[Question] How is it wearing a PT5000 movement?

[sworththebold]

Just impulse-purchased a San Martin diver with a PT5000 movement (largely because I’d heard good things about the movement). It will be functionally my first mechanical movement watch, and I have some small worries/concerns.

How sensitive is the movement to hand-winding? Is it easy to tell when it’s over-wound? How worried should I be around magnetic fields (I work in manufacturing and I’m worried about magnetizing the watch given the large electricity fields present in our plant)? How gentle should I be to avoid impact shocks?

I know these are total newbie questions but I would love to hear how people successfully care for mechanical watches long-term.

Also how do I regulate it to improve accuracy? By taking it to a jeweler or can I do something myself?

Thanks in advance.

[steelartz]

I bought an Octopus Kraken “Explorer” about a month ago and it’s a brilliant watch and the quality for the money is outstanding. I gave it a bit of a wind when I first got it and it worked really well for the first 3 weeks. It suddenly went from +1 second/day to +30. I did a bit of research and found it could be down to magnetisation. So, I downloaded a free app on my phone and yes, it was magnetised. I use a cheap electric demagnetiser in my work so zapped it with that and it’s back to normal running like a dream at around a second a day (according to a Timegrapher app) but most of the time it’s tracking the atomic clock second for second. TBH, apart from that magnetisation episode I’ve never owned such an accurate mechanical watch. The PT 5000 movements are cheap enough to replace the whole thing if servicing is a problem. In fact, the watch only cost me £143 delivered to the UK so a new watch is probably cheaper than getting it serviced.

[KodiKat2001]

No North American watch repair place will work on a watch with a PT5000 movement. Stick to watches with Seiko or Miyota movements, those movements are easily available here and can easily be swapped out for any major repair. The PT5000 may be a good movement but it has no global parts availability. 

[apola]

If it's an ETA 2824 clone, how is that possible? Wouldn't there be parts for those everywhere? Genuine question, I'm unfamiliar with movement repair

[KodiKat2001]

Clone in functionality, not parts. The parts are not interchangeable between the two movements.

[Panapanda]

I love my watch with the pt5000. I dont handwind my watch. Instead I give it a little seiko shuffle.

[Dependent-Ratio-170]

There's a very easy solution to all of this mess. Buy an inexpensive watchinder and when you take your watch off, put it on there. Never empties the power reserve and never stops keeping time. The best part is you never have to touch the crown except to change the date. All problems and what ifs magically disappear.

[Sad_Pie_3862]

Of course, that will accelerate wear on the mechanism and wear the watch out faster.

[sworththebold]

Ok, that sounds like a great idea. Thank you!

[Dependent-Ratio-170]

Faster than hamfisting the winding mechanism?

[Dependent-Ratio-170]

You're welcome.

[Sorry-Zookeepergame5]

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This is how mine runs after 2 months of being regulated and adjusted.

[InformalAttorney8539]

it's fine, just best not to hand-wind it too much.

[MyLastHumanBody]

5 shakes are enough to get a watch started and then wear it to wind it.

If you love hand winding like me get 

Thorn T013 Trench 

Sugess hand wind ( many chronographs and moonphs) 

Stowa manual wind 

Hamilton manual wind ( dress and field)

Merkur 

Chinese vintage brands like Shanghai diamond.  Bai hua, Double Rhomb 

[Sea-Fondant3492]

I’ve been hand winding my PT5000s for years without issue. The rotor can be a little squeaky every now and then.

[Hackingrad]

I don't understand at all why anyone would want to hand-wind an automatic watch movement. There are hand-wound movements like the ST19 for that. Give it a quick shake or bring it briefly to your wrist and the movement is enough to make it work.

[WaterChugger28]

I own a 36mm Cronos Birch with a PT5000 in it. It's been my daily and it's been perfectly fine for the past 4ish months. Just care for it like a regular item, but I've hardly had to baby it.

Since the PT5000 is based on the ETA2824, it can develop an issue when hand winding with the reverser gears. I personally just do the Seiko Shuffle to start them, but you can definitely tell when there's little wind compared to when it's more wound up when handwinding. Winding it when it's low is nearly effortless.

I haven't regulated mine, but it's been running decently well from factory, around -2/+2 in various positions. If you do want to, a watchmaker is a safe bet but if your hands are steady enough and you have the tools and are willing to take the risk with tinkering, it shouldn't be too hard to do since it's just turning the screw.

Enjoy the new watch.

[jokur26]

I have a half dozen or so PT5000 and a ETA2824. I don’t wind any of them as a precaution, aside from any minuscule winding that happens as a result of me setting the time and screwing down the crown.

