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Common initial problems and solutions:
My watch won't run, what do I do?
A:
If you haven't already, wind it fully, even if it's an automatic movement, see Basics 101 post for how to.
I have wound my watch, and it's still not running!
A:
When the balance is stopped, the pallet arms can get hung up on the escape
wheel, and the watch won't start on it's own. Place the watch dial up,
in the palm of your hand, gently swirl you hand as if you were having
some fine Brandy, swirl swirl! what your trying to do is to gently get
the balance wheel to start swinging on it's own and unlock the pallet
stone. Try it a few times, if this fails, your watch is FUBR and needs
to be looked at by a watchsmith.
The date is switching over at noon, how do I get it to switch over at midnight?
A:
Move
to the other side of the planet... Whenever you have new date watch,
wind it fully, then pull the crown out to the time setting position and
turn the hands clockwise, until the date changes over, that's midnight.
Now continue forward and set the time of day, then set the date (and
day if needed).
Should I get my watch serviced?
A:
Any
and all mechanical watches need regular service. Every 5 years is a
good interval. If your not going to keep the watch, don't bother with a
servicing. If you plan on keeping the watch, decide on a time that is
good for you to have it serviced. Remember this important point about
servicing: if you think that by not getting it serviced, and just
letting it run till it stops you'll save some money - think again. If
it does eventually stop, it is in bad condition. You can pay me now, or
pay me later. It's cheaper to clean and oil a watch, than it is to
clean, oil, and replace worn out parts!. You will not save money by
delaying servicing, no more so than you will by never changing the oil
in your car! Parts cost more that oil and cleaning. Buying a
replacement movement is not a guarantee against this problem, unless
you get the Factory sealed movements (clean and oiled correctly), at
more than twice the price for "regular" movements, your going to be
spending more for the movement alone than for the servicing, and then
you have to pay for the installation of the new movement! If your watch
is a "keeper" have it serviced within 5 years! if not, then don't, and
when it stops, trash it!
My watch is running Fast/Slow
A:
A
mechanical movement is not a quartz one, especially in terms of
accuracy. Many, many things affect the rate of the watch, temperature,
position, wind state, etc. At best your watch is no more accurate than
30 seconds to 1 minute per day. If you get better than this, you have a
really good movement. If it's out by more than a minute a day, there
are probably more problems with the watch that a simple time adjustment
can fix. As a watch gets dirty and the oil dries up, the friction
increases, and this causes the watch to run faster! As the watch runs
down from a full wind to a unwind state, the watch runs faster! If you
set the watch dial up or dial down, the watch runs slower! If you set
the watch crown down or crown up, the watch runs faster! There are many
variables, and it's important to note these and see if there is really
something wrong with the watch, or if it's perfectly normal and within
specifications.
My watch suddenly started running really fast!
A:
It
could be a number of things, from the balance spring touching something
or the coils in the balance spring touching each other (from the watch
being dropped or banged). It won't fix itself, and your best investment
is to have someone look at it. The balance hairspring is the most
fragile and unforgiving part of the watch, touch it the wrong way, and
you just bought yourself a new balance wheel and spring and the
installation cost!
Should I keep my watches on a winder, or wound every day or running all the time?
A:
I
don't think it really makes any difference to the movement. The oils
are not going to wear out, dry out, or stop performing whether the
watch is running or not. If the watch is correctly oiled and clean, the
pivots on the gears and balance wheel will not wear out, they are
running in a film of oil, in jewels made of synthetic ruby (better than
natural ruby as the natural one has impurities in it), and will suffer
no wear with regular cleaning and oiling. The oil is going to dry out
no matter what, it's not dependant on the movement running or not.
Remember as well that most jewels and pivots in the watch have this
much oil in them (.) yes the dot in the parenthesis; and the oil is
held in place by capillary action, it does not move, settle to the sump
or go anywhere!
Till next time.
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