[dalelease]

Bulova Precisionist Accuracy

Need help/advice on the new Precisionist I just purchased a couple of weeks ago. I have Model: C877649. As per all info I have read, this watch is suppose to be within +/- 10 sec per year. I set the watch about 7-10 days ago, and synchronized it with a web site displaying the atomic clock (Current time). This site claims a deviation of .3 milliseconds or less. At this point, the watch has appeared (to my naked eye) to have gained between .8 to .9 seconds.

So I know some of you are thinking..."this guy is using terms like ABOUT and APPROXIMATELY", and I realize I haven't kept a perfect record of EXACTLY when I set my watch, and am not measuring with scientific instruments, but according to rudimentary math and common sense, this watch will be far from a deviation of 10 seconds in the period of 1 year.

I like the watch's sweeping seconds hand, and it's overall appearance, but I also purchased it for its alleged accuracy. It's supposed to be a Precisionist, not an Approximist. I am still within my 30 day return policy, so am trying to decided if I should do a return or exchange. So for you experts out there, am I being unreasonable? Is the 10 seconds per year ONLY if a human doesn't actually wear it and ONLY if it sits on a shelf inside a climate-controlled lab?? Feedback please...

Dale

 

[oliverb]

You have asked an interesting question and one that has been discussed a little here and extensively elsewhere. Since it's introduction in the Fall of 2010, there have been complaints about the accuracy of the Precisionist. It really does not matter which model you purchase because all use exactly the same movement - no model variations. A member on this forum found his Precisionist to be very accurate for the first few months only to then run a little faster. My first Precisionist was a 2010 used model I purchased last Winter. Like yours, it did not live up to the 10 second rule. I sold it recently, not because of accuracy but because I decided to buy a diver model for the one Precisionist I wished to have. This one is more accurate than the first but is still not within the 10 second variance - perhaps 1 second/month fast. In postings I have read, I never saw any mention of someone contacting Bulova with that complaint. I am not certain what could be done other than switching out the movement and that may only result in another movement not within the 10 second variance. While I would prefer the accuracy advertised, I am not upset enough to return the watch.

 

[Watch Me]

Their claim equals about .83 seconds per month. I don't think your accuracy testing is precise enough to determine if your watch is living up to the claims. Unfortunately, I think a non-scientific test would take a few months to detefmine if it is in fact within 10 seconds/year.

Let's assume yours is off .8 seconds per 10 days. If the math done in my head is right, that's 29.2 seconds per year. If you're comfortable with your estimate, you just need to determine if you can live with that accuracy. I read the battery life is expected to be one year, so in reality you'd need to set the time once per year. Unless it's a perpetual calendar or a no-date model, you'll have to set at least the date appx. every other month. Unless you can pull the crown to the date change position every time without pulling it out far enough to stop it, you'll lose time when resetting the date, also. I often have to try more than once to get the crown to the date change position.

Just my thoughts. Obviously I've considered a Precisionist...

 

[pantagruel]

I have one, and I find that the wear pattern is a factor in the accuracy of the watch. When worn consistently it keeps better time. When not worn consistently it tends to drift. Just my anecdotal observation.

 

[oliverb]

I have one, and I find that the wear pattern is a factor in the accuracy of the watch. When worn consistently it keeps better time. When not worn consistently it tends to drift. Just my anecdotal observation.

I think you have a point with this watch. Usually we don't think a quartz watch is subject to as much wear motion influence on time keeping as a mechanical movement but there is some influence.

Also, with the two Precisionists I have owned, I haven't had difficulty pulling out the crown just to the date set position.

 

[Monocrom]

They're now starting to appear in the Clearence case at JCPenney.

 

[oliverb]

They're now starting to appear in the Clearence case at JCPenney.

I am not surprised. For some reason or reasons, they don't seem to have gone over well. Price must be one factor.

 

[sdc100]

Keep in mind that the 10sec is the average over a year. Unlike purely mechanical watches which tend to remain fast or slow, electronic ones can bounce back and forth. So while it may be fast this month, it may be slow the following month, averaging to 10sec per year. Or am I wrong?

 

[CometHunter]

Nope - you're not wrong at all. For one thing, temperature fluctuations are known to have an effect on a quartz movement's accuracy.

 

[oliverb]

Old thread but still worthy of discussion! I have two Precisionist watches. Since setting them for DST in March, the older one (Claremont '01) has gained approx 17 seconds while the newer one (Chrono Diver '03) has gained approx 7 seconds - in just over 3 months time. These watches spend most of their time in a display case hanging on the wall so I can't comment on their accuracy when worn and subjected to variations of temperature and motion. In their mostly static state, neither will achieve the original accuracy claimed by Bulova. While it would be nice if they did, I'm not overly concerned as I purchased them more for their unique movement than for their accuracy. In their Accutron II Precisionist line, Bulova no longer makes the extreme accuracy claim. They now say accuracy is within seconds/year.

