# Automatic watch running fast or slow: fixes

Source: https://lumeandbezel.com/blog/automatic-watch-running-fast
Published: 2026-10-09
Publisher: Lume & Bezel

**Short answer:** First compare the error to the maker's spec: Seiko rates its 4R36 at +45 to -35 seconds per day, so a few seconds either way is normal. A watch that suddenly gains minutes per day is very often magnetized and can be fixed with a demagnetizer. Slower drift usually comes from resting position, a low power reserve or aging oil, and a watchmaker can regulate or service it.

Every automatic watch gains or loses a little each day. The question is whether yours is inside its normal range or has developed a problem. This page is for owners of Seiko, Orient, Tissot and other automatics whose watch is suddenly fast, slow, or less accurate than it used to be. It explains how to measure the error properly, the common causes in order from most likely and cheapest to fix, a few things you can do at home, and when to pay for regulation or a service.

## First, check what is normal for your watch

Makers publish accuracy tolerances, and they are wider than many new owners expect. Seiko's official specification for the widely used 4R36 movement in the Seiko 5 Sports range is +45 to -35 seconds per day. Orient Star listings quote +25 to -15 seconds per day. Swiss movements are often adjusted more tightly, and chronometer certified watches tighter still.

A watch gaining 15 seconds a day is irritating, but if the spec allows it, the watch is working as designed. Read [how accurate should an automatic watch be](https://lumeandbezel.com/blog/how-accurate-should-an-automatic-watch-be) for more on tolerances.

| Movement or line | Published daily rate | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seiko 4R36 (Seiko 5 Sports) | +45 to -35 seconds per day | Seiko movement specification |
| Orient Star | +25 to -15 seconds per day | Orient Star listings |

Published accuracy specs

## Measure the error properly

1. Wind the watch fully: wear it for a full day, or hand wind it if your movement allows, following the number of turns in your manual.
2. Set it exactly to an accurate reference such as time.gov or your phone's clock, using the hacking feature if it has one.
3. Wear it normally for 24 hours and note the difference to the reference.
4. Repeat for three or more days and take the average. Rate changes day to day with activity and position.
5. Note how you left the watch at night, since that affects the result.

Note: A timegrapher app or machine can give a quick reading, but a few days of real wear tells you what matters: how the watch behaves on your wrist.

## Common causes, most likely first

| Cause | Typical sign | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Magnetism | Suddenly gains a lot, often minutes per day | Compass test, then demagnetize |
| Resting position at night | Fast or slow only overnight | Try a different position |
| Low power reserve | Accuracy worsens when barely worn | Wear more, hand wind, or use a winder |
| Shock or drop | Rate changes after a knock | Watchmaker check |
| Aging oils | Gradually slower, shorter run time | Service |
| Out of adjustment | Consistently outside spec | Regulation by a watchmaker |

Why an automatic gains or loses time

## Magnetism: the classic cause of a watch running fast

The balance spring is a hair thin coil of metal. If it becomes magnetized, its coils can stick together, which shortens the effective spring and makes the watch run fast, sometimes by minutes per day. Phones, laptop and tablet magnets, speakers, magnetic clasps on bags and even some winders can do it.

To test, hold a simple compass near the watch and move it around the case. If the needle jumps as it passes the watch, the watch is likely magnetized. A demagnetizer, an inexpensive device you hold the watch over, removes the magnetism in seconds, and many watchmakers do it for free or a small fee. Full steps are in our [magnetized watch fix](https://lumeandbezel.com/blog/magnetized-watch-fix). Movements with anti magnetic balance springs, such as Nivachron in some Tissot, Certina and Mido models, resist this much better.

## Position, power reserve and other home fixes

Mechanical watches run at slightly different rates depending on their position. Dial up, dial down, crown up and crown down each give a different rate. Many owners use this to their advantage: if your watch gains during the day, leave it at night in the position where it runs slowest, and vice versa. Test each position for a night and note the result.

A watch near the end of its power reserve also tends to run less evenly, because the spring delivers less force. If you wear an automatic only a few hours a day, or are not very active, it may never be fully wound. Hand winding it in the morning, wearing it longer, or using a [watch winder](https://lumeandbezel.com/best/best-single-watch-winders) helps. See [automatic watch power reserve explained](https://lumeandbezel.com/blog/automatic-watch-power-reserve-explained).

- Keep the watch away from phones, laptops, speakers and magnetic clasps.
- Store it in the same position each night once you find one that helps.
- Hand wind it fully if it has been off the wrist.
- Avoid big temperature swings, which change the rate slightly.

## When regulation or service makes sense

Regulation is a small adjustment a watchmaker makes to the balance to speed it up or slow it down, usually checked on a timegrapher. If your watch is clean, recently serviced or new, not magnetized, and runs consistently fast or slow by a steady amount, regulation is the right fix. It is a quick job for a watchmaker, but opening the case means the water resistance should be tested afterward.

If the watch has become erratic, loses more and more time, or stops before its rated power reserve, it likely needs a full service. Old, thickened oil reduces the swing of the balance and causes slow running and short run times. Read [how often to service an automatic watch](https://lumeandbezel.com/blog/how-often-to-service-an-automatic-watch) and, if it stops, [automatic watch keeps stopping](https://lumeandbezel.com/blog/automatic-watch-keeps-stopping).

Note: Do not open the caseback and adjust the regulator yourself unless you have the tools and experience. It is easy to damage the balance spring or let dust and moisture in.

## Frequently asked questions

**Why is my Seiko running fast?** If it is within +45 seconds a day on a 4R36, it is inside Seiko's spec. If it suddenly gains minutes, it is likely magnetized; test with a compass and demagnetize.

**Why is my automatic watch running slow?** Common reasons are a low power reserve from too little wear, resting position at night, and aging oils in a watch that is due for service.

**Can an automatic watch be adjusted to run more accurately?** Yes. A watchmaker can regulate it on a timegrapher. Results depend on the movement, and a watch will still vary with position and wear.

**Is gaining time better than losing time?** Many owners prefer a slight gain so they are never late, and most published specs allow a little more gain than loss.

## Gear guides for this topic

- https://lumeandbezel.com/best/best-seiko-5-sports-watches
- https://lumeandbezel.com/best/best-automatic-watches-under-500
- https://lumeandbezel.com/best/best-single-watch-winders