Automatic Gold Watch

What do you mean by the second hand running a bit fast every few hours?

Do you mean that, when compared to a stable time source(like an online atomic clock or your cell phone) that the second hand points to a different point on the watch when the external time source changes minutes? If so, you can use the regulator-accessible by removing the watch back-to speed the watch up just a little bit. If you’re uncomfortable doing this, it’s best to let a watchmaker do it.

Bear in mind, though, that even the best mechanical watches won’t keep time as well as a $10 quartz watch. If it will within a few seconds a day, you’re doing well and best to not change it.

Or, do you mean that the second hand simply can’t be set exactly because it keeps running when the time is set? If so, you can sometimes stop a mechanical watch by using a small amount of reverse pressure on the crown, although this is highly dependent on the design of the watch and on the last watchmaker who serviced it. If you’d like, a watchmaker can probably tighten the canon pinion up as part of a full service to the point where you can stop the watch with reverse pressure on the crown.