Regulating a womens Tissot PR50

[Mudos]

Hi, my wife has a Tissot PR50 which runs +3 mins or so a day. I would like to try to regulate the watch but I don't own a timegrapher. I watched the tutorial below but I'm not sure where the regulator arm is located in a Tissot PR50. And I can't find any markings that say + or - (or anything else). Can someone please point out how to regulate this watch? I attached a picture of how the watch on the inside looks like.
 

 

 

[Chopin]

Hey Mudos, the regulator you are looking for is this one.

That screw should be turned depending on whether you want it to run faster or slower. Unfortunately I can't figure out from the photo which way you should turn it. Can you provide a closer photo ?

I believe it's clockwise to slow it down but not certain.

There's a pretty good app called Tickoprint which can help you regulate it. It's sort of like a timegrapher.

Edited December 29, 2019 by Chopin

[Mudos]

13 minutes ago, Chopin said:

Hey Mudos, the regulator you are looking for is this one.

That screw should be turned depending on whether you want it to run faster or slower. Unfortunately I can't figure out from the photo which way you should turn it. Can you provide a closer photo ?

I believe it's clockwise to slow it down but not certain.

There's a pretty good app called Tickoprint which can help you regulate it. It's sort of like a timegrapher.

Hi Chopin, thanks for your quick reply! I tried to make a better close up with a USB microscope, see below.
I'm going to take a look at the app you mentioned, thanks

[Chopin]

Now it's a bit too close, I needed to see the whole balance/hairspring area.

You have to rotate it by just a bit. The regulator is sensitive.

There are 2 tabs/pins near that jewel. When rotating the screw one of the pins will move. If that pin moves towards the beginning/exterior of the hairspring then it slows the movement down, if it moves closer towards the inner coils then it moves faster.

Basically the regulator sort of shortens or lengthens the hairspring.

Edited December 29, 2019 by Chopin

[watchweasol]

Hi   having looked at the photo there seems to be no + or - marked, so to increase the rating of the watch shorten the spring length, conversely to slow it down lengthen the spring. So working from the point where the balance spring is pinned moving it away from the pin shortens it  speeding up the watch ,  and moving it towards the pin lengthens the spring slowing it down. Be very careful in this adjustment as a slipped screwdriver can cause much damage to the balance spring.

[Mudos]

Thanks for all the tips, but I'm not sure where I can find the beginning of the hairspring / where the balance spring is pinned. I see two levers at the top, the left one should move when I turn the screw at the bottom? And when the left one turns towards the other lever on the right it should speed up the the watch? I made another shot with the microscope zoomed out a bit.

[watchweasol]

Hi   Underneath the balance there is a logo and a number which denotes the make and caliber can you please quote these  Ithink the logo is ETA, I might be able to find the technical sheet for the watch for you which will help.  From the picture it looks like the spring anchor is the one on the left the right one being the regulator. When the screw is turned only the regulator block will move. Do Not move the balance spring Anchor point as this will upset the beat. When the balance oscillates it has to be equidistant i.e. the same both sides of the oscillation. Its the balance spring anchor point which sets this beat the regulator just alters the spring length by beating between two points which when moved radially around the spring effectivly lengthen or shorten the spring governing the rate or speed    

 

[jdm]

1 hour ago, Mudos said:

Hi, my wife has a Tissot PR50 which runs +3 mins or so a day. I would like to try to regulate the watch but I don't own a timegrapher

Worth to mention that before doing that the watch should be de-magnetized.

[Chopin]

Here you go. The screw moves the pin. Move the pin according to your requirements. As has been said, move it just slightly.

[watchweasol]

Hi    I  have down loaded the tec  sheets for the ETA 2671 which I think is your watch and will give you a bit more insight  into what is required.  As jdm mentioned it is always a wise precaution to de magnetise any watch  when working on it to eliminate any out side interference .   The files are the same I think one just updated. 

27_ETA2660,2671,2678.pdf 2803_ETA2671(2010update).pdf

[Mudos]

Because it's such a small watch (24mm case) I'm unable to see if the pin moves at all when I turn the screw. I first turned it clockwise and this worsened the timing. So then I turned it anti clockwise and this seems to better the timing.

Wow, great tips about demagnetizing! I didn't know that and that it can make such a huge difference. 
I tried to demagnetize the watch with this 99 cents high tech demagnetizer I have laying around . The compass I tested it with spinned like a rocket before and after demagnetizing it doesn't spin so it seems to do something.

