That’s a very valid point Kip and something I’ve been giving some thought to since I completed my test. I measured the “free” time that CW were kindly donating to me at 1 hour. I didn’t measure it as accurately as Ferg, but I have still used 1 hour as the basis for my calculations below.
Of course the only way we can prevent me getting my “free” hour is to return the watch to CW for adjustment. At present they quote a 10 week time which is 1,680 hours (10 weeks x 7 days x 24 hours)
Now I will only get my “free” hour every time I let my watch run down, I don’t get it if I wear the watch continuously. Let’s assume I wear the watch for a few days, let it run down and I do this every week. I will therefore get 1 “free” hour per week from CW and In order to cancel out the 1,680 hours I would be “owed” by CW for the duration they had my watch, it will take 32.3 years. (1,680 hours in total / 52 hours per year).
Now of course we have to factor in a service every 5 years which again will take 1,680 hours each time. If I need 6 services in those 32.3 years then that is another 60 weeks I will be without my watch.
In order for this to be fair, CW need to give me enough “free” hours to cancel out the hours it would take them to reduce my power reserve. I calculate the time this will take at 1 hour per week, factoring in delays for service, to be to approximately 33.5 years.
I have therefore decided I will continue to enjoy my “free” hours, but in order to pay them back I will return my watch to CW in August 2056 to have the power reserve reduced to 56 hours.
Ferg, your watch only gives you 11 mins and 41 seconds “free” time. Now I don’t know what you used to measure that, but let’s assume it was on a watch that isn’t 100% accurate so your free time might actually be 12 minutes. (I can assure you that this error has been scientifically included to ensure accuracy and is in no way something to easily get your “free” time to 12 minutes just because that’s an easier number to work with)
As you are only getting 12 minutes “free” it will take you 5 times longer than me for CW to pay back the time, which is 167.5 years. Being the honest upstanding chap you are, I assume you will now be making a note on your 2190 calendar to send your watch off in the August of that year for rectification.