How to properly change date on mid-70s Snorkel?

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Submitted by nchristman on

I recently received my father's mid-70s Bulova devil diver and took it in for a service, but after getting it back I've realized that I don't know how to properly set the date. When I pull out the crown to the first position it allows me to set the time. Pulling it out to the second position and turning the crown also allows the time to be set, but interestingly just pulling it out to that second position will also jump the date by two, and sometimes three, numbers (it does nothing for the day). And that position almost feels like it's on a spring, with the crown often popping back to the first position.

My other watches with day and/or date windows are easy: pull the crown to the first position and give it a twist. However, they're also not 50 years old, so I'm ignorant about how differently older complications operate.

What don't I know about setting the date on this classic beauty? Advice is much appreciated!

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted September 4, 2024 - 5:36am

You're on the right track but if the date is jumping 2-3 days at a time there's a problem with the mechanism.  

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted September 4, 2024 - 5:37am

try manually advancing the Watch

mybulova_admin
Posted September 4, 2024 - 6:07am

Just checking if this is a manual Bulova movement or an Accutron 2182 movement?

Geoff Baker
Posted September 4, 2024 - 9:33am

Set-o-matic instruction is here. This feature, if you have it on your watch, advances the date when you pull the crown to the third position. Of course it will also advance by manually twisting the crown but that also changes the day.  If your watch is Accutron you change the date by twisting the crown when it's all the way pushed IN.

nchristman
Posted September 4, 2024 - 2:46pm

Thank you both. The PDF you linked is very helpful and, I think, indicative of something being off with the date jumping several numbers at a time. I'll have to take it back to the repair shop and have them see what's going on.

 

GuyMontag
Posted September 7, 2024 - 7:30pm

That watch has an 11AOACB movement with a quickset date but not day. What you describe where when you pull the crown out to position 3 and it feels like it is "on a spring' where it goes back to the 2nd position is normal. When you pull it out to the 3rd position it advances the date and if you then let go the crown goes back to position 2. To advance another day you push the crown back to position 1 and then pull back out to position 3.

If the date is advancing more than one day when you do this it is likely an issue with the date jumper not engaging the teeth of the date wheel correctly. I've seen this happen on that movement when the date jumper spring wasn't installed correctly or it moved out of position, or when the Date Indicator Guard was not screwed down fully.

That is a gorgeous watch, once you get the issue sorted you will have one heck of a nice watch.

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted September 13, 2024 - 5:41am

They don't call it a Day/Date complication for nothing.

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