How to Set the Day and Date on a Seiko (and the 9 pm–4 am Rule)

Day-date Seikos are easy to set once you know the crown positions and the one rule that protects the movement. This guide follows Seiko’s own 4R36 instructions, and the same steps work on most modern Seiko automatics.

Crown positions on a 4R36

Step by step

1. Unscrew the crown if it is screw-down.
2. Pull to the first click. Set the date to yesterday’s date. For the 6th, set 5.
3. Turn the other way to set the day. On bilingual watches, pick your language.
4. Pull to the second click when the seconds hand is at 12.
5. Turn the hands forward until the date changes. It is now midnight and the date shows today.
6. Keep turning to the correct time, then push the crown in with a time signal and screw it down.

The rule: not between 9 pm and 4 am

Seiko’s manual says not to set the date or day between 9:00 pm and 4:00 am. During those hours the date and day wheels are being moved by the movement, and forcing them can cause problems or damage. If you need to set it at night, move the hands to around 6 am or pm first, set the date and day, then set the time.

What is normal

• The date changes around midnight.
• The day changes around 4 am on the 4R36.
• If the date changes at noon, see this fix.

Short months need a manual correction too: see the end-of-month date fix.

Frequently asked questions

When should I not change the date on a Seiko?

Seiko’s 4R36 manual says not to set the date or day between 9 pm and 4 am, because the date mechanism is working then and setting it may cause problems or damage.

Why does the day change at 4 am?

On the 4R36, Seiko says the date changes around midnight and the day of the week changes around 4 am. That is normal.

How do I switch the day to English on a bilingual Seiko?

Keep turning the crown in the day-setting direction. Each day appears in both languages, so stop on the one you prefer.

Sources

• Seiko 4R36 manual: setting the time, date and day