Watch android app for regulation

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neilbardsley

·Mar 2, 2023

One of my watches is running a little slow so I thought I would try to regulate it. It is mostly losing time when sitting overnight.

I down loaded a 4.8 rated android app. It said I was running 30 sec slow with a best error.

When I adjusted the regulator it had no impact on the secs I was running slow each day. Btw 30 secs isn't so bad.

Is there a better app to try? Can I get an external mic/watch fixture which will work better?

Or will it never be that good?

 

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Bruce235

·Mar 2, 2023

That scatter plot is poor, should be nice straight lines. Indicates that a service is required.

The app cannot detect the rate.

Could be your phone mic.
I use the same app with my Samsung and get good results.

 

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TDBK

·Mar 2, 2023

The display looks like the app can't hear the watch well; you can't determine anything about the movement from this reading. Try different watch positions (orientation and location near the phone microphone), maybe try removing a case from the phone, do it in a quiet environment, etc.

 

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blueteg

·Mar 2, 2023

It sounds like you already cracked it open and start tinkering with it...so my advice may be a little late.
When was the last time the watch was demagnetized? That would be my first step in a DIY "tune up", before messing with the movement. There a few apps that can help you determine if your watch is magnetized, and to what degree. I use one with a tile titled, "AC Magenetic Field Meter" for Android. It seems to work well and has consistent readings before and after I pass my watch over a demagnetizer.

Do you own a demagnetizer?

 

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blueteg

·Mar 2, 2023

TDBK

The display looks like the app can't hear the watch well; you can't determine anything about the movement from this reading.

Try different watch positions (orientation and location near the phone microphone), maybe try removing a case from the phone, do it in a quiet environment, etc.

Agreed.

If you put another watch on it that you know is in good working order, does it provide a more consistent plot map?
Does the app account frequency and lift angle for that movement?

 

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blueteg

·Mar 2, 2023

neilbardsley

One of my watches is running a little slow so I thought I would try to regulate it. It is mostly losing time when sitting overnight.

Btw 30 secs isn't so bad.

Can I get an external mic/watch fixture which will work better?

Or will it never be that good?

During the day, have you tried measuring the accuracy against a quartz watch/timer or atomic time?
If so, what's the accuracy in a 12-14 period that you're awake?
Same question goes for when you set it down for the night. What's the loss/gain when you wake up?

What year is the watch? In most cases, 30 sec/day, means its time to get it looked at.

You can get a timegrapher for $150-$200 (USD). Those have external mics and are designed for just this sot of thing.

Depending on what kind of watch it is, you should be able to get around 4-8 sec/day variance once it's been serviced.

 

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Olhenry56

·Mar 2, 2023

I use that app, too. It looks like you picked up all background noise and the app did it's best to make sense of it, but you should expect to see a clear trend in the scatter plot for a reasonably well-functioning watch. Put the watch closer to the phone's microphone in a quiet environment.

 

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MRC

·Mar 2, 2023

neilbardsley

One of my watches is running a little slow so I thought I would try to regulate it. It is mostly losing time when sitting overnight.

I down loaded a 4.8 rated android app. It said I was running 30 sec slow with a best error.

When I adjusted the regulator it had no impact on the secs I was running slow each day. Btw 30 secs isn't so bad.

That resembles the plot I got pointing the mic at a radio playing Planet Rock (other stations are available). Trying it with the Speedy Reduced I'm wearing got a nice straight line and an error of+6/7 s/d in most positions -- which is what it does in real life. Android device is an inexpensive Lenovo tablet. Any watch of mine off by 30 s/d would be off to a watchmaker.

 

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neilbardsley

·Mar 13, 2023

Ok thank you. I will try again

 

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Geme81

·Mar 13, 2023

I just downloaded the app and I tried some measurements on my speedy and it looks interesting. I don't know what a real instrumentation can say but the chart plots are not even dispersive.

 

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neilbardsley

·Mar 13, 2023

I've bgt an external mic and I will try on another watch (that is running perfectly)

 

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kaplan

·Mar 18, 2023

If you're at a phase where you're opening watches to regulate, best to buy a timegrapher early on to save yourself some time and immensely increase your enjoyment of the hobby, phone apps are super annoying and a waste of time