GMT hand out of synch

I came across the post below on WUS.

I thought I had the fix in mind, but realized what I had in mind might not work.

Anyone have a sure-fire method to get the GMT hand back in synch with the correct time?



Hello All
I have a Dreadnought GMT where the GMT hand lines up with the hour markers on the half hour rather than the hour.
I've tried to just move it a little to line it up but it jumps each time so I'm unable to get it lined up correctly.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I might correct this?
Thanks

Thom

Move to Venezuela then when you travel anywhere it will be correct?

Is he/she by any chance in a time zone that differs 30 minutes from most of them, like the part of New Foundland?

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Originally Posted by MarkB

Is he/she by any chance in a time zone that differs 30 minutes from most of them, like the part of New Foundland?

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Don't think he is, just his watch.

Mine was like this. I set the time to 12 and then set the GMT hand independently to 12. Took a few full rotations but it did the trick for me and everything lined up perfectly. May have just been luck but wasn't complaining.

In the same way that you can affect the date by changing it at the wrong time, you can also upset the alignment of the GMT hand by changing it at the wrong time. Just because the GMT hand is pointing to noon doesn't mean that the internals of the watch are also at noon.

Eddie

Eddie
How would that be corrected?
Thanks
Thom

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Originally Posted by swanbourne

In the same way that you can affect the date by changing it at the wrong time, you can also upset the alignment of the GMT hand by changing it at the wrong time. Just because the GMT hand is pointing to noon doesn't mean that the internals of the watch are also at noon.

Eddie

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Just had a read through my Voyager booklet and it talks about when to and not to alter the date but doesn't talk about when to adjust the GMT hand, although mine is perfectly aligned at the moment.

Welcome, Thom.

Hopefully, you'll get this resolved here.

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Originally Posted by Thomlad54

Eddie
How would that be corrected?
Thanks
Thom

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I had a problem with the synching of the 24 hour hand. It only hit the hour marker when the minute hand was 24 minutes past the hour.

http://i62.tinypic.com/288cow2.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/2lcrclv.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/xol55d.jpg

One click advance of the 24 hour hand resulted in this

http://i58.tinypic.com/25gscye.jpg

I tried for ages to synch it in. All times of the day. Then one day this happened. It clicked in.

http://i59.tinypic.com/2zgc84g.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/hrnb5t.jpg

It's been fine since so my advice is to persevere and you'll get there. Took me a month and I don't know of a short-cut to doing it. Not a lot of help I know but keep going.

Cracking watch once you've tamed it.

:)

A technical question: is the GMT module independent of the date wheel? Specifically, if the gmt hand is out of sync wiil the date changeover be affected and vice versa or does changing either during the forbidden period leave the other unaffected?

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Originally Posted by Dunce

I had a problem with the synching of the 24 hour hand. It only hit the hour marker when the minute hand was 24 minutes past the hour.

http://i62.tinypic.com/288cow2.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/2lcrclv.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/xol55d.jpg

One click advance of the 24 hour hand resulted in this

http://i58.tinypic.com/25gscye.jpg

I tried for ages to synch it in. All times of the day. Then one day this happened. It clicked in.

http://i59.tinypic.com/2zgc84g.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/hrnb5t.jpg

It's been fine since so my advice is to persevere and you'll get there. Took me a month and I don't know of a short-cut to doing it. Not a lot of help I know but keep going.

Cracking watch once you've tamed it.

:)

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Mine's the same.

Any idea exactly how you sorted it? Just randomly fiddling or something more methodical?

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Originally Posted by Kingstepper

Mine's the same.

Any idea exactly how you sorted it? Just randomly fiddling or something more methodical?

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Just randomly fiddling methodically for weeks and then one day, at 18:00, it clicked in. Initially the 24 hour hand would advance 1 hour per click but the advance wouldn't hit an hour marker. Either 24 minutes short or 36 minutes after (24 hour time). Like I say, one day it did.

Got there in the end though. Perseverance.

Do you think that's acceptable? If mine was the only one okay, but there seems to be a few that are like that. Does anyone think that the manufacturer should fix it?

Thom

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dunce

Just randomly fiddling methodically for weeks and then one day, at 18:00, it clicked in. Initially the 24 hour hand would advance 1 hour per click but the advance wouldn't hit an hour marker. Either 24 minutes short or 36 minutes after (24 hour time). Like I say, one day it did.

Got there in the end though. Perseverance.

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I guess they come with a warranty for a reason!

Didn't the Speedbird III GMT have the same issue? Or was that another problem?

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Originally Posted by Jackwibble

I guess they come with a warranty for a reason!

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Since this problem could arise through not setting the watch correctly, it is not covered by the warranty.

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Originally Posted by JDB

Since this problem could arise through not setting the watch correctly, it is not covered by the warranty.

