Near "death" experience...

Returned from an extended/long weekend a few days ago and was adjusting the date on my 3717 which I hadn't worn for a while.
My brain must have still been on vacation as I started changing the date while the hands were showing 9:30...just so happened to be 9:30pm!
The date stopped changing half way as I was adjusting it and my heart skipped a few beats as a realized what was happening.
I was very very lucky to have stopped before damaging the movement, and order was restored as soon as I advanced the time forward. What saved the movement's life was that I was doing everything very slow and gently and was able to stop before causing any damage - I guess I was lucky.

I wanted to take the opportunity to remind all fellow forumers returning from vacation to remember to bring their brains back with them :)

Have a great week everyone,
Evan

Glad for the happy outcome >

This is another real life experience why ALL timepieces should have a 24 h indicator of some kind.
--
Cheers from Isobars.

First time, then date

I have engraved this rule into my brain until it hurt. I first wind the watch, then adjust the time, always passing 12. As I adjust a bit late in the morning this is important, so through 12 I go to, let's say, about 9:00. Then I adjust date and if relevant day. I hope I remember this after a holiday. Glad to hear your watch was still OK.

Kind regards,
Paul, wearing yellow gold Portuguese Perpetual Calendar, fool proof as long as it keeps running

what I do is a little different

1. I set the time to about 4:40 --always a safe time
2. I set the date to the day before the current one
3. I set the time to advance the date
4. I set the time to the current time

There are lots of reasons for this procedure.

Michael

I use the same procedure, except I use 5:00. nt

Glad it worked out Evan (nt)

x2 nt.

Ouch!

I am glad to read everything is fine and you didn't damage anything.

Kind regards,

Clemens

what I do is a little different

Michael,

could you please explain a bit more why is your method safer than Paul's one?

I also wind the watch first, then move time past midnight until some 6-7am, then set the correct date and finally set the actual time (as I do this in morning, usually only minor time adjustment is needed) I thought it was pretty safe this way...

Evan, glad to hear no damage was done. On the positive side, it must have been a good holiday, to keep your mind away even when back home :)

Cheers

Rudo

you do essentially what I do...

....my method is "safer" that what Paul does only in the sense that it first sets the time to "safe" time for sure, which I'm sure he does. The second part of what I do --setting the date to the day before and then manually advancing the time to the next date-- really is intended to deal with any a.m. or p.m. setting issues,

Going through 12

I may not have been completely clear. After winding the watch, at mid morning, I set the time advancing and going through 12. If the date changes I move on to about 9:00, if the date doesn't change I move back to about 9:00, both times setting the watch to the exact time. There are no date/day troubles to expect here, the watch shows the AM time for sure, in the safe area. Then I set date and if necessary day. I cannot see where I can go wrong as long as I mind the date change when going through 12. Instead of going back when the date does not change when going through 12, I could go on and go through 12 again, where the date would surely change, and go on to 9:00. It is efficiency that I move back when no date change occurs, this may be risky when not paying attention to the date change. But hey, this is not rocket science, of course I pay attention to see and hear the date change when going through 12. Ufff...

Kind regards,
Paul, wearing rose gold VC Portuguese, no date change in sight

It seem to me

that both ways are same in terms of being safe - one changing date in safe zone (am or pm) and then roll over midnight to the correct time, second rolling over midnight first, set the time to safe morning time, after that set the date.

Thank you both for explanation!

Rudo

I think the idea is to find a regimen that...

is comfortable and easily remembered and adhered to so that you cannot accidentally screw it up. Whatever works for you is best.