I try to avoid complications

Seems pretty complicated way of showing the date in that picture;)

Sorry for possible hijack, but I thought it may interest a fair few on this thread.

I’ve bought a few Seiko automatics over the last 18 months, including Sarb 017, 033, and several Samurai’s that I’ve been wearing for a over a year now. The 6R15 equipped watches seemed quite accurate at first but has dropped after a few months wearing in, looking at 30 seconds gain or loss over 3 days now. Conversely the 4R35 equipped Seiko’s were quite inaccurate to start with, but with some wrist-time they’ve all become really accurate, to the point where they’re two or three seconds out after 48 hours, whether on wrist or not. I have two Japan made and one Korean Samurai, and the K is the most accurate. Bang-on to the second after 4 days of wearing in the day and on the side at night.

Now, I know it’s likely all of them are within spec, and I understand that this inaccuracy and inconsistency is the nature of autos, but I’ve looked at ‘regulating’, as I find accurate watches somehow satisfying.

You can pick up a ‘value’ timegrapher for around a ton and the mechanics of actually doing it don’t bother me. But, I wondered if there are watch shops/Jewelers/watchmakers that offer this service for not stupid money. (ie £50 -100)?

I’ve had a bit of a look round on Google and nothing pops up, wither local or national.

Any of you guys any experience of such things?

Thanks for reading

TC

If anyone’s interested in Hamiltons, Creation Watches seem to be offering a load at half price or thereabouts, plus a Fathers day 10% discount until Sunday night.

A few Seiko’s on there also.

You can pick up a ‘value’ timegrapher for around a ton and the mechanics of actually doing it don’t bother me. But, I wondered if there are watch shops/Jewelers/watchmakers that offer this service for not stupid money. (ie £50 -100)?

I’ve got the paid for version of the ‘clock tuner’ app (android) I think it was only a couple of quid, but it’s been more than adequate for a bit of DIY regulation, just pop the watch on the mic’ and leave it for a bit to see what the deviation is (BPH/BPM/Hz).

Screen grab:

Just stuck an old Orient on it which appears to be 17s a day slow at present…

Topper, you might be better asking that question at LFGSS watches and horologybthread,mute a few knowledgeable cyclists there
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/143800/

you don’t need a timegrapher to regulate, just patience. a shop will do it for a tenner.

its not unusual for a a new watch to be fast and to slow as the spring slackens slightly.

oh and there’s a phone timegrapher app

I have a SARB017 and got it serviced and regulated at Debenhams in the autumn for £70. Their watch services are supposed to be good.

Seems pretty complicated way of showing the date in that picture;)

Not if you look at the time…
Regarding regulating a mechanical auto, I’ve done it with my SPORK, which is the 4R15 calibre (it was the first diver to use that movement). I just took the back off, and nudged the adjuster with a pin a very, very tiny amount. It had been losing something like 30 seconds a week, my goldsmith mate had a go, and made it worse, but the other way, so he told me to get a case-opening tool and have a go. First go was a bit of an improvement, but my second go had it losing something like five seconds a month! IIRC, during the period of the clocks changing, it lost thirty seconds.
That was five or six years ago, and it’s not quite as accurate now, because I don’t wear it all the time, but it’s still something around thirty seconds a month, which I think is acceptable.
It’s certainly a lot more accurate than my Casio G-Shock!

Bang-on to the second after 4 days of wearing in the day and on the side at night.

Not at all uncommon. You could try different positions overnight for your other watches see if one is an improvement over the others.

Get yourself a case opening tool, adjust watch, wear it, see how it goes, repeat. When you are happy get the seals redone (and tell them not to regulate it!) I’ve never found any watch regulated off wrist was all that good on wrist, not even certified chronometers.

I will warm you though, the Seiko adjuster is simple but finicky as all get out. You think you haven’t really moved it but the watch runs 2 minutes fast. Takes patience but you’ll get there.

Does anyone know where I can find a Seiko Pepsi SKZ009 with Jubilee strap BUT the newer calibre (MH35?) that has the hack?

Seems rare as hens teeth…

Thanks for all the very helpful replies folks. I’ve got all the tools so may have a go with the app. Cheers!

Been enjoying this thread, so thought I’d post a pic of my Omega. Bought new fifteen years ago, I used to wear it every day, but tend to wear my Suunto these days. Nice to wear at weekends though. I set an alarm for 10:10 this morning to take a picture at the obligatory watch photographing time:

That is bloody lovely CB, very nice watch.

I agree! Smart!

That’s very nice

Cheers folks. I used to subscribe to Time magazine, and from the hundreds of watch adverts I must have browsed through (lots of Breitling, Patek Phillipe, Rolex ect.), I fell in love with this one, so saved for ages until it was finally mine!

Thats a lovely looking watch with a great little back story to it also.

I will warm you though, the Seiko adjuster is simple but finicky as all get out. You think you haven’t really moved it but the watch runs 2 minutes fast. Takes patience but you’ll get there.

Ain’t that the truth! The amounts required are fractions of a millimetre.

Hello all – I have a question about my Seiko5 that I’ve had since December (Japanese movement 23jewel). The seconds are totally accurate but permanently 30s out, and I can’t do that thing where you apply pressure to hold it. the obvious thing to do is leave it off for a few days and then restart it but would that make it less accurate ?

the minute hand loses a minute or so every month but I’m not bothered about this too much (or should I? should it lose that much ?) but it’s interesting that the second hand is bob on but the minutes not

it’s interesting that the second hand is bob on but the minutes not

I don’t think that’s possible, they’re physically connected. And you’re doing very well indeed if a Seiko 5 is within a minute a month, Seiko’s stated tolerance is something like plus or minus 20 seconds a day with that movement. In view of the comments from cromo and CZ above don’t even think about touching the adjuster!