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Bit of a catch 22 situation then as it doesn't tell you when to or not to set the GMT hand in the booklet that is supplied with the Voyager or that setting at the wrong time can cause an issue?

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Originally Posted by Jackwibble

Bit of a catch 22 situation then as it doesn't tell you when to or not to set the GMT hand in the booklet that is supplied with the Voyager or that setting at the wrong time can cause an issue?

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The booklet with mine describes setting the watch on page 6. I've set the GMT hand at various times outside of the 20.00 - 04.00 period without any problems.

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Originally Posted by magirus

The booklet with mine describes setting the watch on page 6. I've set the GMT hand at various times outside of the 20.00 - 04.00 period without any problems.

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Must be a different version page 6 of mine is General care and only talks about never changing the date btwn 2000-0400hrs no mention of GMT hand?

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Originally Posted by Jackwibble

Must be a different version page 6 of mine is General care and only talks about never changing the date btwn 2000-0400hrs no mention of GMT hand?

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The GMT hand takes the place of the day setting on the 2892, therefore the GMT hand is linked to the day/date.

Eddie

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Originally Posted by swanbourne

The GMT hand takes the place of the day setting on the 2892, therefore the GMT hand is linked to the day/date.

Eddie

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Cheers for clearing that up Eddie I just get drawn it to other peoples battles sometimes :lemo:

After a year of aligning perfectly my Voyager has suddenly gone out of synch. No idea why as it's always been set within the correct parameters. I'll keep an eye on it and see what happens. Seems to be out by approx the same amount as other posters have reported, here at midday today......

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...65aba61d41.jpg

My Dreadnought which was the start of this thread is now lined up correctly with the GMT hand. I didn't do anything just one time setting it the hand lined up. Weird

Thom

Mine is still behaving as per reply #10 in this thread. :crying:I hope it resets itself, I really don't want to mess about getting it fixed. :crying:

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Originally Posted by magirus

Mine is still behaving as per reply #10 in this thread. :crying:I hope it resets itself, I really don't want to mess about getting it fixed. :crying:

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My post was #10 back in June last year. After a lot of trying to get the watch in synch it eventually dropped in one day. It ran 'in synch' for a month or so. It then dropped back out to as it still is now. Always 24 minutes out. The 24 hour hand hits the hour marker when the minute hand hits either 24 minutes past the hour or 36 minutes past the hour. It's a good watch but mine is consistently out of synch.

I hope you get it back in synch and I'd appreciate to know how you did it.

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Originally Posted by magirus

Mine is still behaving as per reply #10 in this thread. :crying:I hope it resets itself, I really don't want to mess about getting it fixed. :crying:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dunce

My post was #10 back in June last year. After a lot of trying to get the watch in synch it eventually dropped in one day. It ran 'in synch' for a month or so. It then dropped back out to as it still is now. Always 24 minutes out. The 24 hour hand hits the hour marker when the minute hand hits either 24 minutes past the hour or 36 minutes past the hour. It's a good watch but mine is consistently out of synch.

I hope you get it back in synch and I'd appreciate to know how you did it.

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No change here. For six weeks I've reset it at all times of the day (clearly within the "safe zone") I've let it run down, restarted, reset, basically gone through everything the watch can do, etc etc etc ad nauseum. I am now right pi$$ed off with it. It's a known problem with the movement apparently.

I have an irrational attraction to GMT and world time watches. Don't know why - if I leave the continental US, it means my plane has been hijacked.

But regardless, I have had several GMTs: 2893s, modified 2836's , quartzes, Ana Digis, you name it. None of my auto GMT's ever ran in sync. High end, low end, Swiss, modified Swiss, Chinese, modified Chinese, indexed, floating . . . didn't matter. All of them were off. Drove me nuts.

Which is why I stopped buying auto GMT's. The most accurate, "nuts on" GMT have is my Invicta 9402 Rolex Explorer knock off - $80 and unflaggingly accurate and on the GMT is on the nose. Maybe there's a lesson there somewhere.

Although to fully flesh out my experiment, I may have to spring for one of Eddie's Speedbird GMT's . . . :)

Magirus, are you saying it a well-known problem that the GMT hand on a 2893 can be in sync and then go out of sync for no apparent reason? I have never heard of this before although a quick google shows plenty of watches not assembled properly from various micro brands. Both my old Speedbird GMT and my DNV are perfect btw.

So are we saying he might have buggered the GMT hand by setting it at the wrong time, although there is nothing in the manual to warn against this? And doesn't it kind of defeat the object of a GMT function if you can only set it at certain times? And if it says nothing in the manual about setting the GMT hand at certain times, is this not then a warranty issue as there was no prior warning to prevent this 'misuse'? Or have I read this all wrong? :concern:

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Originally Posted by marcus fenix

Magirus, are you saying it a well-known problem that the GMT hand on a 2893 can be in sync and then go out of sync for no apparent reason? I have never heard of this before although a quick google shows plenty of watches not assembled properly from various micro brands. Both my old Speedbird GMT and my DNV are perfect btw.

