It is a pretty simple concept, but for some reason one that is hard to accomplish without spending well into three digits. For some watches such as Rolex, simply picking up a Rolex, moving it from side to side to wind is a pretty simple affair, but for more complicated watches where annual calendars and moon phases are knocked out of whack by dormancy makes setting a mechanical much more of a chore.īy and large, watch winders are small boxes with a motor that battery powered or AC powered that slowly spins a cup that hold the watch. Given that most mechanical watches are automatically wound by an oscillating weight inside the watch when the watch moves, watch winders fill a niche when the watch is not being worn. Many times this question is raised after one reads the Sky Mall or other mail order catalog where the “revolutionary” aspects of a watch winder are divulged in a general circulation magazine. you can just send it back in for service and they'll replace anything worn, I wouldn't worry at all about those.One of the frequent questions is whether a mechanical watch owner needs a watch winder. I only have one watch that fits that (ESA 9210), but it's also a very robust movement so I'm not overly concerned - it's not an auto but a tuning fork so some people pull the crown to hacking mode to save wear/battery, but w/e, it's a watch and I need it to be somewhat accurate. I have heard that keeping an auto watch constantly fully wound can wear the main spring, but either way it wouldn't be much of a concern for me unless the movement was very rare and/or difficult to service. Most watches are expected/intended to be run 24/7 so you'd think they'd have oil and materials that are not going to be affected by that, but more by time (ie service it every 5 years whether it's been run or not). So again I ask, do you leave your car running when you park it in the garage?Ĭlick to expand.It's a good point - but generally doesn't the oil dry up before it degrades, unlike a car which is based on either usage or oil life? Whether you drive a Ferrari or not, you change the oil every year, coolant and brake fluid every 3-5 etc, unless you drive it a lot, then the intervals shorten. As you can see the pivots are dirty from wear and dried oil. The remaining pictures are of a watch in need of service. The dark ring in the second picture is the amount of oil in a properly oiled cap jewel. The jewel shown is about one tenth of a millimeter in diameter. Without proper lubrication they can wear and damage steel parts. Jewels in a watch are made from synthetic corundum (ruby) and are very hard. When you see exactly how small the amount of oil that is used in a watch, it can help you understand that the small amount of oil has a finite life. This interval can sometimes be extended by infrequent and careful use. Most manufacturers recommend a service interval of around 5 year. This oil degrades and dries up after several years which leads to wear of the moving parts. I typically answer their question with a question, “When you park your car at home do you leave your car running?” Watches have a very small amount of oil lubricating the pivots of the moving parts. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please LoginĪs a watchmaker I have often had people ask me about using a watch winder.
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