First Rolex purchase!! With Questions!

[JDunsh]

Approaching the 40 year old mark, I made my first Rolex purchase recently, something I have wanted for a long time.

I have always appreciated the simple vintage and that is what I went with. My knowledge is super limited and I am trying to learn as I go. I figured a forum like this would be a great way to absorb the most knowledge possible!

I do have some questions, first right now I want to ensure I am winding it correctly. I am able to get the crown in the wind position no problem, set the time, etc. My question is, for my model do I turn the crown clockwise to wind and does my model have something to prevent over-winding? I have read others do, I just don't know if this was implemented in 1963 (believe watch from then)

My watch is a Oyster-Perpetual Date model 1503, movement number 1560.

Thank you!

[wsfarrell]

Nice-looking watch. Yes, clockwise to wind, and there is a mechanism that prevents damage if you wind the fully-wound watch.

[TimeLord2]

That's so cool! Just found out my wife's father has one too. It is a 1503 but no date. The picture is not great, sorry about that. OP on yours I can just see the spring between the lug and watch band. If it is stainless you might want to source some that are gold as I have heard (on this forum!) that steel will wear on the lug holes more aggressively than gold. It does look great on that leather band though!

[JDunsh]

Originally Posted by wsfarrell

Nice-looking watch. Yes, clockwise to wind, and there is a mechanism that prevents damage if you wind the fully-wound watch.

Thank you! I'm assuming it just sort of hits a wall? It will feel obvious?

[Andad]

Originally Posted by JDunsh

Thank you! I'm assuming it just sort of hits a wall? It will feel obvious?

No it won’t ‘hit a wall’, the winding crown can still be turned but the mainspring will slip on the barrel wall.

You may feel a difference in the tension and a feel a slight ‘click’ each time the spring slips in the notch on the barrel wall but this varies from watch to watch depending on age and wear.

[JDunsh]

Originally Posted by Andad

No it won’t ‘hit a wall’, the winding crown can still be turned but the mainspring will slip on the barrel wall.

You may feel a difference in the tension and a feel a slight ‘click’ each time the spring slips in the notch on the barrel wall but this varies from watch to watch depending on age and wear.

Awesome, thank you!

[JDunsh]

That is fantastic advice about the lug spring, I would have never known about it. I will be looking into replacing if it is steel. This is exactly why I joined the forum! Thanks!

[JDunsh]

Originally Posted by TimeLord2

That's so cool! Just found out my wife's father has one too. It is a 1503 but no date. The picture is not great, sorry about that. OP on yours I can just see the spring between the lug and watch band. If it is stainless you might want to source some that are gold as I have heard (on this forum!) that steel will wear on the lug holes more aggressively than gold. It does look great on that leather band though!

That is fantastic advice about the lug spring, I would have never known about it. I will be looking into replacing if it is steel. This is exactly why I joined the forum! Thanks!

[Dan S]

As a rule-of-thumb, auto-winding watches are made with a clutch so that the mainspring will slip when fully wound. This is necessary since when you are wearing the watch, the rotor will continue to turn and attempt to wind the watch. I am having a hard time thinking of any conventional auto-winding movements that don't have a slipping clutch. Probably there were some very early attempts at auto-winding that didn't have this, but we would be talking pre-1930, and maybe even earlier.

On the other hand, manual-winding watches rarely (basically never) have such a device. So when you wind the watch, the crown will basically hit a hard stop when the mainspring is fully wound, and you won't be able to turn the crown any more. If you are able to keep turning the crown of a manual-winding watch indefinitely, it usually means that the mainspring is broken or has detached from the barrel.

[JDunsh]

Originally Posted by Dan S

As a rule-of-thumb, auto-winding watches are made with a clutch so that the mainspring will slip when fully wound. This is necessary since when you are wearing the watch, the rotor will continue to turn and attempt to wind the watch. I am having a hard time thinking of any conventional auto-winding movements that don't have a slipping clutch. Probably there were some very early attempts at auto-winding that didn't have this, but we would be talking pre-1930, and maybe even earlier.

On the other hand, manual-winding watches rarely (basically never) have such a device. So when you wind the watch, the crown will basically hit a hard stop when the mainspring is fully wound, and you won't be able to turn the crown any more. If you are able to keep turning the crown of a manual-winding watch indefinitely, it usually means that the mainspring is broken or has detached from the barrel.

Thank you, very much. I will keep an eye on this. The most I have wound it is around 30 rotations and I have not hit any sort of wall.

If it is an issue of the mainspring being broken or detached from the barrel, could that lead to other issues if not repaired?

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by JDunsh

Thank you, very much. I will keep an eye on this. The most I have wound it is around 30 rotations and I have not hit any sort of wall.

If it is an issue of the mainspring being broken or detached from the barrel, could that lead to other issues if not repaired?

Your watch is auto-winding not manual-winding, so it has the slipping clutch I described.

[L.K Johnson]

Lovely watch! Love the fat font date wheel! Just like on the 1601/8 ��

[JDunsh]

Originally Posted by Dan S

Your watch is auto-winding not manual-winding, so it has the slipping clutch I described.

My mistake, thank you again.

[JDunsh]

Originally Posted by L.K Johnson

Lovely watch! Love the fat font date wheel! Just like on the 1601/8 ��

Thanks!