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Thread: A winding question

  1. #1
    Master
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    A winding question

    I’m a bit thick on the mechanics of watches so please forgive this question - as I wear watches in rotation my auto (GO Senator Moonphase) doesn’t recharge sufficiently to last to the next time I wear it and stops. To prevent this I just wind it manually now and then as it has a 100hr reserve when fully wound.
    My question is does manual winding on a regular basis cause any issues with a self winding watch?

  2. #2
    Grand Master Wallasey Runner's Avatar
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    Don’t they say you cannot over wind an automatic watch. Experts will be along soon.

    I had a Fifty Fathoms with 120 hour power reserve and the instructions state normal use should keep the watch going, but to fully wind it you need to turn the crown 105 times. I did that out of curiosity and the thing ran for days on end.

    Also depends on what you are doing, sit at the keyboard all day and the charge will be low, wear it with a fairly hectic lifestyle and it should be good to go.

  3. #3
    Grand Master
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    No simple answer to the OPs question, it depends on the design of the winding mechanism, but hand-winding places more stress on components than auto-winding.

    Most auto-winding mechanisms use one or more reversers, these are small wheels that allow rotation in one direction. On ETA models they contain a tiny ratchet which can be prone to sticking if the wrong lubricant is used. During automatic winding these parts are rotating and counter-rotating slowly and provided they're lubricated the wear rate will be negligible. However, when the watch is hand-wound these parts spin rapidly and that puts them under far more stress. Due to the speed of rotation the pivots are also under far more stress, which will accelerate wear.

    What concerns me more is designs that have a wheel that rotates on a post that's part of the mainplate. The wheel moves slowly as the watch auto-winds but spins rapidly whilst transmitting more torque during hand-winding. Some Rolex and Zenith movements have this feature, so does the Miyota 9039. A combination of excessive hand-winding combined with lack of lubrication will lead to wear in a part that can`t be replaced, the answer is a whole new mainplate if it's still available!

    In summary, hand-winding an automatic is likely to cause increased wear, which will be exacerbated by lack of lubrication if the watch hasn`t been serviced for years. Wear to the barrel walls will increase if the watch is wound beyond the fully wound point, which isn`t easy to judge. An ETA 2824 takes approx. 30 twists of the crown to fully wind, a 2892 takes double that, a Miyota 9039 takes around 60. The mainspring is designed to slip around the inside of the barrel wall to relieve the fully-wound situation, a special grease is used to control the slippage whilst still providing lubrication.

    I certainly wouldn't be hand-winding a watch daily, but this shouldn't be necessary unless the auto-winding's poorly and in that case the hand-winding is likely to make a bad job worse. If hand-winding becomes stiff the watch definitely needs attention, some determined owners will ignore this and persist in winding the watch until something breaks, I`ve had several like this to sort out (usually ETA 2824 or similar).

  4. #4
    Master
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    Thanks for that. I’ll pop it on a winder instead. Although no doubt someone will be along to tell me winders have disadvantages too…

  5. #5
    Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slamdoor View Post
    Thanks for that. I’ll pop it on a winder instead. Although no doubt someone will be along to tell me winders have disadvantages too…
    Don't get me started on watch winders........you're better off hand-winding the watch when you come to wear it!

    NEVER put a vintage watch on a winder, take my word for it don't even think about it. Personally I wouldn't put any watch on one.

  6. #6
    Grand Master Wallasey Runner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by walkerwek1958 View Post
    Don't get me started on watch winders........you're better off hand-winding the watch when you come to wear it!

    Personally I wouldn't put any watch on one.
    Useful for multiple complications such as a moonphase for example (another dislike of yours). Personally, would never use one for a three handed or a watch with a date.

  7. #7
    Grand Master
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    I remember getting a 7 year old watch with ETA 2892 movement for service, I was surprised at the amount of wear on the rotor bearing given the age of the watch (usually they're fine) and the wear to the barrel walls. Turned out the watch had been stored on a winder , I`m certain that exacerbated wear to the rotor bearing and probably caused the barrel to wear too.

    I would never use one.

  8. #8
    Grand Master
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    It's a little like leaving your car idling in the garage so it's ready to go the instant you want it. If you need grab and go, have a quartz for that role.

  9. #9
    Grand Master Onelasttime's Avatar
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    I put all my G-shocks on winders so they're always ready for action. Hasn't failed yet.

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