It all depends on your activity throughout the day. As you know, automatic watches are powered by the movement of your wrist, which keeps the mainspring tightened as the oscillating rotor spins. However, if you spend your day sat at a computer you will find that your self-winding timepiece does need a boost to keep the hands moving. Most automatic timepieces can last the night unfastened from the wrist yet left for a couple of days and you will notice the power reserve draining of energy.
How to Wind Your Automatic Watch
Those that work in an office will need to wind their watch every now and again, as a quick walk on lunch won’t cut it. Sitting at a desk doesn’t offer much movement and therefore, your watch requires winding to keep it running. Winding the crown 30-40 times should do it, just make sure you unfasten from the wrist before to avoid damage.
Those who have a few automatic watches or are an avid collector will most likely invest in a watch winder to keep those hands moving. They all can’t be worn at once and therefore, mounted on the winder will keep the mainspring tightened as they mimic the movement of your wrist. There are also many stylish designs available to put on display around the home. It is also worthwhile noting that you cannot overwind an automatic watch so you do not have to worry if you wind a few extra times or store in the winder for a long period of time.
There is no set amount of times a week that you will have to wind your watch; it all depends on your movement. An active individual who is constantly moving on a daily basis may very rarely have to wind their watch whereas someone who sits for the majority of their day will need a helping hand to keep their watch in top condition.
Something to Consider
It’s good to know that when you first purchase your self-winding watch that the mainspring will be completely unwound. Fastening to the wrist is tempting but make sure you wind the crown first prior to wearing to give your timepiece the best start. Wearing immediately will make the hands move yet will not make full use of the power reserve available. Again, 30-40 turns of the crown will get those hands working.
Overall, automatic watches are quite low maintenance especially for those with an active lifestyle. They rarely need to think about winding their timepiece. Even those with a desk job only need a few spins of the crown and enthusiasts with a few different instruments can purchase a watch winder to help.
When it comes to winding a watch, you need to consider the type of timepiece you have first. Manually winding a watch isn’t complex, you will feel resistance once it’s fully wound. However, older watches aren’t always designed to prevent the mainspring from being overwound.
Both manual and automatic watches have a complete mechanical mechanism that keeps the watch operational. Neither requires a battery – both types rely on the mainspring for power.
Winding a watch is what gives this mainspring its power and this can either be done by hand or automatically.
As the name suggests, a manual watch needs to be wound by hand. By not winding it, eventually, your timepiece will stop working.
An automatic watch has a mechanism that will automatically wind the mainspring for you. The movement of your arm and wrist, as well as the weighted rotor inside the watch, is what powers this process. An automatic watch will give you around 38 hours of power, provided you wear it all day and only take it off at night.
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If you have an automatic watch, it’s not possible to overwind it. If the watch has full power, the rotor inside the timepiece will simply stop spinning. Automatic watches are designed to stop powering the mainspring when it can’t be wound anymore. It’s not possible to over-wind an automatic timepiece.
If you have a manual timepiece, it’s important to keep your watch fully wound if you want to enjoy maximum power. Fully winding a manual watch won’t damage it – the parts are relatively tough and quite difficult to break. If you won’t be wearing your watch for a few days, keeping it fully wound will retain all the watch settings.
The only time that you can end up breaking a manual watch is if you ignore the watch resistance and keep winding. If your watch was already in a poor condition, it is possible to over-wind it without knowing it.
A manual watch needs to be wound every morning or evening. Most manual watches will last for about 40 hours, so if you had to forget to wind it for a day or two, it will stop working. Some high-end watches can last up to 70 hours, so winding won’t be necessary every single day.
Most watches will reach maximum power by winding the crown 30 to 40 times but this can vary. The minute you feel resistance, the watch is fully wound. If your watch is new and you’re feeling unsure, aim to wind the crown 30 times to start with and work your way up from there.
When cared for correctly, your timepieces can last for years to come.