Watch Thread

Discussion in 'Geek Cave: Computers, Tablets, HT, Phones, Games' started by Shem, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    I've been wearing my dad's Seiko 5 a bit more lately and I'm investigating it's accuracy and some tweaks I can do. I found this nice little site that helps me keep track of accuracy

    https://watchaccuracy.com

    No ads and no sign-up. It store the data with a cookie. Since Dec 5th I've been recording the errors and was planning to do it for an entire month but I messed today and the reserve ran out so I need to start over. Nonetheless these are my results

    Screen Shot 2022-12-12 at 08.57.25.png
    The stated accuracy for the current Seiko 5 watches is +40/-20 seconds per day and my watch from the 80s with the 7009 movement was certainly in the range. What I noticed though was that it was consistently gaining 30s a day. It was actually pretty precise at 28 +/-4 seconds and I thought maybe it was magnetized or I could adjust a lever to get it a bit more accurate.

    I was researching the 7009 at 17jewels.info which didn't tell me too much but I saw that the updated (and current) movement is the 7S26A. More important though is that they include a table of independent measurements.

    Screen Shot 2022-12-12 at 11.05.49.png

    Dial up is exactly how I keep my watch when I'm not wearing it and the time gain is in line with what I was experiencing. I decided to keep my watch sideways to see what I would get

    IMG_2831.JPG IMG_2832.JPG

    I boxed the days I did this in red and you can see that the error is easily halved!

    I'm also keeping track of a couple quartz watches I have. Here are the errors I have since Dec 2nd

    Casio G-shock: 0.4s/day error. 8 second total deviation
    TAG Heuer Formula 1: 0s/day error. 0.5 second total deviation

    The TAG is basically below the limits of what I can measure by eye and I would need camera to compare. I would need to wait a few months to really see any meaningful deviation with the TAG.

    Temperature does affect quartz movements and they often take into account the watch being in body contact for accuracy. I'm not currently wearing the Casio so the higher deviation might reflect that
     
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  2. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    Gaining is preferable to losing IMO. If it is fast you can just pull out the crown to stop it for a bit. If it is slow you have to also manipulate the hands to reset it.

    I also have a TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph as my daily wearer, and am very impressed at how accurate it is. I set it to my computer, which would be NTP stratum 3 (so within a few hundred milliseconds of actual time), and it is probably accurate to within a second or two a month, which easily makes it the most accurate timepiece I have ever owned (excluding smartwatches).

    I like mechanical watches, but there are definitely some things to like about quartz too.
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2022
  3. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    I’ve always been interested in super-accurate movements and especially quartz that pushes the limits. Seiko which pioneered quartz watches even grows their own crystals for their Spring Drive as well as their 9F quartz movement which is +10s/-10s a year! Citizen I think has surpassed this down to a second
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2022
  4. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    I had another stretch before I forgot to wear the Seiko again. Supposedly there's a 48hr reserve but since there's no crown winding so I either have to wear it constantly or get a watch winder. Not really worth it for a Seiko 5. Nonetheless here are the results:

    Screen Shot 2022-12-20 at 09.35.52.png Screen Shot 2022-12-20 at 09.36.26.png

    I played around with the positioning a bit and I found that dial-down gave me the best results under +10s, even with an error of only 3.2 seconds!

    I'm going to try to start over Jan 1st and go for a whole month
     
  5. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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  6. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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  7. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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  8. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    Interesting app. Assuming it connects to a Stratum 1 NTP server that would make the phone Stratum 2, which should be within 10s of milliseconds of actual time. Many phones typically get their time from the network using NITZ, which is similar to NTP but is actually part of the GSM cellular network standard. NTP is more accurate though, and I note as of Android 12 NTP is prioritized over NITZ (which is a reversal from the previous order).

    https://source.android.com/docs/core/connect/time-source

    No idea what Apple devices choose as priority for time info.
     
  9. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    What exactly does a timegrapher measure? Is it just the ticks and it extracts information from that?

    I’m wondering if I can use a camera I already have and count frames between cycles to get some of the same timing information
     
  10. Ntbm3

    Ntbm3 Friend

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    A timegrapher listens to the balance wheel beats per hour. Depending on your movement frequency it can be measured pretty accurately.

    I had my Panerai Luminor GMT checked on a timegrapher recently and it is only +2 sec/day. I was surprised being 8 years old!

    The movement is based on an Valjoux 7750-P1, which is based on a ETA 7750 that is COSC certified crono.

    I keep wanting a reason to send it in for service but now worried it would not come back as accurate....
     
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    Last edited: Jan 16, 2023
  11. leebenjamin

    leebenjamin New

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    Starting a watch thread is a great idea! It's always interesting to see what watches other people have and hear their thoughts on them. I see you've mentioned your Omega Speedmaster Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, it's a great watch and a great choice. Omega is known for its high-quality watches and its rich history. If you're looking for more options, you can also check out *link removed*, they are affordable and can be a great way to add variety to your collection without breaking the bank. It's always fun to see the different watches people have and to hear their thoughts on them. Happy to see this thread!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 16, 2023
  12. Biodegraded

    Biodegraded Friend

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    Here's my vanity purchase in observation of my 60th birthday last month: a vintage Aquastar 63 (1963 model, like me). This one is branded Duward, purportedly showing it was made for the Spanish market - apparently re-branding to avoid tariffs was common practice in pre-EEC days. Lorenz (Italian market) is another common brand variant of this model.

