In this video we'll show you the basics of how to regulate your mechanical watch with a timegrapher. If you want to know more about watch accuracy, or if your watch is too slow or too fast, this is the video for you. If you don't have a timegrapher, at the end of the video we have a neat little method you can try without a timegrapher. Let's take a look at this watch. We will take off the case back first to access the movement inside. If the watch is running, you should see an oscillating wheel. This is the balance wheel, and notice these two levers here. This one, at the very end of the hairspring, is called a stud, and this one next to it is called a regulator. The stud is used in correcting beat error, which we'll cover in another video. The regulator is the one we will be adjusting for watch accuracy. There is usually a mark on the balance bridge that tells us which way we should push the regulator to speed up or slow down the watch. So for this particular movement, turning the regulator anticlockwise will speed up the watch, and vice versa. If there isn't a mark on the balance bridge, it's useful to understand what a regulator actually does. It controls how much of the hairspring can swing freely. A longer hairspring takes longer to complete a swing, and so the watch runs slower. Knowing this, if we turn the regulator this way, it lengthens the effective length of the hairspring, so it slows down the watch. For some other movements, like the ETA 2824 or SW200, they may be equipped with fine-tuning mechanisms, such as a swan neck or a fine regulation screw. Small adjustments can be made via turning the screw, making it much easier to fine tune the rate. Now that we know how to speed up or slow down a watch, we need to know how fast or slow a watch is. An accurate way is to use a timegrapher. The timegrapher is an important tool for watchmakers. We can use it to observe how well a movement is functioning. It uses a sensor to listen to the movement and displays a visual representation and a stream of readings, which we can use to check if a watch is accurate or needs any servicing. Before using a timegrapher, set the lift angle of your movement in the setting. This is a movement specific number that is used to calculate the amplitude of the movement. For example, the Seiko NH35 here has a lift angle of 53 degrees. We've included the lift angle of a few popular movements in the description below. Also make sure that the beat rate is set to "auto". Now let's give the watch a full wind, and then put it onto the reader to see how it's doing. Quick tip: you can add a small piece of tape here to prevent it from scratching the case. Now the timegrapher starts outputting a stream of readings. The first on the left is rate, in seconds per day. This indicates how fast or slow your watch is. This is the number we'll focus on for this video. The slope of this line shows the same measurement. So for this watch, it's running around 30 seconds fast per day. The other numbers are amplitude, beat error, and frequency. These indicate the general health of the movement. For this guide, we assume we have a healthy movement to work with. But if you are interested in how to interpret these numbers to diagnose the movement, and how to correct more advanced issues like beat error, we have a separate guide on it. Link in the description below. Now prepare your tweezers. Take great caution in not touching the hairspring. Any damage done to the hairspring will be unrepairable and will require a replacement, so take your time. It'll need only very fine adjustments, like a nudge, so move it a tiny bit at a time. With this watch we want to slow it down. So we want to give the hairspring more length to oscillate. We'll nudge the regulator in this direction. On the timegrapher, you can already see the rate changing. You can also look at the slope of the line for more immediate feedback. Remember we want to shoot for a flat line, or a line with a very slight upward slope. So it seems that I've pushed the regulator too much, now this watch is running slow, so I'll push the regulator back the other way. Alright, it looks like this watch is running more accurately now. Once I'm satisfied with the accuracy, I can close the case back and enjoy my much improved watch. On a side note, you might come across a watch with a reading like this: extremely high rate and low amplitude. This is a sign of magnetism, and it should be fixed before you carry on with regulation. We have a separate guide on this. With these experiences you'll start to appreciate higher quality movements, which are made to meet more stringent accuracy requirements. Standards such as the COSC require the movement to remain accurate in multiple positions and under different conditions. If you want to know more about these standards, let us know in the comments below. Now if you don't have a timegrapher, there is a method to regulate a watch without a timegrapher, it'll just take quite a bit more time. You'd want to find an exact time in the day to inspect the watch, say 9pm. On the first day, you'll set the time of the watch to a credible reliable time source, like an observatory clock or the internet clock. Give it a full wind, and then check the time again at the same time next day. You'll then find out the deviation per day in seconds. You can adjust the regulator according to your finding, and remember to make only tiny adjustments at a time. Repeat the process again, until you've reached an accuracy you are satisfied with. This can take considerably more time. But it'll work eventually if you have the patience. In fact, I sometimes do this just to compare the real world accuracy with the reading I get from the timegrapher. I will take the average rate from the real life measurement, then subtract it from the timegrapher measurement. I'll then adjust the difference once again on a timegrapher. This way I can get my watch to be even more accurate for my lifestyle. So that's basic regulation for you. Let us know below on how accurately you managed to regulate your watch, and feel free to ask us anything you would like to know. Thanks for watching! Remember to like and subscribe for more watchmaking tutorials and tips!
