Delvina - Finally okay!

[Ceristimo]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you all know that my fathers Delvina Geneve (http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=151138&page=3) watch has finally decided to keep good time.

I was on the verge of just not wearing it anymore and buying a quartz-watch again, but I'm very happy I didn't.

After Ray MacDonald gave me the tip to try different positions, I discovered that it didn't gain or lose anything when kept crown up (the watch has a tendecy to gain a lot the first three hours after I've wound it).

So, I just wind it when I go to sleep, keep it crown up during the night and it's perfect on time when I wake up.

I did that for about a week, and then I discovered that it actually ran quite accurately. It gained around 6 seconds a day. So, about four weeks ago I've let my watchmaker re-regulate it for the last time, and it has been gaining 1/1.5 seconds a day!

According to JimH in the same topic the ST974 was just "an average quality movement which might have have been accurate to -20+20 seconds per day when it was new.".

So either this watch hasn't got the ST974, or it isn't so bad after all. Either way, I'm very very happy.
This Delvina is still my only good watch, and I'm wearing it everyday. :-!

And I've also been thinking about ordering an Alpha-watch. They're made in Hong Kong, and their mechanical watches. Their very cheap. Almost too cheap. But my brother has ordered one of them, and it has been quite a good watch, keeping time to within 15 seconds a day. And whenever they need a service, you can just throw them away and buy a new one.

So I'm going to order this watch (http://www.alpha-watch.com/details.php?myid=179) to keep as a beater. I just hope mine will keep good time too ;-).

[Eeeb]

I am glad things worked out wit the Delvina. As I said in my first response, these watches are underappreciated. |>

I too just bought an Alpha... I didn't get a chronograph -- I'm unsure enough if the Chinese can make a normal automatic that works properly that I wasn't going to risk buying a chrono. My last Chinese watch died after just a month but it wasn't a "quality" brand like the Alpaha ;-)

[bjohnson]

I know a lot of people that have Alpha watches. I have two.

The general opinion is amazement at the case and bracelet quality you get for so little money.

And no complaints about the movements.


Where I've heard complaints, it's about defects that come "out of the box" and returning for exchange can be a pain, but it seems that perserverence has paid off in all cases.


I have a white dial Alpha Daytona that is very similar to the one you're looking at. I like it very much.

PS - it isn't a chrono .. the subdials are day, date, and a non-independantly set 24 hour

[JimH]

Please note that there is a wide variation in accuracy between specific examples of even the exact same kind of movement. They are not all identical in performance. The accuracy of an specific example of the same caliber will vary within a range which is dependent on the condition of the movement and the inherent quality/design/cost of the caliber itself.

Furthermore, watch movements keep time at different rates when kept in different positions. For example, a watch might run faster when kept dial-up versus being kept crown-up. Higher quality movements will show less variation in rate between positions. Most any movement can be regulated to keep good time in one position or even, possibly, for a certain consistent pattern of positions in daily wear. Where variation in rate shows up most dramatically is in the results of leaving a watch in one position for an extended period, say, overnight.

There is no doubt that your watch has an ST 974 movement and the quality of that movement is average but, as Ray suggested, you have found that the watch keeps a more consistent rate when it is kept in the crown-up position. This is entirely normal for this sort of movement.

The reason that high-quality movements are just that, high-quality, is that they do not show significant variation when kept in different positions or at different states of wind or at different temperatures, etc. This is also why they are expensive.

I'm glad to hear that you have found a way to keep your watch running up to your accuracy expectations. In doing this you have re-discovered principles that were once well-known to the world when mechanical movements were the norm (of course, the rate of a quartz watch is not dependent on position so this knowledge has been lost).

[Bujumon]

A good heads up bjohnson, I was going to advise the same, regarding
the subdials.
I own 4 different Alphas and am amazed at the relative quality.
Actually the watch that ends up on my wrist consistantly, as an
everyday beater is an Alpha, and I have owned it for more than a year. It was my first Alpha...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t122/Bujumon/S1053745.jpg

I would suggest trying to get one from DaBay. The are a couple differnet
Alpha sellers out there.

And a big yeah on the Delvina. Vintage watches can be real finicky.
I am real glad to hear that it has come around for you.

Good Luck.

Peace,
Scott

[Ray MacDonald]

I'm glad you're happy and that the members here were able to help you. That is the spirit of the Vintage forum at its best.

[Chascomm]

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t122/Bujumon/S1053745.jpgThat's a classic triple-date style. I wonder how many people on this forum have examples from the 1950s to show off? Probably ought to be a separate thread.

Where were we?.... Oh yeah, celebrating the joys of a reliable Delvina. Great news, Ceristimo. |>