Winder Question - what settings to use on Day-Date

[gtwatson]

I've got a 1970's Day-Date that I used to wear daily to work. Been working from home since March and only wear it once in a while. I've had a winder for many years but it has been acting up so I bought a new winder. The old winder quit and I had to wind the Day-Date manually and set the time. It is a single quick set if that's the right term where I have to advance the minute hand until the right day of week comes up. It had been stopped for 10 days when I noticed it had stopped and I had to advance the minute hand. I can pull out the stem to the first click and set the date for months that have less than 31 days but the day does not quickset.

The new winder has several settings for CW and CCW and I am wondering which setting is correct for this old model Day-Date?

The options are:
4.5 Min CW, rest 55.5 min
4.5 Min CCW, rest 55.5 Min
4.0 Min CW, rest 26 min, CCW 4.0 Min, rest 26 Min
6 Min CW, rest 24 min (work for 4 hours, off for 8 hours), then 4.5 Min CCW, rest 55.5 Min (work for 4 hours off for 8 hours)

The manual in confusing on the last setting.

[Hub6152]

The watch requires 650 turns per day in both directions. You’ll have to do the math!

One piece of advice I would give is to get it serviced if possible. Because it’s a vintage piece the rotor spindle is vulnerable to wear by using a Winder for extended periods if the lubrication has dried up.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by gtwatson

I can pull out the stem to the first click and set the date for months that have less than 31 days but the day does not quickset.

To set the date, you just wind the crown forward so that the hands move between 9 o'clock and midnight until the date clicks over, then back again. Repeat as many times as necessary. No need to go right around the dial. Then wind the crown backward to set the day.

Takes a couple of minutes at most. You may know this setting method already, but I've found so many people don't - even "experts" demonstrating how to set a Day-Date on YouTube unnecessarily wind the hands all the way around the dial.

A winder is unnecessary will wear the movement out faster...

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by zapokee

To set the date, you just wind the crown between 9 o'clock and midnight until the date clicks over, then back again. Repeat as many times as necessary. No need to go right around the dial. Then wind the crown backward to set the day.

Takes a couple of minutes. You may know this already, but I've found so many people don't. A winder seems unnecessary and will wear the movement out faster...

A Winder will not wear it out faster any more than winding it every time it stops wears out the crown, crown seals and keyless works. A Winder will not wear it out any faster than actually wearing it daily.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by gtwatson

. . .

The manual in confusing on the last setting.

A Rolex will wind in either direction, CW or CCW.

Use one of the first two settings, if the watch stops while on the winder, it isn't enough, so choose the third setting which is almost twice as much.

The last one is not terribly confusing. It is active, intermittantly, in the CW direction for 4 hours out of the first 12 hours of the day, then active in the CCW direction for 4 out of the next 12. It turns a total of around 68 minutes out of 24 hrs; the fewest of the choices.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Hub6152

A Winder will not wear it out faster any more than winding it every time it stops wears out the crown, crown seals and keyless works. A Winder will not wear it out any faster than actually wearing it daily.

The OP indicated that he is only wearing the watch "once in a while". So wear on the movement (including the auto-winding mechanism) could be increased greatly on the winder, as @Zapokee mentioned. My feeling is that if he's wearing the watch less than once a week, it's probably better just to let it run down.

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by Dan S

The OP indicated that he is only wearing the watch "once in a while". So wear on the movement (including the auto-winding mechanism) could be increased greatly on the winder, as @Zapokee mentioned. My feeling is that if he's wearing the watch less than once a week, it's probably better just to let it run down.

And yet any watch is actually designed to run 24/7 for 365 days per year for around 5 years (10 in practice) between services. It’s not designed to constantly stop/start, have the crown unscrewed and the movement wound up and the crown screwed back in again. The seals and threads of the crown tube have to be replaced far more often because of that.

Watch Winders are not turning constantly. For Rolex they will be programmed to turn 325 times clockwise and 325 times counter clockwise in a 24 hour period. So for much of the time they’re actually stationary and I’ve yet to see anyone show me a watch that was worn out because it was on a Winder.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Hub6152

And yet any watch is actually designed to run 24/7 for 365 days per year for around 5 years (10 in practice) between services. It’s not designed to constantly stop/start

Fair point. I do leave my engine running when my car is parked at the airport for a week. It's designed for constant driving.

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Fair point. I do leave my engine running when my car is parked at the airport for a couple of weeks. It's designed for constant driving.

Ah there we go. The hugely flawed engine analogy. Sigh.

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Fair point. I do leave my engine running when my car is parked at the airport for a couple of weeks. It's designed for constant driving between services.

So perhaps you can explain to me what happens to the ordinary guy who has only one watch that he wears every day and only ever takes it off at night or in the shower?

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Fair point. I do leave my engine running when my car is parked at the airport for a week. It's designed for constant driving.

And the reason you wouldn’t do that is because a car isn’t designed to be continually running. It’s designed specifically to stop and start hence having a starter motor and a battery for that purpose. Also leaving it running would not only pollute the environment but burn a holes in your wallet by wasting fuel, and very likely the car wouldn’t be there when you returned having been stolen anyway.

[Filipão]

Originally Posted by Hub6152

So perhaps you can explain to me what happens to the ordinary guy who has only one watch that he wears every day and only ever takes it off at night or in the shower?

I do wear mine 24/7, bed, shower etc.

It's a Rolex.

In fact I do have a concavity on my wrist where the case bottom rests!

