Horological Meandering

jfsuperior
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Do we need automatic watch winders?

As the number of watch owners having one or more automatic watches continues to grow, one of the most frequently asked questions is “Do I need an automatic watch winder”? To begin, I must point out that, despite the fact that my company has been a pioneer in introducing professional watch winders to consumers, I have publicly stated several times on the watch forums that they are NOT an absolute necessity.

Nevertheless, here are five reasons and different needs for having and using a watch winder:

1. For an inactive person who needs supplementary winding
2. People who don't wear their watch ALL DAY long
3. To keep more than one automatic watch always on time
4. To prevent resetting of complicated calendar watches
5. To keep a watch collection live and well

Let's look at some concerns watch owners have about winders:

QUESTION: “I'm sure there is a good reason for watch winders. But, I'm a little puzzled by their purpose other than for testing. It just seems to me that a given watch only has a certain number of hours of life in it before it must be overhauled and serviced, right? So, why not slow the process down while you're not wearing it? Is there a detrimental effect on the watch? What about new watches at the jeweler? They can sit for months before being sold. I've never seen a winder in the window keeping that new watch wound and waiting for me to buy it”.

ANSWER: Watch winders are beneficial for those who own more than one automatic watch. They are particularly useful for automatic perpetual calendar watches which can be complicated and a nuisance to reset once stopped. More important, all watches should be kept wound and running for their own mechanical health to ensure proper lubrication and cut down on wear. If a watch sits still for a long period of time, the lubricant tends to clump. When that happens, it can have an adverse effect on the timekeeping accuracy of a watch with poor amplitude of the balance wheel. The reason that some, even the finest brand, timepieces do not perform up to par is probably due to the effect on a watch sitting in a jewelry store for long periods of time in a non-running condition.

QUESTION: “If an automatic watch is not worn for several days, is it better to wind it in a watch winder, rather than manually turning the crown every morning? Or, does it make no difference which way the watch is wound”?

ANSWER: Automatic watches are designed with two interacting sets of winding systems, one is the manual winding mechanism and the other the automatic winding unit. Current typical automatics have a sandwiched double reverser wheel which contain miniature clicks inside. These reverser wheels allow the motion of the user's arm to build power reserve from the oscillating rotor through the winding system indirectly to the mainspring which drives the escapement.

Manually winding an automatic mechanism "on a steady basis" can put unnecessary rapid stress on the sensitive auto reverser wheels possibly damaging the tiny internal clicks. The torque pressure resulting from manual winding of automatic watches is not made for, day-in day-out, manual winding, especially if the watch is not in a pristine new or overhauled condition. Also, most automatic watches today have screw-down crowns. Using such crowns on a steady basis for manual winding will result in a shorter life for these spring-loaded crowns. The daily pressure and tension will break the posts off sooner or later requiring replacement of the crown and also the stretched / worn O-ring tube gasket. You then run a greater risk of allowing moisture to penetrate the case without your awareness and knowledge.

To summarize, while watch winders are NOT an absolute necessity, they are a great convenience in keeping watches on the correct time and date and also help to extend the general running condition of them.

Jack Freedman
This message has been edited by jfsuperior on 2008-01-24 14:26:04