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TheReverend 
Posts:129
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| 06-10-2007 08:37:12 PM |
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Gents,
Do you regularly wind your watches? I don't have any routine, but I hear it's needed to keep everything moving. Anyone here with a big collection care to comment?!?!? |
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agent orange
Posts:1082
Bristol, Wantage
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| 07-10-2007 04:59:44 PM |
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Hi Rev,
Don't know if I have any answers for you really but it's something I've often wondered myself. Up to a few months a go I used to wind all my watches every night. Even with 50ish watches it only took ten minutes and I got into the routine of winding them when I got home from work (my quality time, if you excuse the pun).
Then I heard that manual winding an auto watch doesn't really do it any favours, clutch and seal wear etc, so I stopped. I've even been told that watch winders wear out auto movements prematurely! So in all honesty know I don't what to believe and would appreciate an authoritive answer to this issue myself.
In the meantime I just wind 'em up when I need them, with the exception of my manual winders which I keep going constantly.
So if anyone out there can shed some light on this please let the Rev and I know.
Cheers,
Gary |
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DaveS
Posts:470
Bristol UK
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| 08-10-2007 11:24:31 AM |
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I have read other posts on fora in regard to this topic, and it seems that there are some disparate opinions out there, and few authoritive facts.
To my mind the basic principles involved are:
Watch movements are machines, driven by a spring, and consisting mostly of rotating and meshing gears.
As such, by its very nature, usage will cause wear, and winding will cause eventual fatigue to the mainspring, reducing its effectiveness. This is the disadvantage of keeping watches running, and it is a relatively small disadvantage in the sense that the wear rate is small, and mainsprings do last a very long time.
The advantage is that the continuing operation circulates all of the lubricant, and keeps the movement free.
Remaining static, and unwound, cannot cause wear, and cannot reduce the springs effectiveness. There should be no downside to leaving watches static.
This assumes that care is taken if leaving a watch static, to avoid the gradual effects of moisture entering the watch and affecting the movement. Also, lubricant may settle out of the key areas, and when the watch is used, the gears may be less lubricated than they should be, and wear rates higher as a result. I have found nothing to be able to substantiate that this occurs, but the possibility remains.
Perhaps it makes sense not to leave a watch the same way up all the time.
As far as I am concerned it makes sense to do both (keep the movment active, and allow it downtime to reduce overall wear), which I do by rotating which watch I wear on a daily / weekly basis.
What I am saying is that if I am not wearing a watch, I do not wind it.
Of course, most of mine are automatic, so I have a greater aversion to a winder (which does accelerate wear, without doubt), and I do not wind them manually.
For me it is one of the pleasures of changing watches to set it back in motion and adjust it to the correct time and date.
Reading this, I am not sure if I have contributed anything, so I too would welcome some more authoritive thoughts on the subject.....
Cheers
Dave |
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ATG
Posts:3193
Bristol, London, Liverpool - UK
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| 08-10-2007 01:32:46 PM |
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When i wake up I check the time on the watch i will be wearing, wind it if needs be and put the watch on...
I don't wind any of my watches after the have been serviced and are not being worn. All watches I have for sale are tested after servicing for 24 hours. Then they are placed in a zip lock bag. Dust and moisture free and placed either in my safe or in my deposit box at my bank until sale. Then they are removed from the bag, tested again by my watchmaker and shipped to the customer.
That's is as far as I go....
I think that if you have a number for watches with very expensive complicated movements then winding regularity is a potential issue but certainly for my level I don't go over board. But!
I n saying that i think when people wind their whole collection like Gary said he does I can see that this is about appreciation and getting to know your watches which is as important as any other facet of collecting.
This is a good thread but a shame it is on this forum as I fear not many people will see it......
Cheers for starting it Rev. and let's see some of your watche that you might want to wind!
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Regards
Alistair |
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TheReverend
Posts:129
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| 08-10-2007 09:52:37 PM |
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| Thanks for the feedback chaps. Here's an example of a not much wound manual Gigandet and an auto Tissot......As an aside, any additional explanations as to why the Gigandet chrono minute dial has larger 3 minute markers is gratefuly received. I have one theory, but I'd be interested to open it to the forum. Please excuse the pics, I'm in my kitchen at the moment.....
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TheReverend
Posts:129
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| 08-10-2007 10:01:16 PM |
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| Check those out!!! Sorry 'bout the size gents!! |
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ATG
Posts:3193
Bristol, London, Liverpool - UK
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| 08-10-2007 11:49:40 PM |
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Posted By TheReverend on 08-10-2007 10:01:16 PM
Check those out!!! Sorry 'bout the size gents!! Those shots are great, what are you talking about?
Good work!
If you want them re sized then let me know?
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Regards
Alistair |
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TheReverend
Posts:129
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| 10-10-2007 11:38:23 PM |
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| Thanks Alistair. I'll ask the question 'stand alone' on the forums. |
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