to -0.86 sec/day, but it is a free fall of 400% - 600%. Will it stay this way or will my watch further going down in average?

    I have looked on the internet and I came across several of these kind of stories. How can this be? Is it the oil or missing of the oil, are some of the parts running dry? Or is it something else and what can it be?

    Sorry for splitting hair here.

    Kind regards,
    Arno
     
  2. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Feb 13, 2017

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    You have done a little more than gather documentation...from another thread here (and similar one on WUS), you have been using large magnets to test how anti-magnetic the watch is, using some strong enough to make the watches stop:

    "Last weekend I have found an 850 Gauss magnet and with that magnet my watch stopped running easy, so it is for sure that the magnetic resistance of the 8500 (Si14) is much less than 1000 Gauss, I think it will be only a few hundred Gausss "

    To describe this change in rate as a "free fall" is hyperbole. It's a small change in rate in practical terms, and given the things you have done to the watch I'm not surprised.

    My advice would be to stop messing with the watch, don't worry about small changes in rate, get it demagnetized if you haven't done so already, and then just wear it.

    Cheers, Al
     
    g-boac, DMeister406, WiZARD and 8 others like this.
  3. korenje Feb 13, 2017

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    archer - omega qualified spy ;)
     
  4. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Feb 13, 2017

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    Since I interacted with the OP in both the threads in question, I would hardly call it spying mate...
     
  5. korenje Feb 13, 2017

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    I was kidding...
     
  6. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Feb 13, 2017

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    Sure
     
  7. JCBS Feb 13, 2017

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    Thanks Al, you are the best. The free fall average started already in December, when I was not testing magnetism, and yes I do have a de-magnetizer and done it with my watch (which also stoped running in the de-magnetizer, temporary fortunate). Evident, but now I know the magnetic resistance of my Omega De Ville Hour Vision line watch with the 8500 (Si14) movement is 200 Gauss. Sorry, I like to know all the things about my watch, one way or another (but always with care).

    The average fall is indeed a very small fall of something more than 0.6 sec/day, but suddenly it was happening (and now shows a parabolic function instead of a line), when will it stop or equal. Time will tell, yes. I was only curius or someone has the same experience and did find out the reason, like the matter of the main spring coating failure in the early versions of the 8500. This will be something different I hope (reserve is still a little over 60 hour). Thanks again.

    Kind regards,
    Arno

    ps. Al, can you tell me what kind of material the balance wheel is made of?
     
    Edited Feb 14, 2017
  8. akshayluc420 Feb 15, 2017

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