How to pick and operate a Watch Winder correctly...(tips and tricks)

[Mystro]

How to pick and operate a Watch Winder correctly...(tips and tricks)

A watch winder is a great way of keeping your automatic watch wound and keeping the main spring at optimal performance. I have been using a Orbita Belino watch winder for over 11 years now on my Rolex Serti Sub. My Rolex has been either on my wrist or in the winder for its entire 11 year life. My Rolex keeps the same +3 seconds a day today as it did when new and the watch has never been opened up. So you could say I am a advocate for using a good watch winder set at its proper setting.

Not all watch winders are the same quality. Poorly made watch winders have been shown to magnetize the watches main spring over time. You will not be happy if that happens. Stick with a quality brand winder like Orbita, Wolf, etc... You can find a great single winder from these companies for under $300.00 dollars. Consider it a investment for your much more expensive automatic watch.

Most watches we all have like Omega Rolex,etc,... are best suited for a bi directional winder that is programmable for the amount of turns per day. Bi directional means that every time the winder cycles on, it turns in a different direction. Turns Per Day is how many full revolutions the winder turns in a 24 hour period. The magic number of TPD for most watches like a Submariner or Planet Ocean is about 650TPD.

Another side benefit of a watch winder is its effectiveness in showing any issues in a new watch. Best to find out if your movement is in 100% working order when new and under warranty. A winder will exercise the movement much more effectively to show any defects in the movement like stoppage issues or accuracy problems.

Most people dont understand how to use a watch winder correctly, I didnt at first.

If set correctly, a winder will keep the main spring exactly wound at the point when you put it in the winder. It will not "wind-up" the watch if set correctly to the watches specific TPD setting. I repeat.... "It will not "wind-up" the watch if set correctly."

Many people do not understand this point. If you have your winder set at 650TPD and put a watch that is not fully wound in it for a few days. When you remove the watch from the winder, the watch will NOT be fully wound. The best way to use a watch winder for long periods of time is to manually wind the watch up first, then place the watch in the winder. If you do it this way for daily or long turn use, you will never have to touch your crown. Your watch will come off of the winder and on to your wrist at its optimal main spring tension. At the end of the day, take your watch off and place it on the winder and it should be right where you left it the next morning. I have done this for 11 years with the same watch and its accuracy and reliability has been flawless.

The mistake many watch owners do is set their winders Turn Per Day too high. Sure it will wind your watch up but it will also have your internal clutch slipping every time the watch winder is activated....Bad Idea. You want your watch running at the top 3/4 of its main spring all the time either on your wrist or in the winder. This will not cause any needless wear on the clutch.

Thats pretty much it. Buy a good winder now and it and your watch should last a long time.

[ffighter556]

Originally Posted by Mystro

How to pick and operate a Watch Winder correctly...(tips and tricks)

A watch winder is a great way of keeping your automatic watch wound and keeping the main spring at optimal performance. I have been using a Orbita Belino watch winder for over 11 years now on my Rolex Serti Sub. My Rolex has been either on my wrist or in the winder for its entire 11 year life. My Rolex keeps the same +3 seconds a day today as it did when new and the watch has never been opened up. So you could say I am a advocate for using a good watch winder set at its proper setting.

Not all watch winders are the same quality. Poorly made watch winders have been shown to magnetize the watches main spring over time. You will not be happy if that happens. Stick with a quality brand winder like Orbita, Wolf, etc... You can find a great single winder from these companies for under $300.00 dollars. Consider it a investment for your much more expensive automatic watch.

Most watches we all have like Omega Rolex,etc,... are best suited for a bi directional winder that is programmable for the amount of turns per day. Bi directional means that every time the winder cycles on, it turns in a different direction. Turns Per Day is how many full revolutions the winder turns in a 24 hour period. The magic number of TPD for most watches like a Submariner or Planet Ocean is about 650TPD.

Another side benefit of a watch winder is its effectiveness in showing any issues in a new watch. Best to find out if your movement is in 100% working order when new and under warranty. A winder will exercise the movement much more effectively to show any defects in the movement like stoppage issues or accuracy problems.

Most people dont understand how to use a watch winder correctly, I didnt at first.

If set correctly, a winder will keep the main spring exactly wound at the point when you put it in the winder. It will not "wind-up" the watch if set correctly to the watches specific TPD setting. I repeat.... "It will not "wind-up" the watch if set correctly."

Many people do not understand this point. If you have your winder set at 650TPD and put a watch that is not fully wound in it for a few days. When you remove the watch from the winder, the watch will NOT be fully wound. The best way to use a watch winder for long periods of time is to manually wind the watch up first, then place the watch in the winder. If you do it this way for daily or long turn use, you will never have to touch your crown. Your watch will come off of the winder and on to your wrist at its optimal main spring tension. At the end of the day, take your watch off and place it on the winder and it should be right where you left it the next morning. I have done this for 11 years with the same watch and its accuracy and reliability has been flawless.

The mistake many watch owners do is set their winders Turn Per Day too high. Sure it will wind your watch up but it will also have your internal clutch slipping every time the watch winder is activated....Bad Idea. You want your watch running at the top 3/4 of its main spring all the time either on your wrist or in the winder. This will not cause any needless wear on the clutch.

Thats pretty much it. Buy a good winder now and it and your watch should last a long time.

So if I wear it all the time and are extremely active my clutch always slips....

[Mystro]

No, your movents are too erratic to ever compare to mechanical winder. Your clutch may slip if you just wound your watch, put it on your wrist and swung your arm around non stop for a while but you will wear out before your clutch slips too much. People are just not naturally active enough to keep a watch wound all the way up all the time.

[Southernheat]

Very informative and useful information. Thanks!!!

[Route 66]

How would you know when you've set the winder at too high a setting?