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Watch questions, answered

Direct answers with the verdict first and the evidence underneath. Every page names the standard, the patent or the manufacturer documentation behind the claim.

93 answers. Grouped by subject. Every answer is dated and reviewed against its sources.

An answer page exists because somebody needed one specific thing settled: whether the watch can go in the shower, whether eight seconds a day is a fault, whether the discount on a gray market listing is worth the missing warranty. Each one opens with the verdict in the first two sentences, then shows the evidence, then names the standard or the manufacturer document it came from.

If your question is not here, the search box will find the page that comes closest. If the answer you need is longer than a page, the guides take the same subjects apart properly.

Accuracy and standards

  • Can a watch be regulated to run more accurately?

    Regulation shifts a mechanical watch's rate in minutes of bench work for roughly $60 to $150. What it fixes, what it cannot, and how to ask for it.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • Do I need a chronometer?

    COSC certification tests a bare movement to minus 4 to plus 6 seconds a day. What that buys, what it does not, and why most owners do not need to pay for it.

    Answer · 9 min read

  • Does cold weather make a watch run fast or slow?

    Quartz runs slow in the cold, about 1.8 seconds a day at freezing. A steel hairspring runs fast. Worked from crystal data sheets and the COSC limits.

    Answer · 9 min read

  • How accurate is a quartz watch?

    An ordinary quartz watch keeps time to about 15 seconds a month. Thermocompensated quartz is specified in seconds per year. Why temperature sets the limit.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • How accurate is an automatic watch?

    Typical automatic watch accuracy is roughly minus 10 to plus 20 seconds a day, with chronometers tested to minus 4 to plus 6. How to judge yours.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • How do I test my watch's accuracy at home?

    Measure your watch properly: a seven day wrist test against an internet clock, a positional test, phone timing apps, and what a timegrapher adds.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • What counts as good accuracy for a mechanical watch?

    Within about 5 seconds a day is good, and inside the caliber's published tolerance is fine. Why consistency matters more than the size of the number.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • What does COSC certified mean?

    COSC certification tests an uncased movement for 15 days in 5 positions at 3 temperatures against 7 criteria, headed by minus 4 to plus 6 seconds a day.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • What is a good amplitude for a watch?

    Sellita's limits: at most 315 degrees dial up at full wind, at least 200 degrees 6 o'clock up after 24 hours. Why 270 to 310 is a different test.

    Answer · 11 min read

  • What is a good beat error for a watch?

    Sellita allows 0.8 ms beat error, 0.6 ms in its better grades, read dial up at full wind. Why 0.5 ms is a habit, and how to read your own.

    Answer · 11 min read

  • What lift angle should I set on my timegrapher?

    Use your caliber's figure, not the 52 default: NH35 53, ETA 2824-2 50, 2892A2 51, 7750 49, 6497 44. 37 calibers from maker documents, and the error.

    Answer · 11 min read

  • Why is my automatic watch running fast?

    Sudden gains of a minute or more a day are usually magnetism. Smaller gains come from amplitude, position, temperature or a recent knock.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • Why is my new watch losing time?

    A new mechanical watch losing a few seconds a day is usually inside its published tolerance. How to measure it over seven days and when a claim is fair.

    Answer · 11 min read

  • Why is my watch running slow?

    Losing time usually means low power reserve, aging oil, low amplitude, magnetism or how you wear it. How to tell which one and what each fix costs.

    Answer · 7 min read

Buying

  • Are luxury watches worth it?

    As timekeepers, no. As objects, sometimes. What the money actually buys above the mid market, what depreciates, and how to decide honestly.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • Can you negotiate the price of a watch?

    Often yes, but it depends entirely on the channel and the reference. How MSRP, allocation, gray market and pre-owned change what is actually negotiable.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Do I pay duty on a watch bought in Switzerland or Japan?

    Carried home, a watch pays 3% on $1,000 above an $800 exemption. Shipped from Switzerland or Japan, it pays 12.5% of the price. Worked on $5,000 and $10,000.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • Do watches hold their value?

    Most watches depreciate like any consumer good. Why the first sale costs so much, which small group holds value, and what supports resale.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Do you pay tax when you sell a watch for a profit?

    US: taxed, up to 28% only if the watch is a collectible. UK: exempt, because a watch is machinery. Canada: half the gain is taxed. The rule per country.