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It's a known problem.

Is there a known solution?

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Originally Posted by Onelasttime

So are we saying he might have buggered the GMT hand by setting it at the wrong time, although there is nothing in the manual to warn against this? And doesn't it kind of defeat the object of a GMT function if you can only set it at certain times? And if it says nothing in the manual about setting the GMT hand at certain times, is this not then a warranty issue as there was no prior warning to prevent this 'misuse'? Or have I read this all wrong? :concern:

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You seem to have read this all wrong. I've been setting watches with complications for well over 30yrs, always via the correct procedure. You can set a GMT at any actual time of day, it's the time the watch is set to that is important.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by magirus

You seem to have read this all wrong. I've been setting watches with complications for well over 30yrs, always via the correct procedure. You can set a GMT at any actual time of day, it's the time the watch is set to that is important.

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I still don't get it? Can you please provide an example of the wrong time to set a GMT hand to? Just trying to understand this.

I get the date change thing because the internals start working up to the date change between 8pm and 2am. But I don't understand why the GMT hand has to follow the same process?

Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Onelasttime

I still don't get it? Can you please provide an example of the wrong time to set a GMT hand to? Just trying to understand this.

I get the date change thing because the internals start working up to the date change between 8pm and 2am. But I don't understand why the GMT hand has to follow the same process?

Thanks

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I think what Magirus is saying is it doesn't matter when you set the GMT hand itself its when you set the "normal" hands thats important i.e. avoid the date change period as per the handbook.
Im just keeping my fingers crossed as my Voyager has been faultless thus far..... touching wood.

I'll expand a little on what I said earlier. I only ever need to set a watch, any watch that is, when I change watches in rotation. I always do this mid morning on Saturdays, and whatever time the watch may say I always wind it through midnight to ensure the day/date changes correctly, and also ensure that if I need to set the day/date/GMT then it's outside of the "fofbidden zone" ;-). This is how I know I haven't inadvertently caused a problem by operating the setting mechanism incorrectly. From what I've read the only real cure is a visit to a watchmaker to ensure that there's no damage present and to reset the GMT hand to where it should be. If a GMT hand has suddenly gone out of synch and back in again, then there must be a reason and it could do so again presumably.I'm sure the majority will have no problem, but as ever the affected minority are the more vocal.

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Originally Posted by magirus

I'll expand a little on what I said earlier. I only ever need to set a watch, any watch that is, when I change watches in rotation. I always do this mid morning on Saturdays, and whatever time the watch may say I always wind it through midnight to ensure the day/date changes correctly, and also ensure that if I need to set the day/date/GMT then it's outside of the "fofbidden zone" ;-). This is how I know I haven't inadvertently caused a problem by operating the setting mechanism incorrectly. From what I've read the only real cure is a visit to a watchmaker to ensure that there's no damage present and to reset the GMT hand to where it should be. If a GMT hand has suddenly gone out of synch and back in again, then there must be a reason and it could do so again presumably.I'm sure the majority will have no problem, but as ever the affected minority are the more vocal.

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Ah, I see now. Cheers

Oh I wish I hadn't read this, mine doesn't hit the hour marker spot on until 20 past the hour, just got my breitling colt gmt out and it does the same, my oris is bang on, never bothered me until now:)

Has anyone had this problem fixed by a watchmaker?

I recently bought a Voyager and i have this GMT problem, since it has been some time from the last posting on this thread i wondered if anyone has found a cure for the problem, it is a fantastic watch which i want to work properly, doing under 1 sec/day and built very very nicely indeed.
Paul.

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Originally Posted by paulh7830

I recently bought a Voyager and i have this GMT problem, since it has been some time from the last posting on this thread i wondered if anyone has found a cure for the problem, it is a fantastic watch which i want to work properly, doing under 1 sec/day and built very very nicely indeed.
Paul.

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If somebody has damaged it by somehow forcing the hand out of sync then it will have to go to a watchmaker, there's no other way as there is no adjustment on this.

Many thanks.

Mine spontaneously came unsynched on setting about 10 months ago and equally spontaneously went correct again around 4 months ago. Not sure why!

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Originally Posted by Olly

Mine spontaneously came unsynched on setting about 10 months ago and equally spontaneously went correct again around 4 months ago. Not sure why!

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Sounds like a theme with this movement that something is slipping - a bit like when you mess the date change up so that it no longer occurs at midnight.

I've owned both a Rolex GMT-Master II and the ceramic version and both were spot on. I'd not be happy to have my GMT hand out of sync as it's showing nonsense when not hitting an hour mark on the hour.