# Head To Head - Two 70S Autos



## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

I have decided to try something out...wearing two watches for a week and correcting them only for what I have perceived their rate to be, without any reference to an external timekeeping source.

I have decided on two very good 1970s automatics by Omega and Eterna. The aim is not to see which is the better timekeeper (I am pretty sure that's the recently serviced Eterna), but rather to see how close I can get them merely by correcting for the rate. This will need to be done slightly differently for each watch.

First up we have the Omega Dynamic (cal. 565). This watch has been with me for about 2.5 years now, and last time I bothered to check in detail it was performing at around -20 s/d. I had it up for sale in the Autumn but I have begun wearing it more regularly now, and appreciating what a lovely watch it is.

Theory: if I alter this watch by advancing one minute every third day, it should be pretty close. It doesn't hack, so I will need to see where it is in relation to a time source and base my calculations on that.










Five weeks in, I have been wearing my Kon-Tiki 20 rather a lot...still a bit besotted! It seems to be performing at around +10 to +15 s/d.

Theory: if I stop the movement for 12 seconds every 24 hours, it should be reasonably close. This one hacks, so will be easy to set precisely. I shall then stop the movement for a count of 12x "elephant" every evening. I'll be interested to see where it ends up after a week.

I am on half term, so I can wear just these two, on alternate days for 8 days. No hardship. Test starts tonight and finishes next Sunday at the same time (8 days)


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## jbw (May 6, 2008)

Good luck with the test! The dial on the Omega is stunning.


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

plus one the omega is stunning proper period piece looks to have a lot of 1960's style about it :yes:


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

I'm painting the garden handrail tomorrow if it's not wet? Wanna' come round and watch the new green paint dry? :lol:

You could be blowin' some jazz AVO, and that'll take your mind off worrying about watch rates! :yes:

(I'll get me coat and hat! )


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Sorry, Mel. I thought it was a watch forum.


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Dear AVO, I know you are a good Forum Friend and "poster" on the Forum, but I have to confess that I actually don't understand the nature of your test, and I realise that the deficit in intelligence is mine.

I might learn more when you provide us with the result, but in the meantime, I will leave you with my congrats in finding such a nice vintage Omega. Great watch with real period style. One thing I have learned from this thread is that you are a saxaphone player and a musical man - I am impressed, and just wish I had continued with the clarinet when i was a much younger person.


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Rate is how much the watch can be expected to gain/lose on average under normal conditions. I am using that information to see if I can keep the watches as accurate as possible simply by using guesswork (i.e. not consulting a quartz watch or computer to check them). So I am estimating the time I need to stop the Eterna using an old darkroom method (one-elephant, two-elephant etc.), and advancing the Omega by one minute every three days. Simples!


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

So, the Eterna is pretty much spot on...pull out the crown and count to 12 every night.










The Omega is +20 which is handy...I think. I will advance it by a minute on Monday, Thursday and Sunday.










Neither watch will be checked against a quartz or internet time source until next Sunday evening.

Oh, and thank you jbw and Nigelp for your kind remarks.


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Tongue in cheek AVO, I think it's something I kinda' admire you doing it, I'd rather I wasn't doing it though









No offence meant, and I apologise if you took offence - - I used to sit happily for six plus hours a week chording in a Big Band in Glasgow before I learnt Bass (Double Bass, not your tronic thing) just for the hell of it, no money, listening to the saxes and brass chunking along to "A train" and the likes - - I was only 17 then, nearly 60 years ago ldman:

I will watch your results with interest - - it's what my Dad used to do almost when he timed clocks, paper and pencil, advance and retard, cross check and adjust again till it was right :yes: and he then applied this to Pocket watches in different positions to accurate-ise those :lol:


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Mel - thank you and no offence taken, my reply was similarly tongue-in-cheek! Your dad sounds like someone I would have enjoyed a pint and a chinwag with!


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

No offence, Mel - sorry if my reply sounded a bit snippy. Your dad sounds like someone I would have enjoyed a pint and a chat with.


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

There must be some weird goings on at the moment â€" I tried posting those replies half an hour ago and they wouldn't appear on my laptop. There appears to be a problem with saving posts on Internet explorer.


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## Thomasr (Oct 11, 2011)

I have to say I'm a little confused. So how do you know if they are keeping time if you are using no external reference?


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Thomasr said:


> I have to say I'm a little confused. So how do you know if they are keeping time if you are using no external reference?


I won't know until Sunday night - not exactly at any rate. I will of course briefly glance at a clock or computer so I will know whether they are within a minute or so.

It's an experiment, and something I can't imagine I would ever need to do, since we can check the time anywhere in the world in a multitude of ways many times a day, if we wish.

The question was: IF I had no access to another time source, could I keep a watch showing fairly accurate time simply by knowing its rate and making approximate adjustments?

Just a little exercise in an old-fashioned spirit of curiosity, that's all.


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Project shelved pending rethink! :?

After a couple of cursory glances at clock and computer it was obvious that things were not going to plan. My predictions for both watches were based on wearing them pretty much constantly for days, whereas in fact they behave quite differently when sitting in the box and the PR starts to run down. The Eterna was losing much more than it was gaining on the wrist in a wound state, and so was falling noticeably behind, especially when I stopped it for 12 seconds each day!

I never factored in the idea of box time and state of wind!









Ah, well, it means I can wear a couple of others! 

And...does it matter? Not really.


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