My Top 5 Watch Hacks for 2023 - Watch and Learn #87

[@Tesserae]

I change springbars by doing it inside a fairly large, transparent ziploc bag, so if the springbar does go flying, it’s contained inside the bag.

[@islandwatch]

Great idea

[@robertsmith8729]

Awesome, I did it and it's my life watch hack for life. Thank you for sharing.

[@hgr.7857]

Outstanding 💯

[@dunka12]

Duuuuude. Made my wife test the crystals on my watches, to remove my biased cause i know what they are. Told her to group them by how they feel on her forehead. She nailed it, 100%, and clumped them by acrylic, hardlex and sapphire without any problem.

[@islandwatch]

Yes! Love to hear you spreading the knowledge!

[@smurfy9996]

That's using your head! 😁

[@hgr.7857]

Nice! That's one of my favorite watch & learn vids.

[@wafarris]

Not a hack but one of the best bits of watch advice I have ever gotten is from you. Once you mentioned that a considerable number of people return watches to you that have been dropped and expect a refund, which is, of course, ridiculous. But you mentioned that most of the drops occurred in the bathroom on tile. Since then I have made it a habit to put on or take my watch off over something soft or at least over the bathroom counter so that the fall would be a matter of inches rather than feet. Thanks, Mark.

[@brianmsahin]

That's very good advice. I was lucky just a few weeks ago, taking off a watch with one those fkm straps with a stud to go through the hole instead of the usual buckle and the watch literally sprang off my wrist heading for the stone kitchen floor. Luckily I caught it on top of my foot! Old rugby skills in action. Lol. Since then, I always do it in a safer place!

[@lindboknifeandtool]

Destroyed 2 apple watches, and an aquaswiss watch that way. Saw them falling in slow motion basically 😂

[@wafarris]

@@lindboknifeandtool Ouch!

[@pretender000]

Thanks for the dental floss hack! Saved my CASIO Duro, it's smooth again.

[@karlsenula9495]

Congrats Mark on Watchfinder mention of the Islander.

[@islandwatch]

Yeah, thank you. Made it to the BIG TIME! So excited by that.

[@jwags24]

That dental floss trick...GENIUS

[@islandwatch]

Barely

[@bt3750]

I ordered a European release Alpinist that was running super fast out of the box. I checked on time grapher, wound up, anything I could think of. I ended up sending back to the Netherlands. When they got it, it was running almost perfect and they couldn't duplicate what I had reported. Very frustrating but it may have indeed been a stuck balance spring that jarred loose on it's way back across the Atlantic.

[@wafarris]

The golf grip solvent to remove bezel inserts is a great method. Used it twice since your video. So easy.

[@islandwatch]

Glad it helped!

[@DarthPlaya]

Yo, I just tried the waxey floss hack on a Spinnaker's stiff bezel and it feels much better now, Thanks Marc.

[@joeyjoejoe6126]

I did the dental floss trick on a watch I’ve avoided because of the grittiness. Worked like a charm! Thanks for the hack!

[@islandwatch]

Awesome!

[@archstanton7157]

The super fast running thump hack worked. My beloved SPB207 was running 3-5/day seconds fast for its first few weeks. I put it down while I was cooking and cleaning up. After I put it on, I noticed it was 3 hours fast. At first how fast didn’t logically register. My best guess was the 4R / 6R assembly line lube issue that Spencer Klein noticed. I thought no way I did something to magnetize it that quick or that much. Dreading a NJ service center job, I was pondering options. Then this hack video showed up. Tried the thump truck and voila…running exactly like before. Thanks Marc

[@Ben_M_D]

Missed the Watch and Learns, Mark! Happy to see it come back. 👍🏻

[@garybrown4671]

Thank you for these useful tips.

[@juniorjohnson5961]

When you did the forehead trick reminds me of Johnny Carson ... Carnac the magnificent 🧙

[@timetowatch_francois]

OH! Back with the "Watch & Learn"! Love 'em 😄👍🏼 Thanks for sharing these tips & tricks.

[@islandwatch]

thanks for 'watching'

[@timetowatch_francois]

@@islandwatch - ‘watching’ … 😉👍🏼

[@felo6035]

I just love your Watch & Learn videos Marc. Thank you so much!

[@islandwatch]

Glad you like them!

[@David-nx2vm]

Marc, the dental floss hack is brilliant. I have a Breitling I need to try it on. Problem is we have only used those placker things for so long, I need to go buy some old school floss. Thanks!

