Winding question

[JJL]

I thought I remember reading some people saying that you should wind your Rolex every x days/months, etc..

I wound my Yacht-Master about a year ago when I got it to get it started, and have worn it ever since and haven't had to wind it since. Is it good for the watch or necessary to wind from time to time, or is once in the beginning enough?

Feedback appreciated.

[HyperM3]

If its running it doesnt need additional winding. Just keep wearing it.

[koc]

Even if you wear the watch daily, sometimes you are not active enough to give the watch full wind, therefore a weekly wind will keep the watch working perfectly :)

[MonBK]

It's good for the mainspring to be fully wound once in a while.

I would do it at least once a month.

[HyperM3]

I stand corrected. Never wound any of my watches ever in over 13 years of automatic ownership. Guess the winder does it well enough for me, or my wrist is more than adequate.

[stones]

I have the YM as well. As long as I wear it everyday there have been no issues with winding. If however I skip a day, winding is normally necessary within 24 hours.

It's a minor criticism but I wish Rolex being a premium watch had a little more reserve time.

[azguy]

From everything I have read, a watch worn daily should be wound a couple of times each month to keep the main spring fully wound

[Quackers]

From what I've read it seems that once a month will keep things ship-shape.

[JJL]

Thanks for the feedback. From the sound of it, it seems wise to wind it every now and again the mainspring.

Thanks for the info!

[InTime]

wind it 20 times or so the first of every month

[Richardstatman]

I recently obtained a tt zenith daytona. It is my first Rolex. I find I need to wind it almost daily or else it will stop. I guess I am not that active during the day. Interstingly, I've had Franck Mullers and Breitlings and other automatic watches that I didnn't have the same issue with however. In any case, it seems that when I wind it, the feel changes after a few winds. Can you feel when the mainspring is fully wound? If so, then I will stop winding when I feel the difference. Also, does it damage the watch in any way to wind it daily?

[oceantimewide]

After a full wind on my TT GMT IIc, it will only last for 2 days without any wearing. I find the reserve too short as well for its reputation.

For the winding feel differences, I'm experiencing the same feel. After winding about 30 full turns, the winding gives out an "over-turn" feel and sound, unlike the initial winding which is smooth and regular. However, it gets "tighter" nearing the 30 turns, before the "over-turn" feel and sound.

I reckon the "over-turn" feel indicates a fully wound mainspring. Any comments?
And any further winding, just kicks off the anti "over winding" mechanism, and hence the feel difference.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by kierolex

After a full wind on my TT GMT IIc, it will only last for 2 days without any wearing. I find the reserve too short as well for its reputation.

Most Rolex watches have a power reserve of 40 hours.

That is stated in the literature, so I don't know why that would be too short for the Rolex reputation.

[DDG]

I feel unnecessary winding is hard on the spring, the clutch, the winding crown, it's threads, seals and gearing train. The less you have to disturb all that to wind it the better. The spring doesn't need to be maxed out on it's tension to make the watch run. If the self winding mechinisn is keeping up, save the wear & tear & let it do it's job. I wear my EXP II every day. I take it off and lay it on the dresser a full 8 hrs every night, and it never has stopped running. If I do leave it sit long enough to for it to run down, I only wind it enough to get it running while I wear it, and it eventually winds it's self up.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by DDG

I feel unnecessary winding is hard on the spring, the clutch, the winding crown, it's threads, seals and gearing train. The less you have to disturb all that to wind it the better. The spring doesn't need to be maxed out on it's tension to make the watch run. If the self winding mechinisn is keeping up, save the wear & tear & let it do it's job. I wear my EXP II every day. I take it off and lay it on the dresser a full 8 hrs every night, and it never has stopped running. If I do leave it sit long enough to for it to run down, I only wind it enough to get it running while I wear it, and it eventually winds it's self up.

A automatic watch is only a manual wind watch with a auto mechanism fitted.You will do no harm whatsoever to the winding crown, seals, gear train,mainspring or crown tube.After all just think of all the manual wind Rolex with screw down crowns, they got wound almost daily for decades and without any problem.

[Zdenek]

Originally Posted by JJL

I thought I remember reading some people saying that you should wind your Rolex every x days/months, etc..

I wound my Yacht-Master about a year ago when I got it to get it started, and have worn it ever since and haven't had to wind it since. Is it good for the watch or necessary to wind from time to time, or is once in the beginning enough?

Feedback appreciated.

Maybe it is good for oil redistribution in the winding mechanism but nothing else.

[DDG]

My wife has a Lady President she wears maybe once or twice a month. It's always dead of course, so she has to unscrew the crown and wind it manually when she wears it. (forget setting the date, she can't see it anyway) After about 15 years, it quit running, so I took it in for service. Two of the things it needed were a mainspring, and a crown & tube. Personaly, I think the delicate gears & parts in the winding mechanism are like any other mechanical device ever made. They will eventually fail, so the fewer times you use them the longer they should last.