P-F Self-Winding Watch 30 Day Challenge

[RJ]

Many of y'all have Automatic or Self-Winding watches, but how accurate are they? Can your watch pass the COSC standard Mean Daily Rate of -4s/+6s to be certified as a Chronometer?

http://www.chronocentric.com/watches/accuracy.shtml

If so, take the 30 Day Challenge, and we'll see who has the most accurate watch.

P-F Self-Winding Watch 30 Day Challenge

- To enter the Challenge, on or before January 1st, set your watch to a known time standard (NIST, 3WV, GPS, NTP server, etc.)
- Post when you start the challenge, and any other pertinent details, such as the time standard you selected.
- Wear your watch as normal (wrist, watch winder, or combination) for 30 days.
- On or after 2/1/2018, post your achieved Mean Daily Rate (i.e. actual seconds gained or lost, divided by 30 days)

The first week in February, I'll compile a list of the most accurate watches. It's ok to enter the challenge with less than 30 days, but lets try and keep it to a meaningful time period (14 day min?) so that the true accuracy of the watch without adjustment can be observed. All measurements are on your honor. For purposes of this thread, let's keep it to Automatic Watches only:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_watch

And although you may have more than one, let's use the one you have the most faith in as far as accuracy.

May the most accurate watch win!

More Background Information

I've been fascinated with time ever since I first read of the work of John Harrison and his H4 Chronometer. John spent 31 years figuring out how to build a Clock accurate enough to solve the Longitude Problem and win a prize worth $4M in today's money in 1761.

Back in the day, knowing local noon could determine your longitude (East/West). A watch accurate to 1 minute of time translated into about a mile's error; pretty significant if you were looking for an Island in the ocean.

Being a bit of a dinosaur, I've always worn a mechanical self-winding watch, and have appreciated them for the engineering involved in maintaining time accuracy in today's digital world.

http://www.chronocentric.com/watches/accuracy.shtml
http://www.longitudestore.com/how-bi...ps-degree.html

[JodyH]

The "WatchCheck" app for Android is a great way to test your watches accuracy over time.
I'll bust out my Rolex Milgauss for this challenge, the last time I timed it over a two month stretch it averaged -0.1 seconds per day.

Here's a screenshot of what my Air-King averaged over 2 months this summer +1.2 s/d:

Attachment 22668

And here's it's latest run from December 10 up thru today +1.5 s/d:

Attachment 22669

[JodyH]

And my official entry Rolex Milgauss.

Attachment 22672

Attachment 22673

[Totem Polar]

I’d be up for the challenge, but I only have two auto/manuals right now: the manual is consistently -6 (very consistent) and the auto is consistently +6. Meaning, I’ve been too lazy to take them both in to get regulated. The manual is a 6498 ETA, and the auto is the glock-esque omnipresent ETA 2824, elabore and top grade, respectively. Both movements have been proven tunable to COSC in real-world wear. I had an Omega 2254.5 with their modification of the same movement that easily ran < +1.5 on the wrist for months at a time, once my guy got it dialed in for my level of axtivity and wear usage, and I’ve had 3 Sinns perform similarly. I’m sure if I were to commit to either watch just by regulating them, either one would fly through the 30 days.

[Hambo]

That reminds me that I should sell my Speedmaster. I haven't worn it in years and I'm sure it needs cleaned and regulated.

[JodyH]

A lot of the ETA's a very sensitive to low power reserve, my COSC DOXA runs dead on 0.0 s/d unless I don't wear it for 24 hours then it turns into speed racer.
Good news is ETA's are often also sensitive to positional variance so you can "tune" the watch to average very well.
If it runs +2 over 16 hours on the wrist and you find out that crown up overnight equals -2 seconds over 8 hours you average out to 0.0 seconds per day.
My Rolexes on the other hand, they are what they are no matter the power level and no matter the position. Very good for 24/7/365 consistency, bad for "tuning".

[Joe S]

I know my Vostok Amphibia won't make it, but I'm game to try my little Seiko 5.

A thought: if we're comparing data between models, should we establish usage parameters? I wear my watch 24/7, and the running/lifting/kettlebell probably has a noticeable effect that will skew it away from a watch not worn during those activities. Or does someone need to tell the lab scientist to relax a little?

Joe S.

[blues]

My Omega Seamaster would have been up to the challenge if it weren't so long overdue for a tune-up. One of these days. (Maybe.)

[JodyH]

I know my Vostok Amphibia won't make it, but I'm game to try my little Seiko 5.

A thought: if we're comparing data between models, should we establish usage parameters? I wear my watch 24/7, and the running/lifting/kettlebell probably has a noticeable effect that will skew it away from a watch not worn during those activities. Or does someone need to tell the lab scientist to relax a little?

Joe S.

If only the original post addressed your question.
Oh wait... it did!

- Wear your watch as normal (wrist, watch winder, or combination) for 30 days.

[smithjd]

I’ve been wearing my Damasko DA-42 basically 24/7 since I bought it in February. I last hacked it on 1 December when I changed the date wheel. It is now +10 sec. I was planning to hack it at the end of February when I next have to change the date.

It has varied a bit over the past year, but averages about +1 sec per day wearing it all the time and not otherwise messing with it.