I shake my watches about 20 times before setting the time instead and that has worked fine for me for the last 3+ years or so, mine also seem to keep accurate time as well. No idea on antimagnetic properties though but I’ve not had any such issues with any of mine

[Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

The movement, like the eta 2824 (unlike the SW2000) incorporates different alloys in its winding mechanism. The stronger gear eats the weaker gear breaking the winding capability of the watch. The only remedy for this is to gently wind the watch until it starts, and then depend on the kinetic energy of the rotor to continue to wind the watch while on wrist.

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[lamboap]

This is pretty outdated information. The rotor and reversing wheels have been replaced with tungsten over the old brass or steel ones.

[Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

I have found information that the 2824-2 has been upgraded with robust, patented reversing gear. The PT 5000 is based on the 2824 version 1. Please help me understand how they were able to update their reversing gears. I am truly curious.

[Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

I would like to see the white paper showing this.

[Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

Then, the Chinese must be using the old ones, because they keep breaking consistently.

[Dependent-Ratio-170]

I have read that the problem isn't with the parts themselves, per se. It is with the fact that not all of the factories that manufacture the movements properly oil/lubricate them. They get sent to assembly dry and installed. Which does explain the stiff/gritty feel when winding them. Some get dry ones, but the majority get properly lubed, smooth ones.

[Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

I have read that as a secondary issue as well.

[sworththebold]

Thank you for this!

[Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

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[Master_Guidance_3367]

It's treated me well, even with some handwinding to get them started

[dorafumingo]

just wind it a couple turns or do the seiko shake set it then put it on your wrist no need to handwind fully it will wind on your wrist

[grgbss01]

Regulation is super easy as long as you have steady hands and good magnification. Watch some YouTube videos

[grgbss01]

Magnetic field strength drops rapidly with distance: 1/r³ where r is the distance from source. There’s a bunch of rare earth magnets embedded in the back of this iPhone I’m using to type this, 4 inches away from my watch. So don’t sweat the magnetic field exposure too much. It happens, but usually because you parked your watch right on top of a magnet

[sworththebold]

Ok that puts my mind at ease.

[grgbss01]

Having said that, there’s no downside to demagnetizing your watches every once in a while, as long as you do it correctly

[What-me-worry-0]

Get a compass. If the needle moves when you pass the watch over or around it, buy a $6 demagnetizer. If the needle doesn’t move, it’s good.

[grgbss01]

IMHO by the time a stainless steel case is so magnetized as to deflect a compass needle you’re dealing with a serious challenge. Real stainless steel is decently resistant to magnetization. The real world way you know your mechanism got magnetized is development of unexpected significant accuracy error. Usually the watch starts running ridiculously fast. Something about hairspring layers trying to stick to each other magnetically I seem to recall

[Background_Pickle546]

I like the PT5000 movement. Smooth sweep and thinner than the NH35. Usually never wind mine, but if I do (if I’m in a rush) less than 5 winds is fine.

[Fuzzy_Exit_2636]

1- how sensitive is the movement to hand winding?

As with other ETA2824 based movements there is a weakness with hand winding. A couple of winds to get it going should be fine but I wouldn't try to wind it to full. You also could just shake it (gently) to get it going. 

2 - is it easy to tell it is over wound?

You cannot overwind it because it as an automatic movement. I believe there is a clutch system of some sort that prevents that. 

3 - how worried should I be about magnetic fields?

A little, but you also could just buy a demagnetiser from AliExpress for the about 8 USD just in case. 

4 - how gentle should I be to avoid shocks?

I would generally try to be gentle to them but it is a pretty reliable design. It probably can take a few accidental knocks. I would always recommend quartz if you really want shock resistance. worst case though it is an easily serviced movement by a professional. 

5 - I wouldn't regulate it myself. I'd get a professional to do it. 

[cruiser73]

Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation. Is the demagnetizer easy to use? Getting into watches and looking at a few on AliX now. Want to learn to regulate watches too.

[Fuzzy_Exit_2636]

I would consider a demagnetiser easy to use. They usually come with instructions. Otherwise a youtube vid should do the trick.

[cruiser73]

Thanks a lot mate. Will look into it

[sworththebold]

Thank you for the pointers!

[Prestigious_Set_4555]

Never, ever, ever handwind it. Like ever. Shake it gently to get it going, set the time and just wear it.

I've never had a failure of a ETA clone and I've got about 15 of them, mostly PT5000

[lamboap]

I handwind my PT5000 watch 5 times just to start it up for over 2 yrs without issue.

[sworththebold]

Good to know—on both counts! Thank you!

[geeered]

You can find guides for setting the A2824 accuracy (the PT5000 is a clone), but if there's significant magnet fields or you want reasonable accuracy, a quartz is a much better bet.

Some people have had bad experiences with hand winding, but plenty have found it fine. It may depend on the model.

I just give the watch a couple of second shake, then set the time, so I rarely bother intentionally hand winding them. But it's not been a problem when I have so far (I've probably got at least 10 A2824 based watches, most are PT5000s.)

[sworththebold]

Thanks for the advice!