SPB 143 accuracy.

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sbrittain5
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SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by sbrittain5 » Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:11 am

Hi guys.
New to the forum, was wondering what sort of accuracy people are experiencing with their SPB 14X series?
Thanks.

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TSD
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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by TSD » Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:22 am

sbrittain5 wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:11 am
Hi guys.
New to the forum, was wondering what sort of accuracy people are experiencing with their SPB 14X series?
Thanks.
Welcome, Steve. I saw much better accuracy in the 6r35 than the older generation movement (all of which 6r15s had issues for me). Assuming most of us who have that watch or a "Willard" are seeing +1-2 spd or better out of the box. Take yours to a jeweler to be demagnetized or regulated if much off from that.

And don't forget to post an introduction in the main forum. :cheers:

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by sbrittain5 » Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:32 am

Thanks TSD.
Mines running fine, maybe 4" since Wednesday!
Its brand new so may settle but I`m really pleased for far. It also gains a couple of seconds if laid on its back overnight (the right way for what its losing in the day) so all good!
I haven't tried it overnight in any other positions.
The 143 has far exceeded my exceptions in every way,

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Selym
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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by Selym » Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:05 am

Every new Seiko I've bought since 2016 with a 4R36, 6R15, or 6R35 inside has arrived running 1 to 5 s/d fast, and after a few months of wear settled in to -10 to -15 s/d slow. After regulation, they've been fine.

Actually, my 6R35 hasn't been regulated yet, but I'm sure it'll be fine once it has.

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Torrid
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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by Torrid » Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:34 am

Selym wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:05 am
Every new Seiko I've bought since 2016 with a 4R36, 6R15, or 6R35 inside has arrived running 1 to 5 s/d fast, and after a few months of wear settled in to -10 to -15 s/d slow. After regulation, they've been fine.

Actually, my 6R35 hasn't been regulated yet, but I'm sure it'll be fine once it has.
About the same case for me. My one 4R36 seems to shift around a bit accuracy wise still but stays in the ballpark I’d call acceptable at this price, though still a bit annoying. It’s not something that follows a pattern, but a few days it wants to lose 10 seconds a day and then other days it only loses a couple. Positional variance is easy to compensate for it but it’s annoying when it loses 10 seconds overnight dial up but will gain 15 crown up. I still wear it the most of my watches but I do check the time daily to see how far it’s off from actual. If I wore it for a week without referencing a time source who knows how far it would be off. That’s how I decide which position to leave it in at night.

Basically what I am saying is a wouldn’t rely on any mechanical Seiko to be a reliable time keeper. Some are better than others, but short of a couple lucky great runners, I’ve not had good luck with well tuned Seikos. Even when adjusted positional variance tends to be borderline terrible.

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by Selym » Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:45 am

Torrid wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:34 am
Selym wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:05 am
Every new Seiko I've bought since 2016 with a 4R36, 6R15, or 6R35 inside has arrived running 1 to 5 s/d fast, and after a few months of wear settled in to -10 to -15 s/d slow. After regulation, they've been fine.

Actually, my 6R35 hasn't been regulated yet, but I'm sure it'll be fine once it has.
About the same case for me. My one 4R36 seems to shift around a bit accuracy wise still but stays in the ballpark I’d call acceptable at this price, though still a bit annoying. It’s not something that follows a pattern, but a few days it wants to lose 10 seconds a day and then other days it only loses a couple. Positional variance is easy to compensate for it but it’s annoying when it loses 10 seconds overnight dial up but will gain 15 crown up. I still wear it the most of my watches but I do check the time daily to see how far it’s off from actual. If I wore it for a week without referencing a time source who knows how far it would be off. That’s how I decide which position to leave it in at night.

Basically what I am saying is a wouldn’t rely on any mechanical Seiko to be a reliable time keeper. Some are better than others, but short of a couple lucky great runners, I’ve not had good luck with well tuned Seikos. Even when adjusted positional variance tends to be borderline terrible.
I don't get why they're great for the first several weeks, then slow down to -10 to -15 s/d. Maybe there really is a break-in process. :shrug:

I wouldn't mind if they sped up to 10 to 15 s/d, but a watch that loses time bugs me, for some reason.

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by Torrid » Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:58 am

Selym wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:45 am
Torrid wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:34 am
Selym wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:05 am
Every new Seiko I've bought since 2016 with a 4R36, 6R15, or 6R35 inside has arrived running 1 to 5 s/d fast, and after a few months of wear settled in to -10 to -15 s/d slow. After regulation, they've been fine.

Actually, my 6R35 hasn't been regulated yet, but I'm sure it'll be fine once it has.
About the same case for me. My one 4R36 seems to shift around a bit accuracy wise still but stays in the ballpark I’d call acceptable at this price, though still a bit annoying. It’s not something that follows a pattern, but a few days it wants to lose 10 seconds a day and then other days it only loses a couple. Positional variance is easy to compensate for it but it’s annoying when it loses 10 seconds overnight dial up but will gain 15 crown up. I still wear it the most of my watches but I do check the time daily to see how far it’s off from actual. If I wore it for a week without referencing a time source who knows how far it would be off. That’s how I decide which position to leave it in at night.

