From Tissot to Omega: watch owners of all price classes know the problem of an automatic watch ticking too slowly or too fast. Not adjusted for a few weeks, the time indicator runs several minutes behind the exact digital clock. Your watch is slowing down? Our magazine tells you which rate deviations are normal, which reasons are responsible for the slowing down, and how you can restore the best possible precision to your automatic or hand-wound watch.

All mechanical watches run inaccurately

“My watch is always running behind!” Every day, German watchmakers and jewelers are confronted with distressed owners whose mechanical instruments noticeably deviate from atomic time. The intensity of the misalignment varies: While some time indicators reveal only three seconds of daily delay, others move several minutes away from the ideal time. We can reassure the former group: If the inaccuracy falls within the range of minus ten seconds to plus ten seconds within 24 hours, we can talk about a precise watch. Tiny differences in the mechanical construction and regulation ensure that two copies of the same watch model can differ noticeably from each other. Whether you catch a model that happens to be close to the zero-second deviation is a matter of luck. If you expect (approximately) perfect precision, you have to buy a quartz watch.

Which rate deviations are uncritical?

Is your watch slow? Watch manufacturers can influence the size of the window in which the potential deviation lies on the one hand by the quality of the components and construction of the caliber, and on the other hand by the position of the regulator in various positions. Gravity, friction and possible imbalances between movement components ensure that precision varies depending on the position of the time indicator. To compensate for this imbalance, the Swiss Chronometer Testing Center (COSC) prescribes five positions in which movements must be regulated: Dial up/down, Crown up/down and Crown left. At the end, the average daily rate deviation is calculated. The coveted certification is awarded in the following cases:

• Automatic watch loses: Up to minus four seconds per day is allowed.
  Automatic watch gains: A maximum of plus six seconds daily is COSC-worthy.

The same standards apply to hand-wound watches. Luxury brands such as Breitling and Chopard use the renowned COSC process, as do more affordable manufacturers from Tissot to Hamilton, to guarantee customers a recognized minimum standard of precision.

Omega goes one step further with its METAS certification: regulated in six positions, the time indicators may advance by a maximum of five seconds (automatic watch loses: failed!) and must withstand strong magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss.

Rolex’s in-house “Superlative Chronometer” certificate is particularly strict: over plus/minus two seconds a day is not allowed. But as you can see, no mechanical system delivers one hundred percent precision.

Automatic watch is slow: Causes

The watch is slow – and now? If the deviation is noticeably more severe than the COSC tolerance, for example 30 seconds a day, action is required. Instead of taking action personally and, in the worst case, causing thousands of euros in damage, you should take the model to a watchmaker. The latter will first identify the reason for the malfunction, which can be of various natures:

• Revision required: Every mechanical movement requires regular maintenance (typically every five to eight years). In the course of this, primarily oils are changed and worn components are replaced. If this work is not done, massive inaccuracies result, up to and including drying out and damage to the caliber.
  Coils are magnetized: smartphones, music boxes, magnetic clasps on handbags – mechanical watches can become magnetized by everyday influences. Harmless on a small scale, but extreme cases manifest themselves clearly: the automatic watch goes ahead – and for several hours! This is exactly the reason why the METAS certificate gives such high priority to magnetic resistance.
• Violent shocks: If the hairspring suffers a violent blow, its last handling can jump out of position. The result: the automatic watch slows down. Misaligned hairsprings and a stuck hairspring are also common causes.
  Water in the movement: Diver’s watches need a regular check of their water resistance. If liquid penetrates the mechanics, damage will follow.

Watch is slow: Solving the problem

Not only for reasons of technical fascination, but also in everyday life, inaccuracies are problematic: If the watch is lame, unpleasant consequences result, from missing the train to being late for important appointments. Regardless of whether it’s a Hublot, Breitling or Chopard – massive inaccuracies have to be corrected by a professional. Often, a simple readjustment of the caliber is enough for the watchmaker to mitigate the after-effects. In other cases, a complete overhaul or repair is required. The longer one delays the necessary work, the more serious the damage and higher the costs. Those who keep to the intervals often get away with comparatively inexpensive cleaning. Even brand-new timepieces need a check: freshly broken-in watches should be checked for their rate behavior after a few weeks and readjusted if necessary.

By the way, the quartz clock is not completely excluded from maintenance. Despite a new battery, many owners are surprised to discover: the time indicator slows down! The most common reason is aged lubricants in the gear train, which make it difficult to turn the gears, demand higher torque from the stepper motor and increase its susceptibility to errors. The digital clock is not susceptible to this problem, because the oscillations of the quartz are not passed on to mechanical hands via gear train, but to a digital counter unit.

Tips for the proper care of automatic watches

The automatic watch slows down – there are many causes and professional solutions as well. But what can you do independently to reduce the rate deviation and limit wear? An important factor is the nightly storage. The automatic watch is slowing down? Try a side position with the crown facing up. Conversely, a crown-down position can help “slow down” a watch that is running ahead.

In addition, excessive wear caused by extremely jerky hand movements should be avoided, because otherwise the hairspring could roll over or setting springs could leave their place. Strong temperature fluctuations also damage the movement, which is why many enthusiasts swear by wearing it on their wrist at night. When not wearing your watch for long periods of time, make sure to store it gently, clean your Hublot, Rolex and co. carefully and keep the necessary maintenance intervals. And no matter how detailed the video instructions on the Internet are: As a layman, you should never open the timepiece on your own to perform amateurish adjustments.

Der Beitrag The automatic watch is slow erschien zuerst auf Uhrinstinkt Magazine.

