Watch Accuracy

• $200-$500 - +/- 20s (Seiko 3/6 series movements)

• $500-$1000 - +/- 12s (unregulated ETA 2824 or equivalent)

• $1500-$3500 - +/- 6s

• Once over $4k, I expect chronometer spec or better.

I am wearing a watch that is around 70 years old. I set and wound it two days ago. My computer says that it is 8:38 and...so does my old watch. No adjustment, just a few more winds.

Because that is not as common as I would like, I am just going to take the win on this one. Over 30 years old I expect no better than +/- 1 minute per 24 hours.

That green dial Seamaster should be Master Chronometer accurate. @AllTheWatches is spot on with my expectations

Indeed! I set it six days ago and it has gained a half second, couldn’t be happier!

I'm probably in the minority when I say that I'm not really that bothered. As I tend not to wear them for more than a day or perhaps two, unless they're really out then I'll not be aware of inaccuracies.

When I first get them then I wear them for a fortnight and see how they're performing/ settling in, and put them on the timegrapher through positions, but after that I don't notice.

I have a fairly large number of automatics that I rotate through on a daily basis. A few of them are accurate enough to qualify as chronometers. While I certainly admire and appreciate watches that have that level of precision, time keeping to plus or minus a minute a day is totally fine as well. A watch that I'm realistically only going to wear perhaps once a week doesn't really owe me exquisite accuracy.

That’s what I expect on my pocket watches. About a minute gained every 24 hours.

All but one of my automatic watches are either certified chronometers, Rolex superlative chronometers or Master Chronometers (METAS) and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because I wear all of them frequently enough to keep them wound, I compare each watches accuracy daily with my Twixt app. Most of my watches are regulated to within a max of +3 sec a day. My Rolex are phenomenal with -1/+1.6 sec a day between them.

My Grand Seiko Spring Drives are the real winners though. They don’t deviate more than +0.3sec a day. Ridiculously good accuracy. I do wish that they would get better at regulating their new 9SA5 80-Hour Hi-Beat with overcoil and free spring balance. The overcoil “should” balance out accuracy deviation depending on position but it’s not very consistent. It ranges from +1.6/+6.4sec a day and in most static positions it’s +5sec a day average. Crown up is most precise at +1.6sec However, it was once running at +11sec a day and had to get sent back for a regulation so it’s working much better. Just thought it could be better consider the technology they implemented.

Cheers 🥂

Welcome to Watch Crunch!

Great piece! I have a first Gen AT and I love it.

I don’t care how accurate my mechanical timepieces are. If they are close enough, that works for me.

I get really picky when my quartz watches are more than a couple seconds a month off. I expect those to be “exact”.

Grand seiko Spring drive . One movement to rule them all)

Anything over 5K, I would expect and/or demand at least a COSC certification. I wouldn’t settle for less in this range because I know it’s very attainable. Mainly because I bought my Omega Planet Ocean for just over 5K used and in near mint condition with both COSC and METAS certifications.

Okay i cannot argue that! How robust are they for daily use in your experience?

I expect +/-10 seconds per day for new watches.

My SM300 runs spot on,serviced a few months ago, as I'd expect- that's a big factor in buying it. My mid range Seiko's a few seconds a day, I have a timegrapher,but I'm not obsessive about accuracy, around COSC is acceptable for around £1k....

I don't mind movements being a little fast - no harm in being a little early now and then.

But if it's even 1 second slow, it seriously annoys me.

I found my Rolex was less accurate than my Tudor BB GMT - which was a little annoying to begin with, but over time I've grown used to it. I'll re-set it once a week or so.

Coming from a guy who loves the idea of automatic watches(especially GMTs) but is bothered by the need to adjust it every 2-3 weeks due to eventual deviation, this makes Grand Seiko's 9r66 movement the ultimate prize for me.

To quote TGV, "All roads lead to Grand Seiko".

1. $200-500 - It runs right? It keeps time right? Good enough! 🤣

2. $500-1500 - =/- 10 Sseconds per day

3.$1500-3500 - Better be close to or meets COSC

4.$4000 and up - COSC or METAS certified - If its an Omega, Tudor or Rolex, +/- 2 seconds a day

All figures "on the wrist" under normal wear conditions.

PS: Of course there are exceptions.

Honestly don’t care about time keeping. I’m wearing art. At least that’s what I feel. Now my apply watch on my other wrist better be on point!! (Double watch gang)

When I need accuracy I wear quartz or look at my phone. I think of my mechanicals as nice wrist jewelry.

Not caring about accuracy also has the advantage that I can buy solely based on looks. That's especially handy with vintage watches as even the best movements are unlikely to be as accurate as when they left the factory.

Extremely robust. Spring drive is an ideal mechanical movement for, say, a sports watch. But it's also not really fair to compare a quartz-regulated movement with one that uses a more traditional escapement.

Brand New Watches? I'd expect to get these results and to be consistent for the first few years.

$200-500 +-20s/day

$500-1500 +-15s/day

$1500-3500 -3/+7s/day

$4000 and up -1/+3s/day

The precious

When your retired , accuracy becomes academic… In saying that , it’s still satisfying to own a quality timepiece that is accurate enough to not loose minutes a week , one ir two minutes a week , no problem, I enjoy the setting and winding process, I find it meditative.

Killer watch! White dial

I own one and use it in my weekly rotation . Definitely no issues with at all .never had to correct the time . Ever

Glad to hear that! They are incredible pieces of art that are also very functional and precise

I find the more accurate a mechanical watch, the more hair you lose worrying about it. That's why I'm kinda tempted to get a nice high-grade quartz as a daily driver, or a dress watch without a seconds hand as part of my small collection, just so there's fewer things to worry about.

Having said that, my nearly 50yr old Omega, after a recent service, has been running for nearly a week now with only a few seconds wobble on either side compared to my computer clock. I'm really very impressed.

What accuracy are you getting with the Omega AT shades so far? Mine has been stable at +1 sec a day since I bought it.

All hese watches ar $40 -$100. The three that above +- 2 I haven't adjusted yet. Accuracy is not about money.

Accuracy is not about money, but certain price points dictate certain expectations from a mechanical movement. Glad yours are running well!