Relic watches are easy to set, regardless of what style you choose. So don’t worry if you can’t find the manual that came with your Relic Chronograph watch. We will help you set it just right.
Relic Chronograph watches accumulate time fractionally and thus find use in operations that demand high precision in timing. The chronograph stopwatch usually displays both the elapsed time and a standard analog time. In addition, these watches typically have a knob that helps to set the time.
You can set the time by pulling the crown three clicks from your Relic Chronograph watch base. To set the date, pull the crown down to position two and turn the dial. Then, pull the crown all out to set the time.
Beware. When setting the time on a mechanical watch, you should be careful not to harm its movement by doing seemingly innocuous things.
It’s just a matter of following three rules: 1) turn the hands clockwise; and 2) stay within three hours after midnight. Read on to learn more.
How to Set Relic Chronograph Watch
1. Take the watch off your wrist
Winding and setting a watch while wearing it is not okay. In addition to risking damage to internal components, you can loosen the crown if you set the watch while it’s on your wrist.
2. Wind your Relic Chronograph watch manually to restart it.
You should fully wind your Relic Chronograph watch if it has been a while since you wore it. Start by unscrewing the crown of your watch, and then turn it until it feels resistant. Stop once you feel the watch is sufficient. Over winding, it may damage it.
3. Set the date by pulling the crown to the second position
Each of the crown positions on a Relic Chronograph watch has a distinct winding function. The first position is for winding your watch to a position where the crown is unscrewed. To quickly change the date of the watch, pull the crown back to the second position. Rotate the crown clockwise (forwards) until you reach the right date.
4. Set the time by turning the crown to the third position
Pull the crown out as far as possible from the watch’s base to set the watch’s time. This final position of the crown stops the second hand, which helps you set your watch accurately.
5. Reset your watch’s AM or PM
You can tell if the time is AM or PM by winding the crown counter-clockwise until the date begins to change. This indicates that you are approaching midnight, and thus the watch is set for PM.
6. Set the time
Rotate the crown clockwise (or away from you) until the correct time is displayed. Turning the crown counter-clockwise will not reverse your position if you overshot your desired time. In addition, the watch’s movement can get damaged if you turn the crown counter-clockwise. Therefore, it is necessary to wind clockwise until you return to the correct time.
7. Push the crown back in.
Near the base of the watch, press the crown back into “zero.” Next, make sure that the crown is pressurized and watertight by screwing it down.
Key things to note when setting your Relic Chronograph watch
You must wind and set the time regularly on Chronograph watches. Your watch will require less frequent adjustments if you wear the same automatic watch daily or keep it on a winder.
Watches shouldn’t be turned counter-clockwise. During the time-setting operation, the crown must be pulled back to the second position (first unscrewing if necessary). You might want to wait until the second-hand reaches zero so as not to interfere with the seconds. Once the hands have been set, turn the crown clockwise to set the time.
Restart the watch by pressing the crown in again. The clockwise motion is by design: that’s the way it is! This method does not risk breaking your watch. In counter-clockwise movement, the gear train is more likely to wear. Over time, if regularly performed, it may end up deteriorating the watch.
Set the date no sooner than 3 hours before midnight. When your watch is between 9 pm or 3 am, DO NOT change its day or date. It is usually between those times that the gears on a watch change the day and date. In those times, manually changing the date or day can result in the chipping of a gear, permanently damaging the wheel. Check that your watch is set to 6:30 before changing the date or day.
You may set the date at every intersection of the hour hand along the bottom half of the dial to be safe. In addition, you can set the date on your watch by pulling the crown out to its first position.
Set the date with a gentle rotation of the crown. By pushing the date disc forward every 24 hours, a pin sticks out of the date gear. The crown can come into contact with the date disc if it is turned too fast, causing the disc to jam or, in some cases, break. If that happens, you’ll need more than just a replacement wheel. You’ll probably need a full service as well in case there is debris in the movement.
I’m having a hard time setting the date on my watch. Is it broken?
This is certainly a possibility, but the likely cause is that it’s transitioning to another date or day. A few hours may pass before the new day or date is ultimately reflected. On occasion, you might see the date/day wheel transitioning during an “in-between” phase. If your date or day wheel isn’t working, or if it’s simply turning to the next day, how do you tell if it’s broken?
Check the time. The day and date functions activate when the watch is set between 9 pm and 3 am. The likelihood is, you have nothing to worry about if your watch is positioned between 9:00 and 3:00 at the moment. If you cannot change the date and time from this point, you may need to call a watchmaker.
If you follow this guide, you should be able to set and take care of your Relic Chronograph watch without any glitches.