    [​IMG]

    The sunburst dial and domed crystal make it a bit tough to photograph convincingly, but the dial, text/numbers, and original tritium lume elements (which of course don't glow any more) are all in very good shape, even though the case has some big divots out of the crown side.

    I've always had a bit of a boner for vintage tool watches - old tools attract old tools, perhaps - and this one fits the bill: a 60s 200m diver with one of the earliest, if not the earliest, internal rotating bezels (bi-directional, positioned using the main crown; there was a patent associated with it but I'm not sure if it was for the setting mechanism or the internal bezel itself). Internal-bezel divers seem to be making something of a comeback (eg these Baltic and Longines models), and many retro-inspired ones are also going back to smaller diameters (like the 37.5mm of this one; smallish though that is, the long lug-to-lug distance makes it seem big on my skinny wrist).

    The crystal came up nicely after rubbing with Polywatch, and the case is a bit smoother after a going-over with Silvo but could still be improved with a bit more work. On receipt it was gaining 1-2 mins/day and running down in less than a day if unworn (the automatic movement's power reserve spec was 40 hours), but after service by a local vintage watchmaker and some trial-and-error regulation by me, it now keeps going and has accumulated averaged < 0.5 sec loss in the last 18 days.

    Downsides: the low-contrast scheme, small size, and lack of lume make it tough for my ageing eyes to read in low light; and the crown is easily knocked anticlockwise so consequently the bezel is easily moved out of position. Also, it's not likely to be too waterproof any more. I've replaced the rear seal but haven't yet pulled it apart to replace the crown gasket. I intend to do that, though, because it might give the winder a bit more friction and therefore keep the bezel in place better.
     
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    Last edited: Jan 5, 2024
  13. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    That's quite an acquisition and it looks like it has been well-used. I especially like the internal rotating bezel. I have a Boldr microbrand with this same feature. I'm only ten years your junior, and I've started carrying a AAA flashlight to help me read my wristwatches. Like you, I tend to favor watches under 40mm.

    I hope you enjoy that watch for many years.
     
  14. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    My latest acquisition and my first COSC watch
    PXL_20240309_203455451.jpg 20240314_143316.jpg
     
  15. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    I forgot this thread exist.

    Love my five year old Casio G-Shock GW-M5610-1BJF Model from Japan (pic below). But I am curious if anyone have one of the higher end G-Shock GMW models that have Bluetooth so you can have time updates via phone app like these models below?

    https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gshock/product.GMW-B5000GD-1/


    https://www.amazon.com/G-Shock-GMW-B5000GD-1JF-Connected-Domestic-Products/dp/B07H9VLJP3

    https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gs...x_O4rXHkX_9KLKy-FsZQNGsUQK0EsdlBoCL-EQAvD_BwE


    I'm curious on how you like them? I was thinking of treating myself to one of the nicer bois later in the year.



    [​IMG]
     
  16. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    I love the stainless steel models, as well as the higher end titanium ones with DLC. But with the more expensive offerings, it sucks that they didn't put any work into improving the clasps or giving more adjustment, but they look cool.
     
  17. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    I have a few and the Bluetooth functionality is annoying. I don’t need my dumb watch constantly syncing to my phone. I leave it off except for maybe once a year if I remember
     
  18. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Make sense. Might be useful if I visit a place in a different timezone for a quick update. Thanks bro!
     
  19. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Citizen vs Seiko?

    Keep reading that for QC and pound-to-pound for price Citizen is normally a better deal. Seiko wins normally on design.

    All comes down to subjectiveness, I do like some of the Citizen Promaster Fugu models look wise. Semi miss the Citizen that I gave to the kid a few years back on here, but that was before I knew what I was doing lol.
     
  20. dncnexus

    dncnexus Friend

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    IMG_2980 Large.jpeg IMG_5451 Large.jpeg

    Grabbed both these while in Japan, with the Yen down low it really was a deal I couldn't skip out on.

    GS was the first watch, and my first "expensive" watch. I have been looking at them for a long time and have had many Seiko's in the past. I was able to visit the Ginza Seiko flagship store, and was looking at the Snowflake. Ended up finding the Sakura model, which really was beautiful.

    Grabbed the 16710 on my second trip to Japan later in the year. Have always loved this model Rolex, prefer the more vintage case size and aluminum bezel that will fade over time. Case was in great shape, and has all its original chamfering. I was able to secure a jubilee bracelet from my local AD as well, so have that option to swap into as well.

    Have no real models that I am looking forward to next, but do have my name on the list for a VC Overseas 4520V Rose Gold. I imagine it will take many years to grab, but that is fine.
     
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