    Answer · 11 min read

  • How can I tell if a watch is fake?

    Modern counterfeits defeat most dial-side tests. What still gives them away, which checks are worthless, and when to pay for authentication.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • How do I find out what my watch is worth?

    Use completed sales, not asking prices. How to identify the reference, adjust for condition, and when an appraiser or auction house is worth it.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • How do I spot a redialed vintage watch?

    Printing texture, font weight, lume that outlives its hands, missing text and dial feet: the checks that separate a refinished dial from an original one.

    Answer · 11 min read

  • How much should I spend on a watch?

    There is no correct number, only a defensible one. How to set a ceiling, what each price band actually buys, and the costs that land after checkout.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Is a gray market watch safe to buy?

    Gray market watches are genuine and legal to buy in most markets. The real question is the warranty. What you give up, what you save and how to check a seller.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Is a Rolex a good investment?

    A watch pays no yield, costs money to keep, and sells with wide spreads. What the numbers really look like, plus how a resale gain is taxed.

    Answer · 8 min read

  • Is it safe to buy a watch on eBay?

    Reasonably safe if you stay on the platform and pay by card. How the Money Back Guarantee, Authenticity Guarantee and card chargebacks protect you.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Is Seiko a good watch brand?

    Seiko makes its own movements, hairsprings and quartz crystals at every price tier. What that buys, where the variance sits, and how Grand Seiko differs.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Should I buy a watch from an online dealer?

    Boutique, authorized dealer, independent online dealer, marketplace, private sale: what each channel protects, and the checks to run before you send money.

    Answer · 13 min read

  • Should I buy new or pre-owned?

    Pre-owned buys more watch for the money; new buys recourse. How warranties, tax, condition risk and depreciation compare across both channels.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What does a watch warranty actually cover?

    A manufacturer warranty covers factory defects and little else. What is always excluded, why the dated receipt matters, and the rights you hold separately.

    Answer · 9 min read

  • What does Swiss made actually mean?

    Swiss made is a legal origin rule, not a quality rating. The cost threshold, the development and casing requirements, and what the words never promise.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • What is a microbrand watch?

    A microbrand designs a watch and has it assembled from supplier parts, then sells direct. Why the spec looks so good, and where the real risks sit.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What is the best everyday watch?

    There is no single answer. Five criteria that decide it for your wrist and your week, then examples at three price levels and what each gives up in exchange.

    Answer · 11 min read

  • What is the difference between Rolex and Tudor?

    Same founder, same group, different price tiers. How Rolex and Tudor differ on movements, steel grades, certification, warranty and service.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What should my first automatic watch have?

    A specification checklist for a first automatic: crystal, water resistance, crown, movement, lug to lug, lug width, warranty, and what to ignore.

    Answer · 8 min read

  • Why are Swiss watches so expensive?

    Swiss labor costs, short production runs, the Swiss made cost floor, retail margin and marketing, plus the share of the price that is simply the name.

    Answer · 11 min read

Care and servicing

  • Can I wear a mechanical watch every day?

    Yes. What daily wear actually costs in shocks, magnetism, water and sweat, the habits that reduce it, and the honest arithmetic on servicing a watch you wear.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • Can magnets damage my watch?

    Magnets do not break a watch, they magnetize the hairspring and make it run fast. The cure takes ten seconds and costs almost nothing. Here is how to tell.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Do I need a watch winder?

    Mostly no. A winder earns its place on perpetual and annual calendars. How turns per day and direction settings work, and the wear debate.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • How do I clean my watch?

    A soft brush, lukewarm water and mild soap will clean most watches safely, but only if the crown is fully home and the seals are sound. What never to use.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • How do I wind a manual watch?

    Take it off the wrist, keep the crown pushed in, turn clockwise in short half turns, and stop the moment you feel firm resistance. Nothing else is needed.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • How long does a mechanical watch last?

    A serviced mechanical watch can run for a century. What wears out is the oil, the pivots and the mainspring, and what ends one is parts supply, not failure.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • How long does it take to charge a solar watch?

    1 to 3 minutes of sun for a day of running, up to 2 hours to restart, 2 to 47 hours to fill. Charging tables from 13 Citizen, Seiko and Casio calibers.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • How much does a watch service cost?

