To wind or not to wind? That is the question. And can you overwind a watch anyway? Find out here.
There are dos and don’ts to consider when owning a mechanical watch. It helps to know what they are if you’re starting your watch-collecting journey. When I refer to mechanical watches, I mean both automatic and manual-winding timepieces. Horophiles tend to group these together when comparing them to quartz models, which operate via a quartz battery. Today, you can wind most modern automatic watches by hand. Still, there may be things you’re unsure of when it comes to learning how to wind a watch, including the question, can you overwind a watch? We’re going to explore those uncertainties today.
Whether you can damage a watch by winding it depends on the style, type, and age of your watch. For example, powering up a manual-winding watch isn’t complex, despite it feeling like a daunting task at first. Most winding mechanisms have a mainspring that prevents the movement from overwinding.
Before we proceed, you may want to brush up on your knowledge of manual vs automatic watches and how they differ.
Table of Contents
How To Wind a Watch
Both manual and automatic watches have a mechanical engine that keeps the watch ticking over accurately. Neither of these types of watches requires a battery. That’s one of the reasons why watch enthusiasts love mechanical watches so much. They bring a sense of classic, authentic craftsmanship to the wrist and keep the age-old watchmaking tradition alive.
Both manual and automatic watches also feature a mainspring, which gains power when it tightens and coils. However, the difference between the two watches is that one can automatically wind itself, and the other cannot. A manual watch is self-explanatory. It requires the wearer to wind his watch by hand. If he doesn’t, that mainspring will eventually unwind, and the power to the watch will cease.
On the other hand, an automatic watch winds the mainspring for you using the movement of your wrist. In fact, provided you keep active enough, you can forget you’re even wearing one. These watches work via the addition of a weighted rotor.
There are exceptions when it comes to manually winding a watch. If you’re starting your automatic watch for the first time, you will need to wind it by hand. The process is very much the same as hand-winding a manual.
To wind a watch, hold it in your left hand (if you’re right-handed) and wind it with your right fingers. Unscrew the crown, unlocking it into the first position. Winding the crown clockwise around 30-40 times should suffice. After this many winds, you’ll begin to feel some resistance. At this point, you know the watch is reaching its fully-wound state. Screwing the crown back into the 0 position will allow you to resume wearing your watch as usual. There are ways to set the time and date, which we covered in our GMT watch guide.
Winding up a Watch
When researching winding up a watch, you should consider how often to wind it and if it’s even necessary. For example, if you keep your watch on your wrist all day long and remove it at night, it will resort to its power reserve. The power reserve of a watch relates to a barrel within the mechanism that stores energy. Once the watch uses its reserves, it will run out of power. The advantage of a watch with sufficient power reserve is that it keeps the mechanism going for extended periods. In particular, it can do this while you’re not wearing it. Another way to keep your watch working is by using a watch winder.
If you’re wearing a manual winding watch, it will need daily winding. Most enthusiasts prefer to do this at the same time every day. Most can last for around 40 hours. Therefore, if you forget to wind it, it could stop working on you unexpectedly. Higher-end models can last a little longer – around 70 hours. But as a rule of thumb, it helps to wind your manual at the same time every day. This will ensure you don’t fall into any forgetful habits.
Remember, whether the hand-wound or self-winding type, a watch only needs winding around 30-40 times in one go. So, what if you accidentally wind it past its recommended allowance? The answer depends on whether you own an automatic or hand-winding model.
Can You Overwind an Automatic Watch?
The good news is that it’s impossible to overwind your automatic watch, unlike a manual one. When the watch has full power, it will stop spinning. Fascinatingly, its clever design stops sending power to the mainspring when it can wind itself no more. It’s one advantage the automatic has over its other mechanical counterpart.
Think of it like this. Every self-winding watch requires a minimum number of turns daily to keep it ticking. Should you exceed this for whatever reason, the movement uses its in-built clutch-like mechanism. This works by simply dumping any excess energy without having any detrimental impact on the watch’s performance. You won’t even know it’s happening!
