A Rolex is really unlike any other watch. With the long reining history of the brand, it is certainly a luxury item. With all luxury goods, there’s an amount of maintenance that comes with owning a Rolex. If you’re looking to purchase a new Rolex, or are a recent buyer, you’ll want to know exactly how to wind and adjust the time on your watch. Here’s a breakdown of how to set your new watch up and get it ready for use.

Winding it up

Winding your watch should be done prior to setting the time and date up. This is done by unwinding the crown on the side of the dial. Proceed to rotate the crown counterclockwise until the screw comes loose. In order to get the watch moving, the crown needs to then be twisted in a clockwise motion about 30 times. After winding your watch, you can then set the time. The steps to setting up the time and date are broken down below depending on the model of your watch.

Setting it up

If you’re the owner of a GMT Master II, you’ll need to set two different times, given the nature of Greenwich Mean Time. To set the 24-hour time, gently pop the crown out and rotate it until the blue hand is in the correct position. This is known as the second time. To adjust the regular time, use the same crown setting and push it in one notch and turn it until it shows the right date. After the correct date is set, continue to turn the crown until the right hours and minutes are displayed. Following these steps, the crown can then be put back in place by pushing it in all the way and tightening it carefully. Avoid overdoing it as can lead to damage.

Daytona

For the Daytona model, the crown needs to first be unscrewed and wound around about 15 times clockwise prior to setting the time. The crown must then be pulled out until it clicks and turned forward, or clockwise until the right time is displayed. Once you have the correct time, the crown can then be pushed and screwed back in. Since there’s no date display on the Daytona, that step is avoided.

Submariner

To set the date on a Submariner, the crown can be moved to an outward position by pulling it out until you hear a click. The click means the crown is now set to the right day of the month. Begin to turn the crown clockwise until you see the right date on the window. After setting up the date, the time can then be set by pulling the crown out again until it clicks. Then, continue to turn the crown until the right time is displayed with the hour and minute hands. The crown needs to then be pushed back in to its original position by screwing it forward, just as with the other watches explained above.

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