[@islandwatch]

Yeah, I know!!!!

[@alanmckinnon6791]

I've been using the crystal on the forehead trick for ages since you first showed it on a Watch and Learn

[@yz8096]

I guess for #1 you could say the watch was in A-Fib and you defibrillated it with the palm smack. Very cool stuff!

[@markkuzminski3922]

Thanks Mark - I have a watch containing an NH36A movement which was running with excellent accuracy - just a few seconds fast per day. All of a sudden (yesterday) it was behaving very erratically. I remembered this hack video, gave it a few whacks against the heel of my hand and voila! It's working great again. Thank you!!!

[@mikeroy6713]

I learned through experience to walk the bracelet through the micro adjustment, but that tooth pic hack, it’s just too cool. Thanks!

[@Penrose707]

Thanks for another great one Marc

[@4stringz.]

Hey Marc! The Bayport "Bumblebee" (ISL-172) arrived today. It's GORGEOUS!!! Wishing you a healthy and very prosperous New Year!!

[@islandwatch]

Thanks, enjoy!

[@pioneer8634]

love the floss trick worked well with my Jimmy Collins Hyperion -love his watches 😀-thanks for the video

[@islandwatch]

Great to hear!

[@ScuderiaFormulaOne]

Really good stuff ... Thank you. Tried the forehead and dental floss within a half hour of watching the video.

[@traviswatts6661]

I back hack my Speedy Pro. Great tips. Thank you for sharing.

[@calvinchann1996]

1 to 4 were me learning. 5 is what I do anyway. Thanks Marc.

[@John-P]

Thanks Marc, these tips are so helpful, I've used the walking springpin and the sapphire crystal quite a few times thanks to your watch and learn, thanks again

[@islandwatch]

Great to hear!

[@artswri]

Great info, thanks lots! The waxed floss is a great idea, will use it on other small devices not just watches!

[@ericiidx]

Good call on the plastic toothpick! I've got a watch with drilled lugs and shoulder-less spring bars, so I gotta go in via the drilled lugs.

[@robocopvn]

Number 3 and 5 is new to me !! Thank you for sharing!

[@HillslamsMirror]

The floss thing is BRILLIANT

[@islandwatch]

Works like a champ

[@Kevins-Philippine-Retirement]

Excellent thanks!

[@altal2993]

Thank you as always Mark. Just loving my Manhasset at the moment...

[@karls5474]

Marc, thanks for enlightening me with these hacks. Once again I have watched and learned!

[@magal55]

I just tried the trick with the dental floss (bezel on Steinhart 39mm diver too hard to turn) and it worked! I was skeptical, but it really helped. Thank you very much.

[@islandwatch]

Nice work!

[@vincebrickner5529]

Thanks but you do have them all in your watch and learn. Cuz I knew all of them cuz I watched all the watch and learns. Thanks again

[@islandwatch]

LOL. That's great.

[@Nefville]

Marc knows that watch black magic! 🧙‍♂🪄

[@islandwatch]

LOL

[@harryhirsch3637]

The dental floss hack was new to me. Sounds great, will try that soon on a not-so-smooth stem. 👍

[@rainappleby]

👌 Thanks Marc

[@islandwatch]

My pleasure!

[@timeportal1189]

Great tips! Thanks!

[@BAF605]

The dental floss one was new to me, thanks. The "Seiko Slap" technique was taught me by a watch seller in Singapore many years ago. I've used it on SKX watches several times. It works!!

[@LS1007]

Great tips! I use a couple of them and a couple I didn’t know. Thanks Marc. Have a great weekend! 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸

[@islandwatch]

Thanks, you too!

[@roberts.4582]

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, Marc. I always love these Watch & Learns.

[@samhalsey5051]

Mark! You are amazing! I was just about to ask you the best way to set a non hacking watch. Also the guys I just bought my SKX009J said a similar thing about slapping the watch and I was wondering, what you thought! You are very special in your engineering background that you really understand stuff, and amazingly if you don’t you can figure it out! It’s amazing how one more broad technical field can can shed light on the more specific field of watches! Thanks so much for teaching your knowledge! And answering my questions before I had a chance to ask😊

[@simonthomas5113]

Really good tips. In my experience a magnetised watch will run X8 fast normal accuracy. Everytime I demag a watch it will return it to normal, and that slapping the watch in the palm seems a really good first step which will not trouble shock absorption protection, so a really good thing to try first..

[@paulo1901]

The sapphire test is my favorite! Cheers, Marc!