    Typical price ranges for a full service, independent watchmaker versus brand service center, what the fee includes, and why parts availability drives the bill.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • How often should a mechanical watch be serviced?

    Brand service intervals run from 3 to 10 years. Here is what those numbers assume, the symptoms that override them, and what a service typically costs.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • How often should I wind my automatic watch?

    If you wear it daily and actively, never. If you sit at a desk, take it off overnight or rotate watches, a short wind each morning is the fix. The routine.

    Answer · 9 min read

  • Should I insure my watch?

    Household contents policies cap jewelry theft losses. How scheduling an item works, what a valuation must show, and typical premiums.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What temperature can a watch withstand?

    Most makers print -10 to +60°C (14 to 140°F), with accuracy quoted only at 5 to 35°C. Nine published limits set against saunas, hot tubs and hot cars.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • What TPD should I set my watch winder to?

    650 TPD bidirectional if the movement winds both ways; 800 one way for the 7750, Miyota and Patek calibers that don't. 10,573 settings regrouped by caliber.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • When is it unsafe to change the date on my watch?

    Avoid the quickset date when the hands sit between roughly 9pm and 3am. Move them to 6 o'clock first, then set the date. Here is why, and how to be sure.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Which watch oil goes where?

    9010 on fast pivots, HP-1300 on the barrel and slow wheels, 9415 on pallet stones, 9504 in the keyless works: ETA's 2022 chart, with Moebius data.

    Answer · 10 min read

Complications

  • How do I set a GMT watch?

    First find out whether the local hour hand or the 24-hour hand is the independent one. The two types are set in opposite orders, and here is each procedure.

    Answer · 9 min read

  • Is a tourbillon worth the money?

    A tourbillon averages positional error, a problem pocket watches had and wristwatches largely do not. What you are really buying is craft, not accuracy.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What is a chronograph actually for?

    A chronograph is a stopwatch built into a watch. What the pushers do, how tachymeter and pulsometer scales work, and why most owners never use any of it.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What is a GMT watch for?

    A GMT watch shows a second time zone on a 24-hour hand. The caller and traveler versions are set differently, and the difference decides which to buy.

    Answer · 7 min read

Fit and sizing

  • How do I measure my wrist for a watch?

    Use a soft tape or a paper strip just past the wrist bone, measure late in the day, and note whether your wrist is flat or round on top.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • How do I shorten a watch bracelet?

    Identify the link type, follow the arrows, take links evenly from both sides of the clasp, then use the micro-adjustment. Tools, order of work and pitfalls.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • How should a watch fit?

    Snug enough that the case stays on top of your wrist, loose enough to rotate by hand. How to judge play, clasp position, half links and micro-adjustment.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • Is a 40mm watch too small?

    For almost every wrist, no. Diameter is the least useful number on a spec sheet, and dial opening, lug-to-lug and thickness decide how large 40 mm looks.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • What is lug-to-lug distance and why does it matter?

    Lug-to-lug is the length of a case from one lug tip to the opposite one. It is the footprint on your wrist, and it decides fit far more than diameter does.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What is the best watch for a small wrist?

    Lug-to-lug decides fit on a small wrist, not diameter. The working numbers for 15, 16 and 17 cm wrists, plus thickness, bracelet taper and watches that fit.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • What size spring bars do I need?

    Length is your lug width; body is 1.78 to 1.8 mm on most straps; tips are 0.7 to 0.9 mm, or 1.1 mm on Seiko and Citizen divers. Eleven suppliers compared.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • What size watch fits my wrist?

    Your wrist size gives you a range of workable case sizes, not one correct diameter. How to measure, what lug-to-lug does, and how to test before you buy.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What strap length do I need?

    Add the two pieces: makers sell a total about 12 mm over your wrist, so a 7 inch (178 mm) wrist takes 185 to 200 mm. Five strap makers' size charts compared.

    Answer · 11 min read

Materials

Movements

  • Are Japanese movements as good as Swiss movements?

    Yes, judged at the same price. Published specs for Seiko, Miyota, ETA and Sellita calibers compared, plus accuracy standards, parts and service costs.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Can you overwind an automatic watch?

    No. A slipping bridle releases the excess once the mainspring is full. Manual-wind watches are the ones you can force, and here is what actually breaks.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Do automatic watches need a battery?

