What are the rate tolerances of my Seiko watch and what are they influenced by?

What are the rate tolerances of my Seiko watch and what are they influenced by?

Before a Seiko leaves the factory, the movement is tested in five different positions:

  • Crown down
  • Crown left
  • Crown up
  • Dial down
  • Dial up

The movement is adjusted in each of these positions to an average rate of between 0 and +7 seconds per day. In other words, a Seiko should never be slow but may be fast by up to 7 seconds per day. The average daily tolerances for chronometer rates are between -4 and +6 seconds. This means that even a watch that loses up to 4 seconds a day can still be called a chronometer. 

The rate is also affected by the owner's lifestyle. The automatic movement will react differently when the wearer has an extremely active lifestyle from the way it would with a comparatively quiet person. However, any deviation from the tolerances mentioned above is not so much a question of function as of adjustment and wearing habits.

A watch may well behave differently after a repair.


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