Basically what I am saying is a wouldn’t rely on any mechanical Seiko to be a reliable time keeper. Some are better than others, but short of a couple lucky great runners, I’ve not had good luck with well tuned Seikos. Even when adjusted positional variance tends to be borderline terrible.
I don't get why they're great for the first several weeks, then slow down to -10 to -15 s/d. Maybe there really is a break-in process. :shrug:

I wouldn't mind if they sped up to 10 to 15 s/d, but a watch that loses time bugs me, for some reason.
I’ve noticed the exact same thing almost across the board. Though even when I let them settle and adjust them they do sometimes drift again months later. I think the settling process is normal, but I think the other issue is once you’ve toyed with the regulator lever since it’s finicky and you’ll constantly bump it back and forth to get the adjustment right it allows some play in the regulator lever after it has been moved back and forth a few times. The last time I had to adjust my SRP777 it was because I popped a spring bar and when the watch hit the ground it must have moved the lever. I was able to adjust it back and doesn’t seem to have any other damage, but I do think that since every job I’ve ever had has been active and hands on that these random bumps and slams tends to move these levers after I’ve taken the time to regulate them. I know I shouldn’t bother with mechanical watches for my uses but I like these stupid things.

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by Selym » Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:42 pm

Torrid wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:58 am
Selym wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:45 am
Torrid wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:34 am
Selym wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:05 am
Every new Seiko I've bought since 2016 with a 4R36, 6R15, or 6R35 inside has arrived running 1 to 5 s/d fast, and after a few months of wear settled in to -10 to -15 s/d slow. After regulation, they've been fine.

Actually, my 6R35 hasn't been regulated yet, but I'm sure it'll be fine once it has.
About the same case for me. My one 4R36 seems to shift around a bit accuracy wise still but stays in the ballpark I’d call acceptable at this price, though still a bit annoying. It’s not something that follows a pattern, but a few days it wants to lose 10 seconds a day and then other days it only loses a couple. Positional variance is easy to compensate for it but it’s annoying when it loses 10 seconds overnight dial up but will gain 15 crown up. I still wear it the most of my watches but I do check the time daily to see how far it’s off from actual. If I wore it for a week without referencing a time source who knows how far it would be off. That’s how I decide which position to leave it in at night.

Basically what I am saying is a wouldn’t rely on any mechanical Seiko to be a reliable time keeper. Some are better than others, but short of a couple lucky great runners, I’ve not had good luck with well tuned Seikos. Even when adjusted positional variance tends to be borderline terrible.
I don't get why they're great for the first several weeks, then slow down to -10 to -15 s/d. Maybe there really is a break-in process. :shrug:

I wouldn't mind if they sped up to 10 to 15 s/d, but a watch that loses time bugs me, for some reason.
I’ve noticed the exact same thing almost across the board. Though even when I let them settle and adjust them they do sometimes drift again months later. I think the settling process is normal, but I think the other issue is once you’ve toyed with the regulator lever since it’s finicky and you’ll constantly bump it back and forth to get the adjustment right it allows some play in the regulator lever after it has been moved back and forth a few times. The last time I had to adjust my SRP777 it was because I popped a spring bar and when the watch hit the ground it must have moved the lever. I was able to adjust it back and doesn’t seem to have any other damage, but I do think that since every job I’ve ever had has been active and hands on that these random bumps and slams tends to move these levers after I’ve taken the time to regulate them. I know I shouldn’t bother with mechanical watches for my uses but I like these stupid things.
Yeah, I think you're onto something. The moveable stud carrier (the arm that the end of the hairspring is affixed to, and that you use to set the watch in beat, probably moves when the watch receives a shock. This will affect the beat as well as the rate. I don't think the regulator moves, as I don't think it has enough mass. Anyway, the effect is the same.

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by Torrid » Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:53 pm

Maybe that’s what it is then. Either way I think I’m too hard on them.

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by Selym » Fri Jan 08, 2021 1:57 pm

Torrid wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:53 pm
Maybe that’s what it is then. Either way I think I’m too hard on them.
Not necessarily. I think getting jostled during the shipping process is enough to move the stud carrier. It moves easily - far more easily than the regulator arm.

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by sierra11b » Fri Jan 08, 2021 4:15 pm

Four 6r35 run about 5-10 seconds fast day except my 143, which runs about 10 seconds slow, which I hate.

Something had to make take this seemingly near perfect package down a notch. Fortunately I place the dial perfectly flat with dial facing up toward the ceiling at night and it speeds up perfectly.

Of the five recent 6r35 watches I’ve bought the 143 is my favorite

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by deepcdvr » Fri Jan 08, 2021 7:16 pm

Torrid wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:34 am
Basically what I am saying is a wouldn’t rely on any mechanical Seiko to be a reliable time keeper.
Lol - I agree, though

I have an old school SBDX001 and it’s at least consistent

(At +11 a day :lol: )
VR/
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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by andrema » Fri Jan 08, 2021 8:53 pm

I am hearing that there are issues with the 6S35
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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by sierra11b » Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:24 pm

andrema wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 8:53 pm
I am hearing that there are issues with the 6S35
Like what and says who?