    No. An automatic runs on a wound mainspring, not a cell. How it differs from quartz, solar, kinetic and Spring Drive, and what it costs to run instead.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • How long does a Seiko Kinetic hold a charge?

    About 6 months full on a 5M, 3 to 7 days on capacitor calibers, 4 years asleep on Auto Relay. 250 swings buy a day. Seiko's manuals for 17 calibers compared.

    Answer · 11 min read

  • How long does a watch battery last?

    Most three-hand quartz watches are rated about 3 years; makers' figures run from 14 months to 10 years. Why the first battery dies early, from data sheets.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • How many turns does it take to wind a watch?

    Roughly 30 to 40 crown turns for a full manual wind, 15 to 20 to start a stopped automatic. Why you wind by feel, and why shaking a watch is not winding.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • Is a 377 the same battery as an SR626SW, and can I use a 376?

    Yes: 377, SR626SW and SR66 are one 6.8 x 2.6 mm silver oxide cell, and a 376 (SR626W) works too. An alkaline AG4 does not. Ten watch cells from data sheets.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • What is an automatic watch?

    An automatic is a mechanical watch wound by a rotor that swings as you move. How it works, what it does not do for you, and how to keep one running.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What is an in-house movement?

    A caliber designed and built by the brand on the dial rather than bought in. What the claim covers, why it sells, and why it does not mean better.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Why does my automatic watch stop overnight?

    Usually because it never reaches full wind during the day. How to tell desk diving from a worn winding system, and the one-week test that settles it.

    Answer · 6 min read

Water resistance

  • Can I shower with my watch?

    Depth is not the problem in a shower. Hot water, soap and temperature swings are what kill gaskets. What each water resistance rating really allows.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Can I swim with a 50m water resistant watch?

    A 50 m rating means the watch survived 5 bar in a lab when new. What that allows in a pool, what it does not, and the checks to make before you get in.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Can I wear my watch in the ocean?

    Salt water needs 100 m minimum, a closed crown and a fresh water rinse after. What salt, chlorine and sand do to a case, and how to prevent it.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • How often should a watch be pressure tested?

    Annually if the watch goes in water, and after any case opening. How dry and wet tests differ, what a test typically costs, and when to skip it.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • Is 100m water resistance enough for swimming?

    Yes, 100 m is the first rating genuinely comfortable for swimming. What it covers, where it stops, and the two conditions that make the number meaningful.

    Answer · 6 min read

  • What is the best dive watch under $1,000?

    Under $1,000 only a few dive watches carry the ISO 6425 DIVER'S marking. Which ones actually do, which are dive-styled instead, and what each one gives up.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • Why is there fog under my watch crystal?

    Fog under the crystal means water got inside and a seal has failed. What to do in the next hour, why rice and hairdryers make it worse, and the real fix.

    Answer · 7 min read

Brands

  • Are Invicta watches any good?

    A factual look at Invicta: what the movements are, why list prices and street prices diverge so far, how they wear, and who the watches actually suit.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Are Tudor watches worth the money?

    Kenissi movements, METAS certification on part of the range, a 70-hour reserve, and finishing a step below Rolex. The deciding factor is depreciation.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • Is Citizen better than Seiko?

    Two vertically integrated Japanese makers, different strengths. Eco-Drive and Miyota against Seiko mechanical depth and Spring Drive, compared fairly.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Is Grand Seiko worth the money?

    The finishing and accuracy arguments in favor, and the two real arguments against: steep secondhand depreciation and a thin service network outside Japan.

    Answer · 10 min read

  • Is Hamilton a good watch brand?

    Hamilton began in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892 and is now a Swiss made Swatch Group brand. The history, the H-series movements and the value case.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • Is Tissot a good watch brand?

    Tissot is Swatch Group's volume Swiss brand. What the Powermatic 80 and Nivachron actually give you, and what you give up at the price.

    Answer · 7 min read

  • What is the best affordable watch brand?

    There is no single answer. The criteria that separate good affordable watches from bad ones, and the four categories of brand that tend to meet them.

    Answer · 8 min read

  • Why are Rolex watches so hard to buy?

    Production is limited relative to demand, and dealers allocate rather than stock. How waiting lists, the resale premium and certified pre-owned work.

    Answer · 7 min read

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