[Jon&Candy]

This is really weird. I own a really nice watch with an automatic mechanism. When I was in the UK, the watch had been running slow for several years (losing about 1 minute every 2 days).

Since I've moved to New Zealand, the same watch is now running fast (gaining about 1 minute every 2 days).

Since the watch is mechanical in nature, the only thing keeping it going is a spring driving lots of little cogs which all spin at different speeds. Could the Coriolis Effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect) be making my watch run fast in the Southern Hemisphere? If so, if I were to go to the equator, would it keep perfect time?

Are there any physicists out there who can help???

[Keith C.]

Let's see. Do you usually have the face up, down, or sideways?

As I understand it, the Coriolis effect is a minimal force. I don't think it would have any effect on a watch. But if it did have an effect, then watches would have to be designed for particular latitudes.

[James 1077]

Yes Coriolis effect is very weak so won't be causing the difference. What is more likely to make it run faster / slower would be temperature as different parts of the watch would expand / shrink at different rates.

If you have moved from say a nice warm centrally heated house in the UK to a cold draughty uninsulated NZ house then that would probably cause some of the difference.

[M-Squared]

I had to look that up on wikipedia :confused: :laugh

[kzn2nz]

Nah - it is just that time in NZ really is slower!