Lug width is the essential one: the inside distance between the lugs where the strap fits. Measure with a ruler marked in millimetres, ideally reading it under magnification. Most watches use even numbers (18, 20, 22mm), but odd widths exist. If you measure 19 or 21, measure again and check the manufacturer spec before ordering.
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Case 37 — Maintenance question: how do I tell if an automatic actually needs service? · source wording exercise
Common advice says service every five years, but service is expensive and some people run watches much longer. What observable signs actually indicate a mechanical watch needs attention, as opposed to just being due on a calendar?
Review focus: source wording. Retain the source wording beside any paraphrase. Use the original answer fragment “Useful signs, in rough order of seriousness: power reserve noticeably shorter…” as the discussion anchor; no new event or result is supplied.
Exercise RWF-28589/37: address this question within its stated limits.
Case 13 — What a water-resistance claim does and does not establish
Method note for “What a water-resistance claim does and does not establish”: use “Ask a qualified watchmaker about a suitable test for that individual…” 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.
Limit of the answer in “Crown operation: when a forum cannot diagnose the resistance”: “Stop forcing it and arrange inspection rather than trying…” is an excerpt from the discussion, not an independent verification. A reader needs the relevant original material before treating an interpretation as established. Review focus: scope. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.
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.
Correction note for “QC checklist: prioritise observable faults over pixel hunting”: retain the wording beginning “Explain what the full-size image shows, what the crop adds and…” 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.
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.
Clarification for “Lug-to-lug and end-link overhang in wrist photographs”: the point beginning “Record lug-to-lug and the effective span…” 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 11 — Magnetism and rate: record evidence before naming a cause
Record the change and the circumstances without treating the suspected cause as established. A competent watchmaker can test and diagnose it; random adjustment is not a substitute for assessment.
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.
Case 37 — Maintenance question: how do I tell if an automatic actually needs service? · source wording exercise
Clarification for “Maintenance question: how do I tell if an automatic actually needs service?”: the point beginning “Useful signs, in rough order of seriousness: power reserve noticeably shorter…” 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: source wording. Retain the source wording beside any paraphrase.
Case 47 — What a water-resistance claim does and does not establish · source wording exercise
A listing describes a water-resistance rating but provides no test record for the individual watch. What evidence would address the gap?
Review focus: source wording. Retain the source wording beside any paraphrase. Use the original answer fragment “A photograph or a caseback engraving is not…” as the discussion anchor; no new event or result is supplied.
Exercise RWF-14227/47: address this question within its stated limits.
Summary draft for “What a water-resistance claim does and does not establish”: the answer addresses “Ask a qualified watchmaker about a suitable test for that individual…”; the related point is “A photograph or a caseback engraving is not…”. Keep both connected to the opening question, and mark any conclusion needing further records as unresolved. Review focus: scope. Keep the stated question separate from any broader claim.
Can the same settings and winding state be used for several positions? Record each position separately rather than combining measurements taken under different conditions.
Correction note for “QC photography: what photos actually help verify a pre-owned listing?”: retain the wording beginning “Ask for a straight-on dial photo with diffuse light and no…” 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.