 

[CometHunter]

Well said.
One can't help but wonder if they made the same mistake Hamilton made with their electric movement and marketed it before all the bugs were worked out.

 

[Spaceview M2]

Interesting thread. I have yet to buy a Precisionist watch, I always find myself saying that if I truly want a almost perfectly accurate watch I select an Atomic watch. Although the watch may not be very accurate in itself, it's the ability to continually update and maintain exact time and when I need that accuracy, that's the watch I wear. All other watches I own, regardless of claims certainly can't do that. Aside from that, I would still like to have a Precisionist but would not fret over what seems to be slight errors in time but not enough for me to worry about. But I would not spend big bucks on the promise of extreme accuracy. Just my thoughts.

 

[oliverb]

I always find myself saying that if I truly want a almost perfectly accurate watch I select an Atomic watch. Although the watch may not be very accurate in itself, it's the ability to continually update and maintain exact time and when I need that accuracy, that's the watch I wear.

My thoughts exactly. A year or so ago I managed to pick up a factory second Junghans Atomic watch on the cheap. I have wondered over the years why this type of quartz movement hasn't been adopted by more manufacturers. Perhaps the public interest just isn't there.

 

[Spaceview M2]

My thoughts exactly. A year or so ago I managed to pick up a factory second Junghans Atomic watch on the cheap. I have wondered over the years why this type of quartz movement hasn't been adopted by more manufacturers. Perhaps the public interest just isn't there.

Agreed. The complaints that I have noticed about atomic watches is not about the fact that they are self adjusting but the fact that not all people live in an area that will consistently receive the signals that do update. So if you live where the watch has trouble updating, then it's really not doing you any good. I have 3 and they update everyday, sometimes at 2am,3am or 4am but I live very close to Colorado which certainly helps. Key West may not get the same results.

 

[CometHunter]

....have a Precisionist but would not fret over what seems to be slight errors in time but not enough for me to worry about...

I certainly don't. Only once did I ever consider bringing it into the Bulova AD to have the accuracy tightened up. And I got over that real fast.

....hasn't been adopted by more manufacturers. Perhaps the public interest just isn't there.

Perhaps you should put the word "anymore" at the end of that sentence. Although between Citizen and Casio, the assortment of models is mind boggling.
I think it would have been a different story if the technology had shown up ten years earlier. But just when prices were becoming reasonable on atomics is when those new-fangled pocket telephones showing the time started showing up. I love 'em, and had a total of 8 between now and 15 years ago: 3 G-Shocks (one inexplicably died), 2 LaCrosse models (one got stolen), two super-inexpensive Topix A-T's (of which on one, the plastic strap snapped in half) and my Citizen A-T Skyhawk.

 

[ArchieGoodwin]

My extremely generous inlaws wanted to purchase my son a nice watch last year. Apparently he went into a jewelers they've done business with before, and while looking at the watch selection saw one behind the counter (not on display) that caught his eye. He ended up with a limited edition Citizen World Chronograph A-T Eco Drive, one that continually amazes me. My problem with it is you have to remember a lot of different functions as to what the watch can tell you depending upon what pushers you activate. Amazing watch though. Maybe he'll let me borrow it? :lol:

Eric

 

[Spaceview M2]

I had two Citizen Eco Drive Atomics. Sold both of them on ebay the past few months. I liked them and they were cool but the (non Titanium one) (left one) weighed 5.7oz and was just way too heavy. So I bought the very same watch in a Titanium version (RIGHT one), Weighed about 3 Oz less but in the end the watch case/face was just too big for my taste. The titanium version was fairly comfortable though!!

Stainless Steel two tone on the left, Titanium version on the right.


Stainless Two Tone Citizen dial... VERY Busy Dial!!!! And very Heavy watch!!!!!!!!

 

[CometHunter]

@ Eric: Send your son off to Summer Camp. You'll have two full weeks of unlimited access to it! :drool: :lol:

 

[SAM2]

Old thread but still worthy of discussion! I have two Precisionist watches. Since setting them for DST in March, the older one (Claremont '01) has gained approx 17 seconds ...............

Oliver,
I just checked my Claremont, the one that was the subject of our year long contest and was surprised that it had also gained 17 seconds since setting to DST. During the same time frame, my Eagle Pilot gained 23 seconds. Just goes to show that the early Precisionist movements were consistently inaccurate but still better than some ETA quartz movements costing much more.
As to the battery life question, my watch is still running on the factory installed battery after two and a half years.

 

[oliverb]

Yeah, I think accuracy of the movement improved a little by the 3rd year. I haven't replaced a battery in one yet, either. I'm betting on 3+ years.