Timepieces with the name suffix “chronometer” enjoy a high reputation, although the exact meaning of the term is not clear to everyone. In today’s article, we clarify the question of what distinguishes chronometer watches and present the most popular models from renowned top brands in different price ranges. You will also learn how three of the most important certificates differ and by which manufacturers they are used.

Chronometer: Definition and main certificates

One of the most common mistakes among watch novices is the confusion between chronometers and chronographs. While the chronograph is a complication (additional function) that enables time stopping in addition to the regular time display, the chronometer describes a precision watch that has received a certificate of chronometer testing from a neutral official institution. To obtain the latter, fine-tuning (regulation) of the time indicator in various positions and at varying temperatures is required. The focus of chronometer testing is whether the time indicator meets specified precision standards. Simply put, chronometer watches are proven to be particularly precise watches.

Timepieces can be awarded their coveted status by various inspection bodies. The most famous is called COSC (Contrôle officiel suisse des chronomètres), is used by most manufacturers and essentially tests whether a movement (still unassembled) has a rate deviation that falls below -4 and +6 seconds daily. More stringent is the METAS chronometer test, which is conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology and tests fully assembled watches under demanding conditions. METAS chronometer watches must not deviate from perfect time by more than -5/+5 seconds per day. METAS cooperates closely with Omega, but in theory can be freely used by all brands. In contrast, Rolex‘s “Superlative Chronometer” title is reserved only for the brand’s own luxury watches, is additionally carried out after the completion of a successful COSC test, and requires a maximum deviation of -2/+2 seconds.

METAS: Omega’s precision watches

Launched by Omega in 2015 with the ambition of improving the precision standards of the COSC, the METAS certificate is one of the most prestigious awards in the watch world. Successful “examinees” are allowed to call themselves Master Chronometer watches, which comes with a high status, especially due to the certification of at least 15,000 Gauss magnetic resistance. Interestingly, every METAS movement has already successfully passed a COSC test beforehand. The new generation Speedmaster Moonwatch, launched in 2021, is among the most prominent bearers of the title: equipped with the hand-wound caliber 3861, it offers 50 hours of power reserve and uses a silicon hairspring to ensure long-term accuracy at the highest level.

Automatic chronometers can also be found en masse in Omega’s variety of models – from the robust Seamaster collections to the elegant De Ville. However, some models, such as the popular Speedmaster 38, “only” have a regular COSC certificate. By 2023, Omega aims to change this and call all of its models Master Chronometer watches. Other brands have also recognized the potential of METAS testing – since 2021, for example, Tudor has been awarding its Black Bay with the strict certificate.

Breitling: Each watch has a COSC certificate

Breitling, on the other hand, places its full trust in the proven reliability of the COSC test, which was introduced in 1973, and has been launching all its models as chronometer watches for years without exception. Whether it’s the aviation icon Navitimer, diving legend Superocean or compact ladies’ models like the Chronomat 32 – no flying B makes it to the wrist without an officially certified precision test. That’s especially important for Breitling newcomers to know, because the manufacturer differentiates strongly in price between manufacture movements like the popular B01 and purchased movements based on ETA. The additional price of around 2,000 to 3,000 euros, which has to be paid for the manufacture movement in collections like the Superocean Heritage, is therefore not paid for noticeably higher accuracy, but for 70 hours of power reserve, the complex column wheel mechanism and other technical highlights.

Legendary classics such as the Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 43, which already live up to the official distinction in the title and leave no doubt about their certified precision, enjoy the greatest popularity. Those who like it particularly imposing will make the right choice with the new Super Chronomat in the 44-millimeter format.

Rolex: Tighter in-house testing

Rolex’s automatic timekeepers are among the most rigorously tested watches in the industry. Since 2015, in parallel with the launch of the new generation of movements with a whopping 70-hour power reserve (see caliber 3255), the industry’s most famous luxury brand has been awarding the title of Superlative Chronometer to watches that have already successfully passed a COSC test and, after being encased, also pass its in-house testing, which requires extremely low rate deviations of no more than -2/+2 seconds. Power reserve, water resistance, automatic winding and other technical aspects must also meet the toughest requirements.

The prime example of certified horology is the current Submariner Ref. 124060 with caliber 3230, whose blue Parachrom hairspring is one of the central highlights of the modern generation of movements. The brand new Datejust Generation of 2022 (Ref. 126300) with the automatic chronometer caliber 3235 also demonstrates how the Geneva-based luxury brand lives up to its great name through technical excellence. The fact that the superlative timepieces are always accompanied by a COSC certificate creates double security for customers and the certainty that, despite high in-house standards, there is still an independent party involved.

Tag Heuer, Junghans and Co.: COSC as an upgrade

Breitling’s practice of differentiating in its product portfolio between chronometer watches and lower-priced alternatives without the certificate is widespread in the industry. Tag Heuer, for example, tends to ship its entry-level models without COSC testing, while higher-positioned editions have the official precision certificate. The automatic chronographs in the current Tag Heuer Carrera collection (e.g. Ref. CBN2A1A.FC6537) are among the most sought-after models in the brand’s portfolio, powered by the Heuer 02 manufacture movement and boasting a COSC certificate. The same goes for the Autavia Flyback, which performs the stopping, resetting and restarting of its chronograph function with a single push of a button. The entry-level Formula 1 collection also has a COSC certificate in its upscale versions, which can be awarded for quartz movements as well as for mechanical calibers.

The traditional German brand Junghans also gives buyers of its prominent Meister collection the choice between chronometer watches and regular timepieces. One of the most sought-after models among precision lovers is the Meister Ref. 027/4130.00, which combines silvered elegance in the dial with timeless shapes and an automatic movement including an exposed case back.

Der Beitrag The most popular chronometer watches erschien zuerst auf Uhrinstinkt Magazine.