My Son's Watch Now Shows the Correct Time
My son has a multi-function watch that was purchased at Wal-Mart for $6.95 + tax. Using the manual as our guide, it was set to the proper time shortly after it was purchased. However, it was purchased during Daylight Savings Time, and has therefore been one hour off for quite awhile. This wasn't a problem since my son had not used the watch for many months, but he recently recovered it from a desk drawer. Noting that it was not set to the right time, and assuming that I know how to operate this timepiece, he handed it to me, requesting that I set it. I assured him that I would.
It is the design nature of these types of watches that pressing more than one button simultaneously will place you into a time- and date-setting mode. The challenge, of course, is to determine the correct combination of buttons (and in some cases, the correct sequence), that arrive at this mode.
With this in mind, I first tried simultaneously pressing both buttons on the right side, (as it happens, I have a watch that calls for these two buttons to be pushed in order to arrive at time-setting mode). The result was to turn on the alarm.
This created a new problem. Activating the watch alarm is tantamount to asking to be awoken in the middle of the night, as this is when inadvertantly-set watch alarms always go off. It is enough of a problem that several other electronic toys at home are somehow triggered to produce noise in the middle of the night.
Quickly, I repeated the process of pressing those two buttons specifically, and was relieved to see that the alarm indicator had disappeared.
Next, I tried pushing the upper-left and lower-right buttons, which arrived at the chronograph function. This was also somewhat disconcerting, because once you arrive at the chronograph function and begin pressing other buttons to undo the mistake, one often inadvertantly starts the timer without knowing how to stop it. This would be a harmless consequence except for the concern that allowing the chronograph to run might be unnecessarily exercising the battery.
I was fortunate once again in that I was able to exit the chronograph function without consequence.
Before continuing with further combinations of buttons, I decided to try simply holding down one button at a time to see if that would work.
Using the process of elimination, I was able to surmise that--if this were the correct way to arrive at time-setting mode--only three of the four buttons would be candidates. I eliminated the light button, thinking that the individual or individuals who designed the watch would not want to unnececssarily exercise battery power by forcing the user to hold down the light button for several seconds in order to arrive at a function that had nothing to do with illuminating the display.
With that in mind, I began with the upper-left-hand button. As luck would have it, I found myself in time-setting mode within three seconds or so.
Actually setting the time itself is a story that will have to wait for another time. Suffice to say, my son's watch now shows the correct time, and the world of the Supreme Aglet is once again in perfect balance.
It is the design nature of these types of watches that pressing more than one button simultaneously will place you into a time- and date-setting mode. The challenge, of course, is to determine the correct combination of buttons (and in some cases, the correct sequence), that arrive at this mode.
With this in mind, I first tried simultaneously pressing both buttons on the right side, (as it happens, I have a watch that calls for these two buttons to be pushed in order to arrive at time-setting mode). The result was to turn on the alarm.
This created a new problem. Activating the watch alarm is tantamount to asking to be awoken in the middle of the night, as this is when inadvertantly-set watch alarms always go off. It is enough of a problem that several other electronic toys at home are somehow triggered to produce noise in the middle of the night.
Quickly, I repeated the process of pressing those two buttons specifically, and was relieved to see that the alarm indicator had disappeared.
Next, I tried pushing the upper-left and lower-right buttons, which arrived at the chronograph function. This was also somewhat disconcerting, because once you arrive at the chronograph function and begin pressing other buttons to undo the mistake, one often inadvertantly starts the timer without knowing how to stop it. This would be a harmless consequence except for the concern that allowing the chronograph to run might be unnecessarily exercising the battery.
I was fortunate once again in that I was able to exit the chronograph function without consequence.
Before continuing with further combinations of buttons, I decided to try simply holding down one button at a time to see if that would work.
Using the process of elimination, I was able to surmise that--if this were the correct way to arrive at time-setting mode--only three of the four buttons would be candidates. I eliminated the light button, thinking that the individual or individuals who designed the watch would not want to unnececssarily exercise battery power by forcing the user to hold down the light button for several seconds in order to arrive at a function that had nothing to do with illuminating the display.
With that in mind, I began with the upper-left-hand button. As luck would have it, I found myself in time-setting mode within three seconds or so.
Actually setting the time itself is a story that will have to wait for another time. Suffice to say, my son's watch now shows the correct time, and the world of the Supreme Aglet is once again in perfect balance.
posted by The Supreme Aglet at 11:58 AM
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