[@islandwatch]

Thanks!

[@ffedurch]

I figured out #5 myself years ago. Reduces occurrences of launch mode drastically

[@ahha6304]

I have that exact problem on Prospex Monster so knocking ain't work haha, anyway I get it to the service centre and Seiko agrees to re-calibrate my whole calibre (or change I'm not sure, they didn't say much in details receipt but I still do keep all of the evidence) and now it works normally

[@johnsrabe]

Nice. Thanks!

[@dmo5962]

Love your Mechanical Geochron!

[@markmahood3093]

This is literally the best watch hack video ever!

[@islandwatch]

Well, thank you. Share it!

[@countdracula436]

Thank you for the tip about the back hacking. I had inadvertantly found this out and didnt know if it was bad or not, I appreciate your educated input on it not being the end of the world. I am very very serious about getting my seconds hand exact so I found myself doing it with my Laco Aachen 42.

[@michaelschnell3392]

Very useful. Thanks, Mark.

[@stevethompson7910]

Marc, Thanks for this Watch & Learn! I'll have to try the dental floss hack. I have one Seiko that often "grinds" when closing down the crown. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous New Year!

[@islandwatch]

Thanks Steve

[@DirkCleiren]

Good tips!

[@jasongould405]

Just tried the dental floss around the screw down crown, which for around 6 months or so has been very rough feeling/tight on my Citizen and it is now silky smooth, so worked a treat! Thank you😊

[@Neal_Sporin]

Same here! I just flossed the tube on my watch. Great improvement

[@NathanChisholm041]

I used a thermal gun to read the heat from sapphire and a mineral crystal at room temperature and the sapphire was lower by 1.8c.

[@chrisgates2894]

Thanks Mark! I’ve got my first auto coming (sieko) and I really appreciate this video.

[@johneisenberg9700]

Congratulations on another great year and thank you.

[@islandwatch]

Thank you! You too!

[@rw2266]

Same with compressing spring pins, use a plastic tooth pick OR cut off end of wooden tooth pick off and use flat end

[@dmanosaka]

Very cool Marc. But more importantly, where can I get that cool world time zone display in the back?

[@Ta_nuz]

genius. top tricks buddy🙋

[@AbdulRWatches]

Great tips Mark, thanks for sharing 👍🏽

[@alecjarnagin9041]

Great video Marc! While I've been walking micro adjusts for some time, I wish I'd thought of the toothpick. Cant's say I've never scratched a clasp.

[@dennismiller4062]

Great hacks! Thanks for sharing!

[@commandZee]

I was one of those guys you emailed about hack #1 👍 Thanks again!

[@islandwatch]

You bet!

[@TheBimmer74]

That toothpick trick is priceless Marc! So is the saphire temp trick. I was just now using my diamond tester and here I could have just held the watch to my head! How well are the Bumblebees selling? I'm thinking about getting one before they sell out

[@islandwatch]

Thanks Jim. They are selling well! The top is the ghost and bumblebee out of the 5.

[@joeanthony3013]

Congrats on the watchfinder mention, by the way!

[@islandwatch]

thank you

[@joelintl2226]

I shake of the water of lettuce leaves over the sink almost every day - hold the leaves between both hands, accelerate down as fast as possible, and then stop...repeat over and over again. Now that's real abuse...golf is nothing compared, haha...NH35 still runs fine after two years. Also had a TagHeuer many years ago - was an active mountainbiker back then with mostly rigid/front suspension. Not a crimp either. I still remember the pain and calluses on my wrist from the crown hitting it. With a luxury watch I can understand the concerns, but I would never ever consider taking my (cheap) watch off during any activity.

[@daveporter6091]

Great hacks Marc, thanks!

[@mirekbns]

I like the toothpick hack. Where do I get the Island Watch hoodie?

[@wikster6630]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video Marc! Learned about the sapphire test from an earlier video of yours. And through trial and error I figured out the SKX hacking "hack", as well as the micro adjustment on clasp. Great tips for sure! Now I may try the palm slap on my Hamilton khaki which runs a few minutes fast a day. 🤞 Appreciate the educational videos you've put out over the years, and I enjoy all my Islanders! ISL 54 is on wrist weekly. Haply new year

[@tc4ester]

Thank you for continuing to put out great continent that is really helpful

[@islandwatch]

Thanks!

[@johnstudlay]

To lubricate the crown, try using a pencil...the graphite works well...used it on a stubborn gritty crown and now perfect!

