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Setup Guide

Getting started with your TIDES watch — powered by the Seiko NH35 automatic movement.

1. Starting the Watch

Your TIDES watch uses the Seiko NH35 automatic movement, which winds itself continuously through the natural motion of your wrist. However, if your watch has been sitting unworn for more than 41 hours, the mainspring will have run down and the watch will need to be started manually before wearing.

  1. Ensure the crown is fully pushed in to Position 0 (the normal resting position).
  2. Rotate the crown clockwise with your thumb and forefinger.
  3. Wind the crown approximately 20 to 40 full rotations. You will feel slight resistance as the mainspring builds tension — this is normal.
  4. Once wound, the watch should begin running. Place it on a flat surface and confirm the seconds hand is moving.

After the initial manual wind, the rotor inside the movement will automatically wind the watch through the motion of everyday wear. You do not need to manually wind it again as long as you wear it regularly.

Note: The NH35 has a power reserve of approximately 41 hours. If left unworn for an extended period, manually wind 20–30 turns before putting it on to ensure accurate timekeeping from the start.

2. Setting the Date

The NH35 features a quickset date function that lets you change the date directly from the crown without cycling through the hours.

  1. Pull the crown out to Position 1 — one click out from the fully-pushed-in position. You will feel a slight detent click.
  2. Rotate the crown to advance the date. Rotating clockwise moves the date forward.
  3. Continue until the correct date appears in the date window.
  4. Push the crown back in to Position 0 to lock the date setting.
Important: Never set the date when the time is between approximately 9:00 PM and 1:00 AM. During this window, the movement's date-change gears are engaged as the watch prepares to advance the date at midnight. Forcing the date wheel during this period can damage the internal mechanism. If you are within this window, advance the time past 1:00 AM before setting the date.

3. Setting the Time

Setting the time on the NH35 is straightforward. The movement does not have a dedicated AM/PM indicator, so you will need to use the date change to orient yourself correctly.

  1. Pull the crown out to Position 2 — two clicks out, the fully extended position. The seconds hand will stop, allowing for a precise time set.
  2. Rotate the crown to move the hour and minute hands to the desired time.
  3. To confirm AM vs. PM: slowly advance the hands past 12:00 and watch for the date to change. The date changes at midnight (12:00 AM). Set your time relative to that reference point — times after midnight are AM, times after noon are PM.
  4. Once the correct time is set, push the crown firmly back in to Position 0.
  5. For precise synchronization, set the minute hand just before the correct minute, then push the crown in exactly as a reliable time source ticks to that minute.
Tip: Always set the time by rotating the hands forward (clockwise). Avoid spinning the hands backwards for extended periods, as the NH35's date mechanism is not designed for sustained counter-clockwise hand advancement.