Things About Winding A Mechanical Watch, Actually Not That Simple

Mechanical watch winding technology, did you get it?

Many friends think that winding a mechanical watch can't be easier, just turn it around a few times at will. This operation looks easy, but it also contains a certain technical content. The quality of the winding determines the source of the movement's power, and it is also related to the life of the internal barrel. Therefore, learning how to effectively wind a mechanical watch is also an important part of daily watch maintenance. Watch friends must not underestimate it!

Many friends think that winding a mechanical watch can't be easier, just turn it around a few times at will. This operation looks easy, but it also contains a certain technical content. The quality of the winding determines the source of the movement's power, and it is also related to the life of the internal barrel. Therefore, learning how to effectively wind a mechanical watch is also an important part of daily watch maintenance. Watch friends must not underestimate it!

Manual mechanical watch winding

Note for winding manual mechanical watches:

When the movement is fully wound, the crown can no longer turn, and you will feel a rebounding force, at this time, if you continue to wind, the mainspring may be broken. Not only that, there is another problem with the winding of manual mechanical watches being too full, the hand strength is very large, if the winding is frequently too full, the spring hook inside will become weak and it will break easily over time. Therefore, many watch lovers will deliberately skip a few turns when winding their watches to protect the movement gently.

So, how many windings does it take to be full?

In fact, there is no strict standard for this, and the structures of various watch movements are not the same. Generally speaking, winding the head for 18 laps can satisfy the 36-hour stable operation of the watch, but the difference in the movement and the strength of each person's winding are different, so there will be a little error.

Automatic mechanical watch winding

The automatic mechanical watch uses the power generated by the swing of the automatic rotor at the bottom of the movement to drive the mainspring. When the watch is worn, the arm moves, and the automatic rotor swings around the axis under the action of gravity and inertia, thereby driving the automatic wheel train to wind.

Semi-automatic mechanical watch: When the automatic rotor rotates, only one direction can be effectively wound.

Fully automatic mechanical watch: The automatic rotor rotates around the axis in any direction and has the effect of winding.

Do automatic mechanical watches need to be wound manually?

When wearing an automatic mechanical watch, sufficient arm activity is required to stimulate the rotation of the automatic rotor to produce energy. In theory, wearing it for about 8 hours a day can provide enough power for the watch. If the wrist does not have enough momentum to add enough energy to the clockwork, the watch will stop. Once this happens, don't sway your wrist violently to replenish energy, because this will easily cause the automatic rotor to loosen and fall off, just wind it manually.

When the self-winding movement is fully wound, the mainspring will slip between the wheel walls. Although it can continue to wind, the interior is only idling. This automatic slip function can prevent damage to the movement, but it also makes it difficult to judge whether the winding is full.

Precautions for winding up:

When turning the crown to wind a mechanical watch, it is necessary to maintain a slow and even movement, because during this process, the gears will be subjected to extreme pressure. If the speed is too fast, the most serious consequence is that the function of the gears is damaged, the slow and even movement can prevent or reduce wear and damage between gears.

The watch needs to be removed from the wrist when winding, it is easier to feel the tightness of the internal spring, and it can also avoid uneven force during the winding process and cause unnecessary damage to the internal movement.

About the watch winder

"I have a few mechanical watches that I don't wear every day, do I need to put them on the watch winder?"-A watch lover once asked.

In fact, the watch winder is not a necessary equipment for a mechanical watch.

The power reserve of some mechanical watches is relatively short, within 48 hours. For daily wear, take off the watch after getting off work on Friday and wear it again next Monday, then you need to adjust the time. Some watch friends find it very troublesome to adjust the time every week, so they choose to buy a watch winder. For such short-term storage, you can use a watch winder to help wind the movement.

The winding of a mechanical watch seems simple, but there are many technical contents. I believe that after reading this article, everyone will have a detailed understanding. Daily maintenance of the watch needs to be done bit by bit. The service life of the watch is inseparable from good wearing habits!