• Apprentice
    19 Jan 2020, 1:32 p.m.

    Hi All!

    I recently purchased a Portuguese Perpetual Calendar with the intention of
    wearing it on a daily basis. I work in an office environment, therefore the
    watch will not be exposed to unusual stresses. However, after the purchase it
    occurred to me that since I commute to the office on my motorcycle, perhaps
    the bike's vibrations might damage this complicated watch or cause it to lose
    accuracy over time. I googled this topic a bit and there doesn't seem to be a
    consensus on whether motorcycle vibrations can damage a watch or are
    innocuous. My commute is only about 30 mins/day; however, I am concerned that
    repeating this daily may cause the watch to deteriorate over time.

    Does anybody have any thoughts on this - specifically with regard to the
    complicated caliber of the Perpetual Calendar? Considering that the same
    movement is fitted on the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar, which is designed to
    be used in cockpits, perhaps I am worrying for nothing? I also recall a recent
    marketing campaign of IWC featuring Bradley Cooper riding along on a
    motorcycle... they wouldn't do this kind of campain if bikes were bad for
    their watches... or would they?

    www.iwc.com/en/specials/road-less-traveled-bradley-cooper.html

    Many thanks for your thoughts!

    Pietro

  • Master
    19 Jan 2020, 11:27 p.m.

    Congratualtions
    on a great masterpiece which in fact should be worn daily.
    It's too precious and beautiful to hide it away in a safe or bank vault.

    I'm wearing mine one the bicycle every day which might not be the same but I
    never had any problems so far.

  • Master
    29 Feb 2020, 5:47 p.m.

    If the fillings in your teeth (assuming you have those) don't feel like they
    rattled loose by the time you get to the office, then simply wear your watch
    during the commute and enjoy it's handsome beauty throughout the day.

    I wouldn't recommend wearing your perpetual whilst playing golf or tennis (or
    other sports involving impacts), but commuting to work by bike, steam train or
    plane, your OK.

  • Apprentice
    23 Dec 2020, 7:27 p.m.

    I cycle 5 miles to work and my portuguese automatic rotor bearing broke on a
    ride home. I was rather surprised and disappointed when IWC took no
    responsibilty, despite it being less than a year after a full IWC service. I
    stopped cycling with it on my wrist and put it in a zipped pocket for my
    regular commute as suggested by Michael who was forum admin at the time.

  • Master
    25 Dec 2020, 8:58 a.m.

    I drove a motorcycle for 40 years. The vibrations are intense and of high
    frequency, especially at the grips where they are transmitted to the wrist and
    hands.

    Wearing a complicated watch on a motorcucle is like driving it without wearing
    a helmet..

    Adrian,

    (alwaysiwc).

  • Connoisseur
    31 Jan 2021, 12:03 p.m.

    Speaking just for myself, I wouldn't wear a watch with such a complicated
    movement for a regular commute on a motorbike. There have been many reports on
    the image stabilisation of iPhone cameras being adversely affected by
    vibrations, hence a couple of the phone mount companies producing anti-
    vibration mounts to try and overcome the problem.

    Of course a lot will depend on factors such as what bike you ride (for example
    a Harley V2 and a Kawasaki in-line 4 have different characteristics), what
    your preferred rev range is, how tightly you grip the bars and so on. If you
    do carry on wearing your lovely watch, make sure your grip is nice and loose.

    I stopped wearing watches when I ride my bikes when my titanium Omega
    Seamaster suffered some 'road rash', although it did save my wrist from the
    same rash ;)