Case 27 — Crystal types: sapphire, mineral and acrylic trade-offs for daily wear
On anti-reflective coatings: inner-surface AR cuts glare without wear concerns. Outer-surface AR improves legibility further but can scuff over time, and the scuffs show up as hazy patches in certain light. When comparing two watches, check which surfaces are coated. Spec sheets often just say 'AR coated' without saying where.
Compare the observed rate with the exact caliber and cased-watch specification, if available. An example such as -8 seconds per day cannot be declared acceptable solely from its price category.
Clarification for “Case finishing: distinguish a reflection from a surface mark”: the point beginning “Ask for photographs with the light moved and…” belongs to the question as written. It should not be read as a report that a new check, purchase or experiment has been completed. Review focus: scope. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.
Method note for “Comparing dial colour under different lighting”: use “State the lighting and…” as a row heading in a proposed working record. Put the statement, its supporting source or measurement, and any unresolved detail in separate fields. This proposes a format; it supplies no additional evidence. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.
Method note for “Reading a timegrapher recording without losing the context”: use “Keep the complete recording and ask for the…” as a row heading in a proposed working record. Put the statement, its supporting source or measurement, and any unresolved detail in separate fields. This proposes a format; it supplies no additional evidence. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.
Ask a qualified watchmaker about a suitable test for that individual case and record the test date and method. A photograph or a caseback engraving is not proof of water resistance.
Case 31 — Maintenance question: how do I tell if an automatic actually needs service?
The calendar interval is a conservative default, not a rule. Useful signs, in rough order of seriousness: power reserve noticeably shorter than spec from full wind, rate drifting outside its usual range, the watch stopping on the wrist, gritty or rough winding, and the date changing slowly or late.
Case 9 — Reading a timegrapher recording without losing the context
Clarification for “Reading a timegrapher recording without losing the context”: the point beginning “Keep the complete recording and ask for the…” belongs to the question as written. It should not be read as a report that a new check, purchase or experiment has been completed. Review focus: scope. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.
Case 21 — Comparison thread: 38mm vs 40mm versions of the same field watch, with a dated correction log
Use a correction row with date, old value, revised value and evidence. A worked example could change a lug-width entry from 20 to 22 mm; do not present that example as a correction to a real model.
Method note for “QC photographs: perspective or a genuinely tilted index?”: use “Request a level straight-on image with the hands…” as a row heading in a proposed working record. Put the statement, its supporting source or measurement, and any unresolved detail in separate fields. This proposes a format; it supplies no additional evidence. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.
A correction to a common belief: an automatic doesn't need to match a quartz watch to be healthy. Consistency matters more than the absolute figure. A watch that's reliably -8 every day is easy to live with, since you correct it once a week. One that swings from +10 to -15 is the real concern.
Clarification for “Crystal reflections: why a dark patch is not a coating test”: the point beginning “No single lighting setup settles…” belongs to the question as written. It should not be read as a report that a new check, purchase or experiment has been completed. Review focus: scope. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.
Case 19 — Lug-to-lug and end-link overhang in wrist photographs
Correction note for “Lug-to-lug and end-link overhang in wrist photographs”: retain the wording beginning “Record lug-to-lug and the effective span…” in the record. If later material changes it, add the date, the changed wording and the source for that change; do not invent a completed correction here. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.
Record wrist circumference, removable links and the clasp adjustment range in millimetres. Request the closed bracelet circumference rather than inferring it from marketing dimensions.
Case 2 — Date window centring: compare the same date at the same angle
Clarification for “Date window centring: compare the same date at the same angle”: the point beginning “Use the same numeral, camera axis…” belongs to the question as written. It should not be read as a report that a new check, purchase or experiment has been completed. Review focus: scope. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.