Here’s the thing to remember about an automatic watch. The rotor winds the mainspring every time you move, but only if it’s not already fully wound. It’s a little like when you put your cell phone on charge; it will continually top up the power when needed. This means you’re always fully charging your watch when you’re active and wearing it. Remember that if you stop moving, your watch’s power will simultaneously run down. If you want to explore other ways to prevent your watch from running down, you can learn how a watch winder works.
So, if you’re worrying about whether you can overwind an automatic watch, don’t fret. If you’re new to collecting timepieces, it can seem like there is so much to learn. But automatics are a lot easier to care for than you think. Adequately caring for and maintaining your favorite timepiece keeps it ticking over and prolongs how long your watch can last.
Can You Overwind a Mechanical Watch?
It gets a little more complicated when we tackle the question, “Can you overwind a mechanical watch?”. If you own a manual watch over 75 years old, you should know it’s possible to overwind it. It’s different from an automatic watch in that sense. But there are ways to avoid any unnecessary damage.
When powering up your watch each day, you will reach a point where it will halt. This is a signal for you to stop, too. If you power through this tangible and audible signal, it could damage your watch. If the mainspring breaks, it can be a costly repair. After causing damage, the crown will wind indefinitely and can feel loose. If another part of the winding train breaks, the winding of the crown can feel rough and skippy.
However, there is a silver lining if you own a modern manual-winding watch. These are nearly impossible to break. Most have some sort of over-wind stop catch that prevents damage to the mechanism. The key to avoiding damage to your watch is to be aware of that warning sign and listen to it. After some time on the wrist, winding your watch becomes more of an intuitive thing and less of a conscious effort. H2: Can You Overwind a Watch?
A watch, if self-winding, cannot come to any harm if you overwind it. As mentioned, its built-in clutch mechanism is very clever. It prevents the mainspring from dealing with excess energy, ensuring no harm to your timepiece.
If you own an old manual-winding timepiece, things can be a little different. You can accidentally overwind this type of watch. Be aware of the signs of resistance while winding the crown. This is a preventative measure to avoid unnecessary damage. When powering your watch each day for some time, the process becomes more natural and requires less thought. This is all part of the watch-collecting experience. You become more in tune with your timepiece. You’ll naturally know when it needs winding and when you reach your maximum winding limit.
Everyone ponders the scenario where, one day, they accidentally damage their watch. Mechanical watches aren’t cheap, and some take years to save for. When you finally acquire one, you want to take care of your watch correctly.
FAQs:
If you’re still nervous about winding your watch, these FAQs should help. They outline the basics you need to know before you start.
Is It Dangerous To Fully Wind a Mechanical Watch?
If you own an automatic watch, you don’t need to worry about damaging it by winding it. Automatic watches have a built-in clutch that prevents excess energy from reaching the mainspring once it reaches maximum power. It’s a similar situation if you own a modern manual watch. However, if you own a manual watch over 75 years old, you should know it’s possible to overwind it.
How Often Should You Wind a Mechanical Watch?
Manual watches should be wound once a day, preferably at the same time each day. The term “mechanical” also covers automatic timepieces, which don’t require hand winding. With a self-winding watch, the mainspring tightens via a weighted rotor. The moving rotor is responsible for this, which you often see in an exhibition caseback.
How Much Should You Wind Your Watch?
Aim for 30-40 rotations or whenever you feel some resistance when winding your watch. When the feel of the crown changes under your fingertips or you hear an audible click, it’s fully wound.
Why Won’t My Mechanical Watch Wind?
If your mechanical watch won’t wind, it has likely suffered damage. Damage to a manual watch, among other things, can happen by overwinding it. In many cases, an expert can fix a watch that does not wind. Many collectors prefer to send their watches directly back to the manufacturer. Others seek the skill and expertise of an authorized repair center.
Winding Things Up
Yes, watches can be expensive, but they’re more resilient than you think. You don’t need to wrap your watches in cotton wool. If you look after them well, they’ll last for decades, if not longer. But as far as the question “Can you overwind a watch?” goes, don’t worry. You can’t overwind most modern watches. And it’s not bad if you’re prone to letting your watch run down, either.
If you want to expand your collection and need recommendations for good automatic watches for small wrists, read this. Otherwise, enjoy winding your watch and appreciating the horological mastery behind it.
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