Mine have been just fine, or at least I think?

My point is there’s hundreds of posts on seiko 6r15 accuracy over the years and a few 6r35 in this thread alone with different results. The bottom line is it’s all conjecture.

Until someone really breaks down the 6r35 utilizing 100 movements and a sound scientific approach, we’re going to get all sorts of forum opinions.

Having really been disappointed in the 6r15 over the years, I really wanted to be sure of the 6r35, because I have a couple non-posting friends relying on my opinion before they purchase... I was the schmuck who decided to bite the bullet first, and have done so 5 times on the 6r35 with 80% satisfaction in the last 13 months; and still that last watch was still well inside of specs. :shrug:

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by toxicavenger » Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:32 pm

i just changed out the 5th Seiko 6r15 for a new NE15. they just seem to be hit or miss on accuracy. the ne15 is almost perfect out of the box. it makes no sense.

oh i forgot to mention I have a SBDC087/SPB117J coming in that is losing 90 seconds a day. :scratch:

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by gr8sw » Sat Jan 09, 2021 4:44 pm

been wearing my SPB147 since the end of Sept pretty much 24/7, it's been a consistent -4 spd... not perfect but works for me... I set it a minute ahead and don't have to screw with it for a month :lol:
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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by 59yukon01 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 5:18 pm

toxicavenger wrote:i just changed out the 5th Seiko 6r15 for a new NE15. they just seem to be hit or miss on accuracy. the ne15 is almost perfect out of the box. it makes no sense.

oh i forgot to mention I have a SBDC087/SPB117J coming in that is losing 90 seconds a day. :scratch:
This has been my exact experiences with the ones I've had, and the NE15C I just had install is running spot on.

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by Mr_Pacman » Wed Jun 09, 2021 9:48 pm

Torrid wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:34 am
Selym wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:05 am
Every new Seiko I've bought since 2016 with a 4R36, 6R15, or 6R35 inside has arrived running 1 to 5 s/d fast, and after a few months of wear settled in to -10 to -15 s/d slow. After regulation, they've been fine.

Actually, my 6R35 hasn't been regulated yet, but I'm sure it'll be fine once it has.
About the same case for me. My one 4R36 seems to shift around a bit accuracy wise still but stays in the ballpark I’d call acceptable at this price, though still a bit annoying. It’s not something that follows a pattern, but a few days it wants to lose 10 seconds a day and then other days it only loses a couple. Positional variance is easy to compensate for it but it’s annoying when it loses 10 seconds overnight dial up but will gain 15 crown up. I still wear it the most of my watches but I do check the time daily to see how far it’s off from actual. If I wore it for a week without referencing a time source who knows how far it would be off. That’s how I decide which position to leave it in at night.

Basically what I am saying is a wouldn’t rely on any mechanical Seiko to be a reliable time keeper. Some are better than others, but short of a couple lucky great runners, I’ve not had good luck with well tuned Seikos. Even when adjusted positional variance tends to be borderline terrible.
So your is gaining 15 seconds a day when crown up? This is interesting as mine is gaining crown up as well, but on this video, the watch is losing a significant amount of time with the crown up (-20 per day) but seems to run bang on at face up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7A0bTdzpWA

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by Torrid » Thu Jun 10, 2021 4:10 am

Mr_Pacman wrote:
Wed Jun 09, 2021 9:48 pm
Torrid wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:34 am
Selym wrote:
Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:05 am
Every new Seiko I've bought since 2016 with a 4R36, 6R15, or 6R35 inside has arrived running 1 to 5 s/d fast, and after a few months of wear settled in to -10 to -15 s/d slow. After regulation, they've been fine.

Actually, my 6R35 hasn't been regulated yet, but I'm sure it'll be fine once it has.
About the same case for me. My one 4R36 seems to shift around a bit accuracy wise still but stays in the ballpark I’d call acceptable at this price, though still a bit annoying. It’s not something that follows a pattern, but a few days it wants to lose 10 seconds a day and then other days it only loses a couple. Positional variance is easy to compensate for it but it’s annoying when it loses 10 seconds overnight dial up but will gain 15 crown up. I still wear it the most of my watches but I do check the time daily to see how far it’s off from actual. If I wore it for a week without referencing a time source who knows how far it would be off. That’s how I decide which position to leave it in at night.

Basically what I am saying is a wouldn’t rely on any mechanical Seiko to be a reliable time keeper. Some are better than others, but short of a couple lucky great runners, I’ve not had good luck with well tuned Seikos. Even when adjusted positional variance tends to be borderline terrible.
So your is gaining 15 seconds a day when crown up? This is interesting as mine is gaining crown up as well, but on this video, the watch is losing a significant amount of time with the crown up (-20 per day) but seems to run bang on at face up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7A0bTdzpWA
My NAFT and SARB033 both do this. Very accurate dial up, but gain crown up. Before these two watches every other watch I've had has been slower crown up than dial up.

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Re: SPB 143 accuracy.

Post by sierra11b » Sat Jun 19, 2021 8:53 am

My Willard is now losing considerable time daily. :doh: :raised:

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