[@islandwatch]

good idea

[@whoknows8678]

Islander with the new Seiko GMT movement, please!!!

[@Mikey___]

I'm now flossing my bezels, thanks Marc!

[@OntarioBearHunter]

removing the tension bar inside a freezer baggie works too

[@islandwatch]

Yes it does!

[@Zotrax1946]

Uhhh I missed watch and learn! Always useful 👌🏻

[@islandwatch]

Glad to hear it!

[@hygglobert]

Nice video.

[@ozludo]

The grip tape trick is remarkable. Toothpicks invariably break, allowing the spring bar to Apollo 11 when they do so. I found a PVC stick and sharpened it sandpaper. Much bettererer.

[@ae-ca602]

Great video!!! Thank you for the great tips.

[@islandwatch]

Thanks for watching

[@double00spy]

On the 5th hack, I always try to do that with microadjustments, but sometimes there is simply not enough room to make it work. This happens because the spring bar is fitted very tightly into the outer housing. When you move it up a notch on one side, it is simply too long to move up on the other. This makes things very difficult, and you have to completely remove the spring bar, and try to get it into the holes you want all at once. It's a real pain. But I do love your suggestions here.

[@cowboyswami2017]

🧡awesome!!

[@kylelundy7870]

I enjoyed this video weeks ago, but just today my wife asked, "Well how do you tell if it's sapphire crystal?" So, I had her try the forehead trick. She pressed the dial to her head and jerked it away & said, Ah what the heck! Brain freeze!" It was a good laugh & I wanted to share.

[@theopachs7247]

Wow! Thanks for #1 Mark! My Alpinist (6r15) is doing this and it is def not magnetized....I hope the hack works....

[@islandwatch]

Me too

[@NekoIan66]

My Seiko Sarb033 suddenly started going slow 6 months ago and loses minutes / day. I wish your Seiko hack was for slow movements!

[@bindoctrinated3147]

Cool hacks.

[@islandwatch]

Thanks!

[@johngamboa999]

I use contact cleaner on really old moldy quartz movements that don’t run. Works every time so long as it’s not busted😅

[@davidporter281]

Happy New Year Mark loved the video thanks for so many of these wonderful tips and brilliant video’s, yours sincerely David

[@killac45]

Nice

[@tacomn]

I just bought a Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch straight from Omega. It is certified +0-+5, usually running 8-12 plus seconds per day though. Should I be slapping it 😆

[@michaelkeefer4293]

I got a new Seiko 5 or 6 years a go that was running 30 to 40 minutes fast a day. My first instinct, as I did not know about the palm smack hack, was to use the demagnetizer, but in this particular instance it did fix the problem. Either that or it did have the balance spring issue and it coincidently freed itself while I was demagnetizing. Either way, good to know for future reference.

[@islandwatch]

Excellent!

[@rolandmw]

Will start wearing my islander around my neck on those hot summer days. 😂

[@islandwatch]

LOL

[@the_once-and-future_king.]

You're not a true watch nerd unless you've yeeted a spring bar into the great blue yonder!

[@billthomas2431]

I like the floss hack, Also do you sell the map clock on the wall?

[@islandwatch]

Nope, GEOCHRON

[@rayray..3349]

Thank U Marc..😎🙏🙏🙏

[@islandwatch]

Welcome!

[@michaelhargis7036]

That ISL-18 you used for hack #3 looked outstanding. What a beautiful piece. Im still amazed at how good mine looks. One of your best watches. IMO ✌️

[@islandwatch]

Thank you kindly!

[@robertsmith8729]

ISL-79 is also amazing. Perfect watch (for me).

[@hgr.7857]

ISL-021 is a stunner. I love the baton hands. It's one of my favorite Islanders, but in an ironic twist, I rarely wear it for that reason 🤷🏼 I've gotta get over that.

[@melody3741]

Ask someone with experience with watchmaking, backpacking is perfectly fine for the movement as long as you don't drive it backwards cuz that can be bad for the palate. But if you really feel bad about doing that, what you can do instead is to let the watch go all the way down, then give it a gentle but quick twist to start the balance, and then wine to watch immediately up to full wind as fast as you can while of course being gentle and kind to the watch part. This works with a tourbillon too since tourbillons are famously difficult to set to the second.

[@FuquaRomeo]

I have to walk my son to school, but I am so excited to learn some hacks! Stay right there Marc, I'll be right back... 😀👍

[@islandwatch]

Great!!!!