[Filipão]

Originally Posted by Hub6152

And the reason you wouldn’t do that is because a car isn’t designed to be continually running. It’s designed specifically to stop and start hence having a starter motor and a battery for that purpose. Also leaving it running would not only pollute the environment but burn a holes in your wallet by wasting fuel, and very likely the car wouldn’t be there when you returned having been stolen anyway.

Mine has an automatic Start/Stop system. It's a German car, produced very close to the Swiss border, in Ingolstadt.

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by Filipão

I do wear mine 24/7, bed, shower etc.

It's a Rolex.

In fact I do have a concavity on my wrist where the case bottom rests!

Haha - and has your watch worn out prematurely because of that? No it hasn’t.

[gtwatson]

Thanks for the replies. When I was working and wearing it daily, I only put it in the winder Friday night and put it on my wrist Monday morning. It would last a day or so without wearing it.

Now that my commute is from my bedroom 30 feet to my PC and I only drive to the Chick-Fil-A to pick up lunch 2 or 3 times a week, I sometimes go 14 to 21 days without putting it on and I hate to set the right time.

It has been several years since I sent it to be serviced the last time when it would not wind at all. It was born sometime around 1971 so it is getting to be 50 years old and I probably need to send it for service again.

Any places around Houston that anyone has used?

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Hub6152

So perhaps you can explain to me what happens to the ordinary guy who has only one watch that he wears every day and only ever takes it off at night or in the shower?

It's funny that you would argue about this since it is quite obvious that continuous use logically results in additional wear. Everyone knows this. And with vintage watches, it's desirable to avoid the need for replacement parts in the movement. It's true that watches are designed to tolerate continuous use, but continuous use still does result in greater wear and tear. Rolex watches will keep on running for a long time, but that doesn't mean there's no damage.

I don't know how many old watches you have bought and restored, but when I find a watch that has been owned by one of these "ordinary guys" who has worn it every day, it often has major wear that needs to be addressed. In fact, watches from the 70s and 80s (yes, even Rolex watches) will frequently need replacement parts. And often in the autowinding mechanism. Just look at how often you will find signs of rotor rub.

Unscrewing the crown once or twice a month to set and wind it is a pretty minimal risk if you know how to screw the crown down properly. I guess you realize that Rolex made hand-winding Oysters that needed to be wound every day. So by your argument, they were designed to have the crown unscrewed daily. And frankly, even if you leave the watch on a winder, you'll probably need to unscrew the crown to set the time once or twice a month. Like the OP, many people have watches that they wear infrequently, and I don't think you're going to convince many of us that it's better to leave them on a winder.

[Screwly]

Originally Posted by gtwatson

Thanks for the replies. When I was working and wearing it daily, I only put it in the winder Friday night and put it on my wrist Monday morning. It would last a day or so without wearing it.

Now that my commute is from my bedroom 30 feet to my PC and I only drive to the Chick-Fil-A to pick up lunch 2 or 3 times a week, I sometimes go 14 to 21 days without putting it on and I hate to set the right time.

It has been several years since I sent it to be serviced the last time when it would not wind at all. It was born sometime around 1971 so it is getting to be 50 years old and I probably need to send it for service again.

Any places around Houston that anyone has used?

I’ve been to Hal Martin’s on westheimer and they were highly recommended.

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by Dan S

It's funny that you would argue about this since it is quite obvious that continuous use logically results in additional wear. Everyone knows this. And with vintage watches, it's desirable to avoid the need for replacement parts in the movement. It's true that watches are designed to tolerate continuous use, but continuous use still does result in greater wear and tear. Rolex watches will keep on running for a long time, but that doesn't mean there's no damage.

I don't know how many old watches you have bought and restored, but when I find a watch that has been owned by one of these "ordinary guys" who has worn it every day, it often has major wear that needs to be addressed. In fact, watches from the 70s and 80s (yes, even Rolex watches) will frequently need replacement parts. And often in the autowinding mechanism. Just look at how often you will find signs of rotor rub.

Unscrewing the crown once or twice a month to set and wind it is a pretty minimal risk. I guess you realize that Rolex made hand-winding Oysters that needed to be wound every day. So by your argument, they were designed to have the crown unscrewed daily. And frankly, even if you leave the watch on a winder, you'll probably need to unscrew the crown to set the time once or twice a month. Like the OP, many people have watches that they wear infrequently, and I don't think you're going to convince many of us that it's better to leave them on a winder.

I DID NOT say it’s better to leave a Watch in a Winder. Do not misquote me. What I did say is it will do no more harm on a Winder than wearing it daily, as long as the Watch is properly maintained.

And where on Earth is it desirable to avoid replacement parts in a vintage movement? You mean leave the old worn out mainspring that’s not delivering the proper power to the escapement rather than replace with a new one that no one on this earth would actually ever know has been done other than it being specified in an invoice! Good grief.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Dan S

It's funny that you would argue about this since it is quite obvious that continuous use logically results in additional wear. Everyone knows this.

Ah, there we go. Somebody applying basic and reasonable logic. Sigh.

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Ah, there we go. Somebody applying basic and reasonable logic. Sigh.

And again I never said a Watch does not wear FGS. I simply said that using a Winder does not induce increased wear any more than a Watch that’s worn daily will wear as long as regular maintenance is carried out and it’s not left on a Winder for months on end without ever being worn.

[Hub6152]

To the OP - I’m not saying you should use a Winder and I’m not saying you shouldn’t.

A worn Watch will continue to wear regardless of a using a Winder or wearing it so be sure to not overlook regular maintenance. Your watch will not be devalued by having routine maintenance replacement parts fitted such as a rotor axle, automatic bridge jewel bearing, mainspring, crown tube, crown seals, caseback seal.

If you want to use a Winder it’s perfectly ok - it’s your CHOICE.