Chronograph watch questions about the "outer dial" and sweep second hand

[MichaelD]

OK, here's a nice change-of-pace topic for OT.

I have a Citizen chronograph watch, model number WR100. Nice-looking watch and keeps perfect time. Had it about a year now.

Anyway, it has this "outer dial" that has the compass markings (N, S, E & W) as well as numerical points going from 0 - 360 degrees interspaced with the compass points.

The dial is rotatable by hand, but it also moves all on it's own...I don't recall the dial moving at all when I first got the watch. One day, I turned the dial by hand...*shrugs* nothing happened. Since then, it spins by itself, keeping "time" or whatever the heck it's doing.

So, what is it doing, exactly? What's the dial for, why is it moving and how to I make it stop?

Next question: the sweep second hand. The watch is also a stopwatch and it has a sweep-second hand. The second hand doesn't "zero" at the twelve o'clock postion anymore; it zeroes at exactly on four (4).

I don't know what happened...the watch hasn't been dropped or banged it it's accurate to about a minute a month...no exagerration there. I have tried various combinations of the start/stop/reset buttons. They work as advertised, but reset the second hand to 4 instead of 12.

Ah, I can hear the chants of RTFM, RTFM, RTFM! already, but the booklet that comes with it is in 310 different languages. The book is like two inches thick, but when you come down to it, the portion in English is about 4 pages and doesn't mention the dial and mentions nothing about "resetting the second hand to 12."

Educate me, please?

 

[MichaelD]

No nibbles? I figured I'd at least get some sarcastic remarks from people who didn't know the answers, but felt like thread-crapping anyway.

 

[yakko]

I think the dial is for pilots. I could be wrong though.

 

[kt]

RTFM!

I may be wrong.. but I think that outer dial is your compass indicator. I have a world time chronograph watch before and the outer dial is used to indicate the different time zones. As for why your stopwatch resets to that weird position. It beats the heck out of me.. it has done that to me before too.. but I don't know how I fixed it though. I don't have a Citizen watch, but I think all the chronograph watches are similar in mechanic design. Mine was a Seiko and it's RIP now. Now I got myself that perpetual calendar Seiko watch.. haven't lost more than 3 seconds for the 2 years I had it. And haven't had to adjust my time and date either. It automatically adjust itself

 

[etech]

Somehow I knew Yakko would be the first to throw out a totally useless nef post. He is fast, you have to give him that. Perhaps you can use the timer to see how long it takes him to hit 25,000 posts of useless drivel.


"So, what is it doing, exactly? What's the dial for, why is it moving and how to I make it stop?"

Using the Compass Ring on a wristwatch

edit,
You might also want to search or post a message on this site.
SEIKO & CITIZEN WATCH FORUM

 

[Jzero]

I know on my Elgin watch, there is actually a "0" mode that you switch into and from there you can reset or change the zero positions for both the second hand and the stopwatch hand...

 

[MichaelD]

Thanks much guys!! Now I know what that ring is for. *heads outside to attempt to get lost in the woods and find way home using only ring thing on watch* Hahahahahah!

I will try that forum to see about my sweep hand. "Zeroing mode" sounds very usefull, but I don't think my watch has that...it was only $90...not expensive by any means. Thanks.

 

[MichaelD]

Etech, you 'da man!

That forum had instructions on how to do it...third post from the top. I screwed it up at first (go fig...) but I got it. My watch is now brand new!! Once again, AT comes thru for me! I hope I don't get myself banned anytime soon.