How to set time and date on a three-hand watch Instructions
How to set time and date on a three-hand watch
How to set time and date on a three-hand watch
- Remove the watch from your wrist
Do not wear your watch while you wind and set it. If you leave your watch on, you risk winding your watch at an awkward angle and, in turn, damaging the internal components and potentially loosening the crown. - Unscrew crown (10 ATM or higher watches only)
If your watch is 10 ATM (or higher) water resistant, you probably first have to unscrew the crown, by turning it anti-clockwise. If you cannot turn the crown clockwise, the crown is screwed down. - Make sure the watch is running
If it has been been a long time since you have worn your watch, you’ll want to make sure it is running before you set the time:- If your quartz watch does not run, the battery needs to be changed first.
- Fully wind a handwinding watch before you set the time/date.
- To wind your automatic watch, gently tilt it forwards and backwards to move the rotor.
- Leave your solar watch under a light source to start it running.
Setting the time
To set the time, pull the crown fully out (2 clicks)
Check the correct time
Before setting the time, make sure you have access to a (digital) reference clock, based on atomic timekeeping. For example on the website Https://time.is you can find the correct time for your region.
Set the time
Screw the crown back in
If applicable, screw the crown down to ensure it is pressurized and water-tight.
If you overshoot your desired time, do not turn the crown counter-clockwise to go back. Turning the crown counter-clockwise will force and damage the watch’s movement. Instead you will have to continue winding clockwise until you come back
around to the correct time again and repeat the time setting process as above.
Setting the date
To set the day and or date on your watch, first follow steps 1-3.
On most watches, the date changes automatically between 9 PM and 3 AM. To avoid damaging the date gears when they are in motion it is aviseable to set the date outside this time frame before 12.00 AM.
Set the time to 6.30
Set the day-date to one day before today
Turn the crown clockwise (away from you) to change the date. Turn the crown counterclockwise (towards you) to change the day.
Set the day and date to the day BEFORE today. By setting the day and date before the day it actually is, you can then manually push the hours forward until the day swaps over to the next day. When it does, you will have made sure your watch is set to AM.
Set the correct time (and date)
Pull the crown all the way out (2 clicks) and turn the crown clockwise (away from you) until you see the day-date change to the AM of TODAY. Now set the watch to the correct time.
Push the crown fully in and screw down if applicable.
Problem solving
Automatic watch does not run or is slow
If, after setting the correct time on your watch the second hand has not immediately moved or is slow, it is adviseable to have your watch checked by a licenced watch maker.
The date changes to early or too late
The date on the watch was not set to the correct AM time. Repeat steps 8-10.