Thanks for the tech sheets @watchweasol !

[Mudos]

Wow! After 3 hours it runs 0 to +1 sec, that's within +8 sec in 24h . Now that's when it's laying flat on the table. I also learned today that the position of the watch can have a lot of influence on the timing too. My wife is going to test it now by wearing it.

And I'm going to search for a headset so I can try out the Tickoprint app.

Thanks a lot for the help so far guys 

[watchweasol]

Hi  Yes the position has an influence on timing, Face up the balance bearing is on the end cap , face down on the other end cap, left and right on the sides of the jewel so the area in contact varies with the position, watches are timed in six positions. If you are interested I have some training data some where.

[Mudos]

Interesting stuff. Would like to see the different positions happen in real time with a timegrapher. I hope I can get that app to work.

Looking at watches all day makes me want to buy one. I think I'll do that before diving deeper into this matter hehe. I only own a Swatch at the moment and can't even open the damn thing 

[anilv]

There are many phone apps which you can use to help you get it running right. I have Wildspectra on my mobile. It takes some time to set up and a phone is not really the right tool as the magnets in the mic may affect the watch but its better than nothing.

Another app I use is watchcheck. Basically you set the watch as close to the phone time and after a few hours you tap the button when the seconds hand hits the 12 marker. I check the watch in the morning and evening.. you will see the variation as well as the average deviation per day. 

Anilv

[Nucejoe]

On 12/30/2019 at 1:20 AM, watchweasol said:

Hi  Yes the position has an influence on timing, Face up the balance bearing is on the end cap , face down on the other end cap, left and right on the sides of the jewel so the area in contact varies with the position, watches are timed in six positions. If you are interested I have some training data some where.

Hi, Training data would be Marvelous, valuable addition to relevent thread previously posted on this forum.  Thanks also for the links to movements datasheets you keep providing. Very helpful .  

[Mudos]

I checked the watch today after my wife has been continuously wearing it the past 6 days. It runs -6 sec per day on average, which I think is a very nice figure. I hope it keeps running that way for a while now.

[jdm]

1 minute ago, Mudos said:

I checked the watch today after my wife has been continuously wearing it the past 6 days. It runs -6 sec per day on average, which I think is a very nice figure. I hope it keeps running that way for a while now.

Most people dislike slow watches, and for good reasons. Always better to regulate slightly fast. You can try different positions for resting at night to find the one that better compensate. 

[Mudos]

1 minute ago, jdm said:

Most people dislike slow watches, and for good reasons. Always better to regulate slightly fast. You can try different positions for resting at night to find the one that better compensate. 

Yeah, I know what you mean. If it's bothering my wife I can try to regulate it from minus to plus. But I can't imagine that I can get it this accurate again without a proper timing device.

[jdm]

16 hours ago, Mudos said:

 But I can't imagine that I can get it this accurate again without a proper timing device.

Give a try to an app. It may work even without a proper microphone. You will need to calibrate it first. 

[Mudos]

I have an additional question regarding this watch. The back cover of the watch fits very loose. It felt a bit loose when I put it back together, but I didn't notice it was this loose. Only the slightest bit of force with a fingernail makes it pop of. There's a reasonable change it might fall of by just wearing the watch. Is there anything I can do about this? Maybe change the rubber seal?

[jdm]

7 hours ago, Mudos said:

There's a reasonable change it might fall of by just wearing the watch. Is there anything I can do about this? Maybe change the rubber seal?

The gasket is not supposed to hold the case back in place. If you look at the rim protuding from the case back there should be a point with a slight deformation that you can be bend a little more. And if there isn't you will have to create one with point nose pliers. 

[CaptCalvin]

Actually tissot does like to use those red gaskets to hold the caseback in much the same way as most crystals are held in place: not with a lip, but with only friction. You might want to consider replacing that gasket. 

[jdm]

2 hours ago, CaptCalvin said:

Actually tissot does like to use those red gaskets to hold the caseback in much the same way as most crystals are held in place: not with a lip, but with only friction. You might want to consider replacing that gasket. 

Good info. OP: do your wife watch have an hard red gasket, of a softer, black, NBR (syntehtic rubber) one?

[Mudos]

On 1/25/2020 at 11:39 PM, jdm said:

Good info. OP: do your wife watch have an hard red gasket, of a softer, black, NBR (syntehtic rubber) one?

Not sure if it's hard but it's a red gasket.

Do you guys know a good source for reasonably priced gaskets? US is good but we live in Europe.