Agree with Johnners regarding accuracy. 1 minute lost a month on a mechanical Seiko movement is very good indeed. I wouldn’t touch the adjuster if I had that level of accuracy.

To put into perspective:

If you average a month to 30 days, that’s 2 seconds a day. That’s well within COSC and bang on the upper limit of Rolex Superlative Chronometer spec.

That’s probably the most accurate Seiko 5 in the world.

Is this the place to mention I really can’t stand looking at my omega seamaster (mechanical) sitting in the box unused for the last year or so. I can’t bring myself to go to one of those online shops to sell but if anyone is inter3sted then they are welcome to pm me. If this isn’t allowed then let me know and I will delete or edit straight away.

if anyone is inter3sted

I dunno, is it as accurate as edhornby’s Seiko 5?

Bit of “Modern retro” geek chic for you, casio A168:

Absolutely love this thread.

I decided to treat myself to this longines heritage Diver

Fell in love with it when I saw it in the metal. Roll on Friday when I pick it up.

thanks all – someone from CERN is coming round to look at my Seiko to see if they can use it to calculate the speed of the new LHC 🙂

A bit super retro this, but maybe of interest to some.

Illinois Watch Co. from 1892. This was my great grandfather’s watch. An irishman who emigrated to the US in the late 1800s, he was a big burly chap whose pub party piece was to lift an anvil above his head with one hand. Until he had a stroke. He then returned to Ireland to spawn my grandad, who spawned my dad, who spawned me.

It still works, and his initials are engraved on the front.

A lovely thing to have. I do have a picture of him somewhere, and a watch chain is hanging from his waistcoat. Of course I like to believe that this was the watch in his pocket.

that is lovely. its fab to wear an albert chain and watch for a big occasion

@Monkeychild – I like that Longines heritage diver, something a bit different.

My Yokobies Seiko 5 pictured above somewhere is currently running exactly 1’30” slow, after roughly a month. I’ll do a proper reset on the first of the month and see where it’s at on the 30th, just to make it easier to check.
Still, it’s a pretty cheap mechanical auto, that hasn’t been touched from new, so I reckon it’s pretty good.

Anyone wanting a tough waterproof might be interested in the new Omega diver. One recently spent two and a half days at the bottom of the deepest place on Earth, the Mariana Trench 10,928 metres!

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/omega-seamaster-planet-ocean-ultra-deep-professional

3 secs a day ..yes i’d be happy. i guess the test is hardest if the wearing/conditions/environment are changing lots but even if not, that’s a decent accuracy

This Seiko Diver thing is annoyingly addictive.  I wanted a bracelet beater so wore my Samurai for two days before deciding it was too good to scratch, the Citizen was two shiny looking and I’m not using the Tag wedding present for that.

Not wanting to spend too much I decided I might buy a Pepsi Sea Urchin, but I’m sitting here with 5 Military on a NATO having second thoughts…  aaargh!

What a great story behind great grandads pocket watch!

I wanted a bracelet beater so wore my Samurai for two days before deciding it was too good to scratch

My daily watch is a Seiko SNK805K2 I bought 6 years ago for £43 and I think that’s too good to scratch. I’d only be happy scratching a watch I didn’t like, and why would I be wearing one of those?

Get them worn! What’s the point in having them sat in a drawer where you can’t use them?

Currently wearing a watch with an RRP close to my monthly wage (although I paid way less than that second hand) I just take it off when I’m going somewhere it could get damaged. Worn it every day like that for the few months I’ve had it.

My daily watch is a Seiko SNK805K2 I bought 6 years ago for £43 and I think that’s too good to scratch. I’d only be happy scratching a watch I didn’t like, and why would I be wearing one of those?

You should see the state of my TAG! That was a £250 watch new – they’re now starting to fetch upwards of £1000, even battered like mine is – I think there’s a photo somewhere earlier in this thread.
My Yokobies Seiko 5 was around $80, I think, possibly a bit more I can’t remember, but I’m wearing that every day to work at the moment, and I was wearing my SPORK to work, in fact I didn’t take it off at all for several months, that one cost me £350 NOS.
The only watch I don’t wear to work any more is my Yema, it’s now become too valuable to risk for everyday wear. I paid £50 for that one, but that one was never a common watch, even when new.
My point is, unless the watch is some fabulously pricey thing with jewels and suchlike, then it’s a tool, and should be worn regularly and used for what it’s intended for, telling the time.

God yeh, gotta wear your watches man. No such thing as ‘too nice to wear’ unless it’s some priceless haute horlogerie piece but even then I’d argue it.

Watches age with you. Scratches and blemishes are part of it. My Explorer I posted a page or so back already has it’s first scratch – hasn’t came off my wrist since I bought it! It’s part of the character it builds.

You can do things to minimise scratches (like turn your wrist inwards towards you as you go through doorways, etc) but ultimately the whole point is they experience life with you.

My point is, unless the watch is some fabulously pricey thing with jewels and suchlike, then it’s a tool, and should be worn regularly and used for what it’s intended for, telling the time.

Absolutely. If you’re so worried about a watch that you don’t wear it then it’s not worth owning IMO, but equally just because something’s cheap doesn’t mean you treat it carelessly. I know some people are more collectors than users but that wouldn’t be for me even if I had the budget for the high end stuff. I’m wearing the black Monster today, that’s a gert lump that seems to be inviting knocks but 15+ years on it’s still in pretty fair nick. Similar 7S26 movement to the £43 cheapy I mentioned above, which always seemed a bit tight TBH!