Setting power reserve on LeCoultre Futurematic

[watchfellow]

Hi everyone, 

I have a LeCoultre Futurematic with a Caliber 497, like the one in the photo. I am setting the hand for the power reserve sub-dial and am a little confused on how the power reserve indicator is supposed to read. Where is the hand supposed to be when the reserve is at 0 (ie. the watch is not working)? 

Thanks in advance.

[KarlvonKoln]

I don't know myself.  But what you could do is temporarily put the hand on right in the middle between red and blue, the wind the watch only a few turns, and see which way the hand moves.  It'll move toward "0" power.

[watchweasol]

Hi have a look at the attached manual

JLC Futurematic Repair Manual.pdf

[watchweasol]

Hi the   497.  Has a 27hr power reserve although at max is 30hr it never reaches it.

[KarlvonKoln]

On 4/4/2024 at 7:51 AM, KarlvonKoln said:

I don't know myself.  But what you could do is temporarily put the hand on right in the middle between red and blue, the wind the watch only a few turns, and see which way the hand moves.  It'll move toward "0" power.

*I meant to say toward maximum power.  It will move toward that.

[rjenkinsgb]

I've seen a movement with a power reserve indicator in a video, and with that one, the dial mechanism self-set once fully wound.

I'd try fully winding the watch then fit the indicator hand pointing at the 9 o'clock position, let it run down and adjust slightly if needed to equalise the scale ends.

[watchfellow]

Thanks everyone for the replies. It seems setting the hand is a bit of a guessing game, and I thought there would be a very specific way to do it.

Since the reserve indicator hand moves clockwise as the spring is wound, I tried setting it right at the start of the black side. But setting it there doesn't really make sense, because by the time the spring is halfway wound, the hand is only at the end of the red side... In my head halfway wound shouldn't mean the hand is still "in the red."

[RichardHarris123]

I think it should be between the red and black.  Couple of things to take into consideration, the spring could be set affecting the power reserve or a shorter spring with will have the same effect. 

[watchfellow]

I forgot to reply to this earlier. Yes I've figured out that the hand should definitely be between red and black at 0 power reserve. Since it moves clockwise as it gains power, theoretically at full wind it should reach into the "black" area which indicates a "full charge".

However, I am finding that either the power reserve is not working properly or the auto wind isn't, because after wearing for about 6 hours the reserve indicator moves only about halfway through the red. However, that is good for about 6-8 hours of reserve! Which by my calculations isn't right.

So either I have not set the toothed lever (for power reserve position) correctly, as it is really slow to start advancing (I have to wear for a few hours before it starts to move), or the mainspring stopper is not properly adjusted and the spring has too much tension. I followed the service manual for setting both.