Best route regarding slow watch

[Bludray]

Hi all,

I’m new to this so would greatly appreciate some advice. I bought a used Android/Aragon (small boutique brand like invicta) automatic divers watch. The watches Seiko’s nh35 movement. Unfortunately, it’s losing about 30 seconds a day. I have other automatics but generally they lose/gain only up to about 10 seconds a day, so I feel a little frustrated with this one. I approached a watch repair shop who told me that it would cost more than $200 to service it, which is about double what I paid for the watch. My questions are:

1. Would it be worth me trying to sort this out myself - is there away to adjust the movement to improve the accuracy.

2. Should I just live with it i.e. not worth the effort for a lower level movement.

3. Pay the $200 and get the movement serviced.

4. Explore the possibility of putting in a new movement (same or something like a 6r15) either myself or paying the repair shop to do it.

Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. I understand there is a subjective element to this, but would like to know what you would do in my position based on your experience.

Many thanks

 

 

[Chopin]

Did I understand correctly that you bought the watch brand new ?

Usually new watches will have good accuracy but not necessarily the best. They can sit in storage for a long period of time which might affect accuracy a little bit or they just come that way from the factory.

Mechanical watches can be regulated, fortunately for you, and this is what I would suggest that you do. I don't think that you should do that on your own but you have to take it to a watchmaker that has a timegrapher so that they can test and verify the time keeping in real time.

The person asking you for a lot of money basically wanted to take advantage of you. Fully servicing a watch should indeed fix the problems but I would say it's not necessarily required in your case.

If you do decide to give it a go please be careful and do your research beforehand. The small tab that adjusts the time has to be moved by a tenth of a millimeter or even less if possible at a time.

Here's an example below.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Chopin

[clockboy]

Normally a service is recommended but regulation might help. But you will need the correct tools and to regulate and really you need a timing machine or at least a app on your a smartphone such as "Kello".

[jdm]

Like clockboy said above, the proper way is to use of a timing machine to diagnose and regulate a watch.

However, being pragmatical it's an overkill for an owner uninterested in watch repair to spend $150 on a physical  machine to be used once on a $100 watch, or potentially waste time trying to find an app that works, that us something that depends on how good the mobile device microphone is.

So, if you can regulate it making the smallest ever adjustment on the regulator arm and checking after a few wrist days for acceptable accuracy and stability, then all is good. If not, you really gave to take a look on the timegrapher.

Final note: if you want cheap, guaranteed accuracy, use a quartz watch.

 

[clockboy]

Like clockboy said above, the proper way is to use of a timing machine to diagnose and regulate a watch.
However, being pragmatical it's an overkill for an owner uninterested in watch repair to spend $150 on a physical  machine to be used once on a $100 watch, or potentially waste time trying to find an app that works, that us something that depends on how good the mobile device microphone is.
So, if you can regulate it making the smallest ever adjustment on the regulator arm and checking after a few wrist days for acceptable accuracy and stability, then all is good. If not, you really gave to take a look on the timegrapher.
Final note: if you want cheap, guaranteed accuracy, use a quartz watch.
 

That’s why suggested a app


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[jdm]

1 hour ago, clockboy said:

That’s why suggested a app

Problem is with the device, there is no reliable indication or list about which device works with the inbuilt mic and which does not.
Look at the DIY timegrapher based on PC, still debating on what mic to use and if a pre-amp is needed or not. If apps were the easy solution then physical machines would be obsoleted by now, but isn't so.
If the OP can find and app and device on which a timegrapher apps works reliably, please let us know which one is it.

[Bludray]

Many thanks for advice and suggestions, it’s very greatly appreciated. Thanks especially Chopin for the image giving me an idea what I should do.

Just to clarify a few points, I bought the watch used rather new - I suspect the time keeping was one of the reasons the original owner sold it on.

Monitoring it for a little longer, it’s actually losing over a minute a day, so while I understand automatic movements are never 100% accurate, I think this is too much.

I live in Tokyo, and most of the watch places only do very basic work, changing batteries, etc, for more technical things they generally send them to the OEM, so it takes a couple of months too.

As a result I would like to give it a try myself. I think it will be a good introduction to trying to understand these mechanisms better, and at some point in the future I would like to buy a movement and build a watch around it.

I’ll start doing some research when I get home from work, but if there are any guides that you think will be helpful, I’d appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction. I’m especially concerned about how I would go about making such a tiny adjustment. And also how would I go about trying to maintain the watertightness after I have opened and closed it.


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[Chopin]

As long as you tighten the case back just like it was when you opened it then it'll be water resistant. And be careful of the rubber gaskets, not to damage them and to place them back correctly.

When making adjustments be careful not to touch anything else especially the hairspring.

Get a good case back opener to be able to safely open and close the watch.

[clockboy]

11 hours ago, jdm said:

Like clockboy said above, the proper way is to use of a timing machine to diagnose and regulate a watch.

However, being pragmatical it's an overkill for an owner uninterested in watch repair to spend $150 on a physical  machine to be used once on a $100 watch, or potentially waste time trying to find an app that works, that us something that depends on how good the mobile device microphone is.

So, if you can regulate it making the smallest ever adjustment on the regulator arm and checking after a few wrist days for acceptable accuracy and stability, then all is good. If not, you really gave to take a look on the timegrapher.

Final note: if you want cheap, guaranteed accuracy, use a quartz watch.

 

I have the Kelo app on my iPhone and it works great with the ear piece supplied with the phone. The app only shows the regulation error nothing else but for a tinkerer that just wants to regulate the watch it is fine. 

[clockboy]

9 hours ago, jdm said:

Problem is with the device, there is no reliable indication or list about which device works with the inbuilt mic and which does not.
Look at the DIY timegrapher based on PC, still debating on what mic to use and if a pre-amp is needed or not. If apps were the easy solution then physical machines would be obsoleted by now, but isn't so.
If the OP can find and app and device on which a timegrapher apps works reliably, please let us know which one is it.

In this months BHI mag there are two reviews of Delph electronics eTimer software. Both giving rave reviews and the articles show how to use on a Mac & what mic to use which is a Mic to USB.