First Automatic Watch

[ErikD]

I just got my first automatic watch last week from Ron here on the forums. It is a Titoni Sportster, and so far I am just loving it. It feels great while on my wrist, and fits in great with my casual dress too. I really like that it isn't just another quartz timing circuit, like every other watch I have owned.

I noticed that it seems to be running roughly -7 sec/day. No big deal for me really, as this would amount to something like 3 minutes a month. I have no problem setting it to accurate once a month, or even once a week. I have no real need to know the exact time right down to seconds, or even minutes for that matter, at anytime during my day.

I seem to remember reading that any mechanical watch will be most accurate when it has a full charge. How can I tell when it is at full charge without risking overwinding the spring? I assume that it would be possible to overwind the spring. I am pretty active moving around with my watch on for roughly 16hrs in a day, so I would guess that is plenty to keep it fully wound, but how do I know it is fully wound?

Here is a pic that Ron posted of the watch on the for sale forum, hopefully he won't mind that I am borrowing it.

 

[DB1]

Congrats on getting an automatic watch. It's an addiction I'm afraid

As far as overwinding, modern movements do not allow this, so your watch will be fine.

There is no way to know for sure that your watch is fully wound, short of hand-winding the movement until you feel pressure and/or hear clicking noises. Wearing your auto 16 hours a day is plenty enough winding for good accuracy - a few of my autos (the Seikos) tend to speed up a bit toward the back-half of their power reserve, for instance when I wear one for a day, skip a day, then wear that watch again. I haven't had that 'issue' with other brands, at least that I could notice.

 

[Mellow Chaos]

That's some nice watch photography, Erik, and a beautiful watch. FYI - Chronograph standards are +/- 6 seconds a day, so it's running just outside that. Even some watches at a $grand$ + don't run that well, so I think you did really well with the Titoni.

 

[ErikD]

Just to make sure it is clear I didn't take that picture, I wish I could have, but I don't want to take credit for someone elses good work.

As far as the accuarcy is concerned it is about what I was expecting after reading up on the subject a bit prior to the purchase. As I said before I don't really care all that much about having the exact right time. If I wanted that I would have bought a digital quartz watch.

I just wanted to make sure that if I tried to manually wind it up a bit, ensuring a full charge, I wouldn't damage anything. This is a whole new ballgame to me. Ands I am already in over my head. What drew me in was the SMP, which I can't afford right now. The Titoni gives me a bit of that feel, at a fraction of the cost.

BTW, I am still thinking of picking up a Luminox for those times when I need to do rough and dirty work. As I understand it banging a mechanincal watch around isn't all that good. Thinking that a luminox or such would be good for those times when doing construction, working in the yard or on the car.

Someone please help me. First I was bitten by the knife bug, and am moving in ever deeper (from productions into costums), and now have started with watches too. I don't think, wait I know I can't afford this at all. At least not until after I graduate and get a real job.

 

[PWork]

Nice watch.

Paul

 

[Larry S.]

That's some nice watch photography, Erik, and a beautiful watch. FYI - Chronograph standards are +/- 6 seconds a day, so it's running just outside that. Even some watches at a $grand$ + don't run that well, so I think you did really well with the Titoni.

Mr. Chaos...I believe you mean chronometer instead of chronograph... a chronograph has a stopwatch function along with the ability to indicate the normal time of day. Here's a link to a further explanation of the limits involved with several types of watches: http://www.chronocentric.com/watches/accuracy.shtml

and this one will tell you more than you want to know about chronometer testing: http://www.timezone.com/library/wbore/wbore631733384647656250

ErikD...Nice looking watch; sort of resembles a Rolex Explorer II!
In case you want to have it adjusted shoot me an email and I'll give you some tips on how to get the best accuracy.
You can't overwind a modern automatic...you can listen closely as you manually wind it and you should be able to hear the mainspring's outer end slipping in the mainspring barrel when maximum tension is reached. Let us know how its running after a few more weeks.

Larry S.

 

[DB1]

BTW, I am still thinking of picking up a Luminox for those times when I need to do rough and dirty work. As I understand it banging a mechanincal watch around isn't all that good. Thinking that a luminox or such would be good for those times when doing construction, working in the yard or on the car.

Someone please help me. First I was bitten by the knife bug, and am moving in ever deeper (from productions into costums), and now have started with watches too. I don't think, wait I know I can't afford this at all. At least not until after I graduate and get a real job.

Hehehe the watch bug is hard to shake....

I have a Traser 6500 as a beater watch, which is actually the same watch as the Luminox minus the "Navy Seals" dial. Trasers are generally marketed in Europe, Luminox in the U.S., but Traser is easy enough to find here in the U.S. online (got mine from lapolicegear). Another good beater watch to consider is a Casio G-Shock.

 

[Peter LC]

Allow me to nit-pick... COSC (Controle Officiel Suisse de Chronometre) standards are -4 to +6
seconds a day. The benefit of a watch that is slightly slow is that you can, once in a while,
advance it one minute instead of turning the hands backwards which isn't that good for the
movement. As for overwinding, that's impossible with any automatic since there's a slipping-clutch that comes in at full wind.

Timezone is well-recommended as THE overall-site for watchnuts. I'm on 10 watches now, but beware - they do need to get serviced once in a while, they do brake down and they do get scratched...

 

[ErikD]

I bought the watch used, so it already has some minor scratches and such on the bracelet and clasp. Doesn't really bother me one bit, as it is just part of what happens when you use the watch.

As for needing service, yeah I know about needing service every few years. I guess I might look into the cost of that, but as long as it is keeping good time (accuarate to within 5 min a month) I won't worry about it right now. Money is tight, and I would rather try to save the cost if possible. I have also rad that even after servicing even some of the more expensive makes won't get any more accurate.

If COSC certifications allow -4/+6 then I am fine with -7 for an uncertified watch, that cost me a fraction of what a COSC model would have. It also seems to me that it might be getting a bit more accurate as I have been wearing it for a bit now. It has been three days now since I set the watch and it has lost like 15 seconds. Hopefully by the end of the week I can have a more accurate picture of how accurate it really is.

Did I mention yet that I love this watch? I just can't seem to stop looking at it and admiring it. It is really amazing that such a complex mechanism can be built to be so accurate and so small.

 

[Mellow Chaos]

Mr. Chaos...I believe you mean chronometer instead of chronograph... a chronograph has a stopwatch function along with the ability to indicate the normal time of day. Here's a link to a further explanation of the limits involved with several types of watches: http://www.chronocentric.com/watches/accuracy.shtml

and this one will tell you more than you want to know about chronometer testing: http://www.timezone.com/library/wbore/wbore631733384647656250

Larry S.

I stand corrected. :footinmou