Watch setting question re date

The jubilee bracelet with a vintage Datejust is the bomb!

Cannot speak to the Rolex, but thanks to @Pallet_Fork , bought these off Amazon and it makes winding, and setting the date on my Vostok and Wolbrook no quick set date watches AMAZINGLY quick.

Also pretty handy for small or oddly placed crowns.

Thanks @solidyetti I guess I’m curious if it will damage the mechanism to wind it backwards…..

I usually don't on any of mine. But there are some vintage watches where you can go back and forth between 9 and 3 to change date....I think that's how it goes...🤔.

Way more knowledgeable people will chime in eventually. I just wind them one way, and use the tools to speed up the process.

I honestly do not know, but any time I move counter clockwise to run the date back, I feel like the movement doesn’t like it. Just an ‘off’ feeling within the mechanism. It definitely isn’t as smooth as when the date switches forward. That’s in multiple watches of different brands.

I've always read multiple warnings not to go backwards on a mechanical watch, even on new watches. Looks like you'll have to wear that one all the time, ah the agony 😉 congrats on the watch!

Try winding forwards until the date changes at midnight. Then wind back to about 8 or 9 keeping an eye on the date. The date may move slightly around the 8/9. Then wind forward again and the date may change at midnight. If it does just rinse and repeat until you get to yesterday's date. Then wind forward to today.

Gears and geometry aren’t designed to go backwards without putting undue force as you are changing the fulcrum points in various parts of the date wheel mechanism. Best put it down til next month or not care if the date is out :)

Here’s one article that indicates you just need to advance the time forward.

https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-101/how-to-set-the-date-and-time-on-a-rolex-datejust.html#:~:text=A%20quickset%20date%20feature%20means,numeral%20in%20the%20date%20window.

Thanks 🙏

The Soviet Vostok method I use on my Vostoks is to wind forward until the date changes, then wind backwards to about the 8pm position then forward to the 12 and the date moves up one day, repeat until the date is correct.

That’s simply not true 😅

Trust me do not turn the hands backwards, you must go around. I have damaged watches in the past doing that.

I would just bite the bullet and go round and round to set the right date. I think there is a risk of damaging the mechanism if you go back and forth around midnight

Thanks @SurferJohn

The way I learnt it is to change it over and go to about 3 a.m., then move the hands backwards to about 9 p.m., then past midnight again. This saves time having to turn the hands forward around the dial about sixty times and also does something with the spring or something else inside there according to my watchmaker.

Keep the date going forward, I have had malalignment issues with date wheels in the past due to going back.

Sounded good 😂 I watched Marshall from Wristwatch revival saying it could , so it is second hand information!

I’ve found instructions that this will work on Omega and Longines movements of tha era.