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Watch Accuracy Varied Without Changing Wearing Habit

  1. Lbreak Sep 27, 2018

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    Just wanna check if anyone is experiencing the same issue I am facing at the moment.

    I have a GS 4522 that was running at -1.5 spd for 5 days, then I started to wind it fully every 1.5 days, and it started running at +1 spd for 3 days. Keeping the same wearing habit, winding pattern, and night resting position, it was running at ±.5 spd for 1 week. However, just since yesterday, it started running at -3 spd. Is that a sign of needing a service?
     
  2. Vitezi Sep 27, 2018

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    When was the last time it was serviced?
    These are high-beat (36kbph) watches aren't they?
     
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  3. Lbreak Sep 27, 2018

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    Yep, it's a 36000 bph movement. The service history is unknown, but I got my watchmaker to check it on timegrapher 4 weeks ago when I first got it, the beat error and amplitude was fine.
     
  4. Vitezi Sep 28, 2018

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    I'm no expert on these, but my understanding is that these generally have shorter service intervals to check for the wear and tear of the balance wheel and escapement. Timekeeping alone is not a good indicator of whether a watch needs to be serviced, because there are plenty of other factors, namely the adequate lubrication of all those moving bits. A movement can still keep very good time while slowly grinding away at itself.
     
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  5. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Sep 28, 2018

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    If I had a high beat movement and I didn't know if it had been serviced I'd get that corrected pronto!
     
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  6. Canuck Sep 28, 2018

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    Buy quartz! They are mostly not very interesting, but if you insist on seconds per month accuracy, it may be your only choice.
     
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  7. gostang9 Sep 28, 2018

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    I'm curious:
    1. How do you measure how many seconds per day your watch is slow or fast?
    2. Do you check it against another source daily?
    3. Why do you need them to be so accurate/precise/consistent?

    I have never experienced this, simply because I don't measure the accuracy/precision of my watches. This is because I don't need them to be so accurate and I also rotate through several watches and so have to set them before wearing anyhow.
     
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  8. The Father Went out for smokes in ‘78 not seen since Sep 28, 2018

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    Isn't a couple seconds or so a day, good for a mechanical watch?
     
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  9. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Sep 28, 2018

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    Not sure why this topic is in the modern Omega section...I was wondering what model of Omega a GS 4522 was...

    But anyway yes these have a recommended service interval of 3 years, due to the high loads on the parts. These photos are from a 4522A in a GS I serviced years ago - wear in the pallet fork jewel impulse faces:

    [​IMG]

    And in the minute pinion leaves:

    [​IMG]

    Just checking beat error and balance amplitude is not enough to determine the condition of the movement.

    Cheers, Al
     
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  10. Canuck Sep 28, 2018

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    My best time keeper. Since last service, 3 years ago, consistently within 5 seconds per week. Worn 24-hours per day. The watch is 30 years old.

    A2DB4943-D36E-4D3C-98AD-F66E4A0B28C9.jpeg
     
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  11. Dan S Sep 28, 2018

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    For me, this is the only relevant comment in your posts. If you are going to wear it regularly and it's plausibly past time for a service, it should be serviced. The other stuff about seconds per day, beat error, amplitude ... meh.
     
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  12. Lbreak Sep 28, 2018

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    wow thanks everyone! I checked the time against an app that syncs to an atomic clock, twice a day, just to get to know this watch since I recently bought it. My only concern was the strange timekeeping variation observed, not really worried about the accuracy -- losing 3 or 4 spd is actually still pretty great to me.

    Well, I guess it's time to visit my watchmaker!
     
    Edited Sep 28, 2018