Contact the servicing provider when performance changes
Record the observed rate and conditions, keep the invoice and service record, and follow the exact watch manual and written warranty. Do not delay contact for a generic settling period, apply a universal winding count or resting-position experiment, or assume magnetism. Diagnosis and any demagnetization require measured, watch-specific before/after testing.
It’s the ultimate watch enthusiast’s heartbreak: you spend weeks waiting for your timepiece to come back from the spa, pay the invoice, strap it on, and… it’s already three minutes slow by Tuesday.
Before you call your watchmaker in a fit of rage, take a breath. While a service is meant to "reset the clock" on performance, there are several logical—and often fixable—reasons why a watch might lose time post-service.
1. The "Settling-In" Period
Think of a freshly serviced movement like a rebuilt car engine. The new oils and lubricants need a little time to distribute evenly across the gears and pivots.
2. Is it Fully Wound?
Most people assume that "wearing it" is enough. However, if you have a desk job or a light activity level, the rotor on an automatic watch might not be generating a full power reserve. As the tension in the mainspring drops, the amplitude (the swing of the balance wheel) decreases, which can cause the watch to lose time.
3. Magnetization
We live in a world of hidden magnets: iPad covers, laptop speakers, and MagSafe chargers. If your watch was exposed to a magnetic field during shipping or at home, the hairspring can "stick" together. While this usually makes a watch run fast, it can occasionally cause erratic behavior or slow running depending on which parts are affected.
4. Positional Variance
Mechanical rate can vary by position. A watchmaker measures positional behavior under defined conditions; one assumed nightstand position is not a universal correction for post-service time loss.
When to Actually Call the Watchmaker
Potential Technical Issue | What Happened? |
Escapement Issues | The pallet stones might need a microscopic adjustment. |
Old Mainspring | If the spring wasn't replaced, it might be "tired" and losing torque. |
Shipping Trauma | A heavy jolt during transit can knock the regulator arm out of alignment. |
Is your watch losing a consistent amount of time every day, or is the lag completely random?
Representative Repair Cases
Explore selected repairs from the Gray & Sons archive. A watch is evaluated individually, so the work required for another timepiece may differ.
Request a Watch Repair Evaluation
A repair request begins with an individual inspection and estimate. Send your watch securely or visit Gray & Sons in Surfside, Florida, to discuss the next step.