Winding a hand-wound watch
- Take the watch off your wrist. Winding on the wrist puts a sideways load on the crown stem.
- If the crown screws down, unscrew it anticlockwise until it pops out to its winding position.
- Turn the crown clockwise with your thumb and finger in smooth, short strokes. You'll hear and feel the ratchet click.
- Stop when you feel firm resistance, usually after 20 to 40 turns from empty. Don't force it past that point.
- Screw the crown back down, pressing gently as you turn.
Wind it at the same time each day, such as every morning, and it will keep steady time; a mainspring delivers its most even power in the first part of its run.
Winding an automatic
An automatic winds itself as you wear it, so you only need to wind it if it's stopped. Give it 20 to 30 turns of the crown to build some power, set the time, and put it on. Shaking it to start it works but gives very little reserve. A few automatics, such as Seiko's older 7S26, can't be wound by hand at all.
How long it runs off the wrist depends on its power reserve. Across the 315 current automatics we've measured, the median is 56 hours, and 39% run 70 hours or more. If you rotate several automatics, a watch winder saves resetting them.
Mistakes to avoid
- Winding or setting with the crown screwed down: it won't turn properly and you can strip the thread.
- Winding while the watch is wet or right after swimming, before the crown is dry.
- Forcing past the stop on a hand-wound watch.
- Pulling the crown out hard or at an angle; ease it out.