How to set a watch?

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How to set a watch?

Maeve Taylor

Maeve is a business woman and owner of a commercial enterprise. She thrives on new adventures and isn't afraid to take risks. Her style can be described as minimalist, feminine and elegant.

16 Apr 2021

Since watches have a number of functions, they aren’t as easy to use as they used to be years ago. In the past, people could set the time on watches very quickly, while nowadays it is more complicated and the question of how to set a watch is more often asked.

Different ways

Unfortunately, there is no single way to set the time. This mostly depends on what type of movement is used in a particular watch. And each type of movement is set in a different way. Digital watches are set by means of the specific buttons, while mechanical and quartz watches are set through a crown. Once you find out how to set the time, it will become a very simple task. And, over time, no watch will be a problem for you to set the exact time and date.

Carl von Zeyten CVZ0055RWH Automatic

What should you keep in mind when setting the time?

What do you need to set the date and time on your watch? Precision and accuracy are the most important things. Mechanical watches feature a complex movement, which can easily get out of order, and that is why it is important not to damage it when setting the time. It’s good to know that the date and time in mechanical watches (both with manual or automatic winding) shouldn’t be set between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. The reason for that is that the date changes automatically between those times. Changing the day or date manually within 3 hours of midnight can cause permanent damage to your watch mechanism.

Meccaniche Veneziane Arsenale 4.0 Automatic

You should also bear in mind that you can’t turn the crown in any direction when setting the time. The crown should be rotated only in a forward motion, i.e. the watch hands should move clockwise. Never rotate the crown anticlockwise. This is important information that can be useful for setting up mechanical watches, both with no function and a date display.

Keep on reading to find out how to set the date and time in 3 different types of movements.

Setting automatic watches

The first thing you need to do before changing the date and time is to make sure your watch’s time is set to 6:30. Do not set the date between 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. Otherwise, the date may not change properly. The mechanism can be also damaged. The watch crowns can be situated on the side of the case at different positions. Thus, changing the date will slightly vary for each watch. If the crown has 2 positions, pull the crown out to position 1. And if the crown has 3 positions (e.g. Seiko Prospex Turtle), pull the crown out to position 2..

Aviator mechanical watch

When the watch is set to 6:30, we can start changing the date. Firstly, set the date to a day before, e.g. if today is Wednesday, 7 October, set it for Tuesday, 6 October. Start by changing the day of the month. To set the day of the month, turn the crown anticlockwise. To set the day of the week, turn it clockwise. Remember that both operations are in the same position. Once the date has been set, it is time to set the time. Pull the crown out to position 2 or 3 (depending on the watch) and rotate it clockwise until a desired time is set. Remember that when you get to midnight, the date will change to today’s date, i.e. 6 October will change to 7 October. Then you are 100% sure that you are setting the time on that particular day.

Setting hand-wound watches

Mechanical watches with manual winding are set slightly differently. Unlike automatic watches, which are wound and set once, hand-wound watches have to be wound and set many times, depending on the amount of watch’s power reserve (i.e. every 16 to 24 hours). Remember to wind the watch spring before setting your watch. Stop winding when you feel resistance. Once the watch is wound up fully, you can start setting the date and time. In order to do this, pull the crown out. Setting the time is quite easy as you only need to rotate the crown anticlockwise (backwards). After the time has been set, push the crown back to the normal position.

Aerowatch pocket watch

If you have a mechanical watch with a manual winding mechanism and date display, setting the date and time is similar to that of automatic watches.

Setting digital watches

Digital watches are set completely differently. It is often confusing which buttons to use. The most common way is to press and hold the “adjust” and then “mode” button for 3 seconds. The “adjust” button is used to set the time, starting from the hour, while the “mode” button is used to change the digits on the display. Once the desired hour has been set, press the “mode” button again to go to minutes. Press the “mode” button again to save all the changes.

G-Shock with a display

In digital watches, depending on the type of model, the time setting can be changed in different ways, e.g. in G-Shock watches it’s good to read the user manual which is included with each watch.

Setting the date and time on a watch may seem complicated, but it is enough to know specific rules on how to do it. Visit our online store and choose a watch with movement that best meets your needs.


Maeve Taylor

Maeve is a business woman and owner of a commercial enterprise. She thrives on new adventures and isn't afraid to take risks. Her style can be described as minimalist, feminine and elegant.