Never change the date of a watch between 10 and 4 o'clock

Have you ever tried to set your watch date between 10 and 2 o'clock? We recommend you to never do that again! There is a good reason why you should not set the date of your watch when the time on the dial is somewhere between 10 o 'clock and 2 o'clock. We'll tell you all about it and we will also tell you how to set the date correctly without damaging your watch movement.

Why your should not set your watch date between 10 and 2 o'clock

Maybe you have never thought of this before but your watch might get damaged when you set the date when the watch is already changing date by itself. A watch with a date on the dial is equipped with a mechanism that changes date every 24 hours. Most watches use a mechanism called a "quickset" feature, which allows the user to easily change the date without having to turn the hands of the watch through a full 24-hour cycle. This gets done by extracting the crown to its middle position and rotate it to change the date. The reason why it's better not to set the date of a watch between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock is that the watch might already be changing date by itself.  

How does a watch change date?

Most watches change date by every 24 hours. But if the watch shows a wrong date then you will have to adjust it manually. This is done by using the crown and set the quickset mechanism. The quickset mechanism of a watch works by pulling the crown till the middle position. This will engaging a small gear that advances the date wheel by one day at a time. We recommend you to do this only when your watch time is somewhere between 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock, where the date change can occur smoothly and without damaging the mechanism.

How to adjust a watch date correctly without damaging the mechanism

If your watch time is somewhere between 10 and 2 o'clock, you better not change the date. We advise you to adjust the time before you start adjusting the date. You can do this by pulling the crown to its outermost position and to turn it to adjust the time until your watch time is somewhere between 3 and 9. Now you can adjust the date safely without damaging the watch. Keep in mind a watch changes date every 24 hours. If your watch suddenly changes date in the afternoon instead of night, you need to rotate time 12 hours forwards! Also read 'how to change the date of your watch'.

What happens when you set date between 10 and 2?

If the time of your watch is somewhere between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock and you start changing using the crown, the quickset gear will not engage correctly, and attempting to change the date may cause damage to the watch's movement. This is because the quickset mechanism is designed to engage with the date wheel at a specific point in the watch's movement, and attempting to change the date outside of this range can cause the mechanism to jam or break.

Also read: 'My watch is broken! 10 common watch defects'

Watch with a midnight stop

In addition, some watches with a date function have a feature called a "midnight stop," which prevents the date from changing manually during the hours around midnight. This feature is also designed to protect the mechanism and ensure that the date changes smoothly and accurately.

So, in summary, you cannot set the date of a watch between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock because the quickset mechanism is designed to engage with the date wheel at a specific point in the watch's movement, and attempting to change the date outside of this range can cause damage to the watch's mechanism. It is always best to follow the manufacturer's instructions and set the date during the recommended time range to avoid any potential damage to the watch.