Setting3 min read
Setting the time to the second
Use hacking seconds and this clock to get your watch accurate to within a second.
Most modern watches “hack”: when you pull the crown out to the time-setting position, the seconds hand stops. That lets you start the watch in perfect sync with a reference clock — like the one on this site.
The method
- 1Wait until the seconds hand on your watch reaches 12, then pull the crown fully out. The seconds hand stops at zero.
- 2Turn the crown to set the hands one or two minutes ahead of the current time.
- 3Line the minute hand up exactly on a minute marker. Approach the marker moving forward (clockwise) — this takes up the slack in the gears.
- 4Watch the live clock here. The instant it reaches :00 of your chosen minute, push the crown in.
Why always move forward?
Every gear train has a little play between its teeth, called backlash. If you overshoot and wind backwards to the marker, the minute hand may jump slightly when the watch starts running. Going past the time and then back, and finishing with a small forward motion, avoids that.
No hacking?
Some older or entry-level movements keep running while you set them. Align the minute hand exactly on a marker as the seconds hand passes 12, push the crown in, and accept a second or two of error.