Know How To Wind an Automatic Watch With These Simple Steps

People ask me, how do you wind an automatic watch all the time? So, I created this quick guide!

Welcome to this guide on how to wind an automatic watch. Now, stop right there. I shall get straight to the point. 

You don’t actually need to wind an automatic if you don’t want to. But if you want to, you can do it. And sometimes, you just might need to. 

Are you confused yet? Stick with me.

What You Should Know Before Learning How To Wind an Automatic Watch

The difference between an automatic watch and a manual winding watch is that the former winds itself. The latter, however, requires you to wind it by hand, preferably at the same time each day. If you don’t, its power will run out, and the watch will stop running.  

Imagine the horror! You have somewhere important to be and someone important to meet. You look down at your watch, and it’s dead on you. That wouldn’t happen with an automatic watch because the motion of your wrist powers the movement.

If you own an automatic watch or are thinking about buying one, you’ll probably have a lot of questions. You’ll want to know if it’s bad to let your automatic watch stop. Or if there’s such a thing as overwinding it.

You might even need to know how to wind an automatic watch in the first place! Or, how often do you need to wind an automatic watch once you’ve purchased one?

This article will answer a few burning questions you may have about looking after your mechanical watch. But first, let’s clear up a few things.  

Winding an Automatic Watch

It’s not a bad thing to let your automatic watch stop. All timepieces that operate in this way will do the same if they aren’t worn for some time. But it’s perfectly safe. All it means is that the mainspring has become fully unwound because the movement isn’t running any longer.  

In other words, the power reserve is out, and the escape wheel will receive no power. The pallet fork will also disengage and won’t make the balance wheel move forward and backward.  

How do you fix it, you ask?

You wear it!

An alternative option is to invest in a watch winder. One of these will keep your timepiece(s) ticking over nicely on a gentle rotation, allowing you to alternate your watches.  

An automatic watch will run for several hours on its own. It all depends on the movement and the singular/multiple barrels it comprises to store its energy.

Some models run for 38 hours, and some run for several days! This, of course, is only true for watches that you fully power and then leave to stand still. If the watch is still on your wrist, it will continue to wind the mainspring, topping up the power reserve. 

How Long Does an Automatic Watch Take to Wind?

When you’re planning on wearing your automatic watch after a period of inactivity, it will be completely unwound. Moving the watch around in your hand or on your wrist will cause the rotor to spin.

Although this motion will get the rotor spinning enough to get the watch running, it doesn’t tighten the mainspring fully. It is this tightening of the mainspring that lets you take full advantage of the power reserve. But how long does an automatic watch take to wind if you’re in a hurry?

It takes around 30-40 rotations of the crown to create enough power to wind the mainspring on most automatic watches. Once you’ve done this you can wear it on your wrist. The rotor will then fulfill its role of continually winding the mainspring, topping up the power reserve as it goes.

How Often Do You Need To Wind an Automatic Watch?

As mentioned earlier, there are no hard and fast rules about how often you need to wind an automatic watch. 

Some believe the oils inside a watch can start to dry up and become sticky should it not get much use. That’s not particularly true of modern watches. 

You don’t need to worry about leaving your watch sitting in a drawer when alternating it with other options. You won’t damage it, and the moment you wear it again, precision timekeeping should resume!

So, how often should you wind your automatic watch? Well, never if you wear it all the time. However, if your watch has run down to zero power, you’ll need to wind it manually.  

How To Manually Wind an Automatic Watch

Remember, your automatic watch won’t need winding if you wear it perpetually. If you don’t, you’ll need to learn how to wind an automatic watch manually.  

If your automatic watch does not feature a screw-down crown, keep it in the pushed-in position. From here, you can wind the watch. If your timepiece does have a screw-down crown, you’ll need to unscrew it before winding. Also, ensure you take off your watch and hold it in your hands to wind it.

Once the crown is in the correct position (position 1), turn it in the clockwise direction around 30 to 40 times. If you listen closely, the mainspring will start slipping around the barrel. You’ll hear a slight click every few winds. That signal indicates the watch is fully wound.  

Next, you’ll want to check the date on the watch. Pull the crown out to the second position to change the date. Gently move the crown clockwise to change the numbers on the date wheel.

To set the time, pull the crown out to position 3. Doing so will enable you to move the hour hand in the clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.

Once you’ve set the date and time, ensure you return the crown to its normal zero position. To do this, push it back to the winding position. Then, push it once more, turning it slightly in the clockwise direction to lock it into place.

One misconception about automatic watches is that you can overwind them. You can’t overwind a modern wristwatch. Quite simply, the winding mechanism will decouple from the mainspring when it reaches a fully wound state. That’s a clear indicator of when you should stop winding.  

Beware, however, of older timepieces that don’t protect the mainspring in the same way. 

So, What Are We Saying? 

To round up, if you don’t wear your automatic watch daily, you’ll need to wind it. Don’t presume you can slip the watch on and go from nothing to daily wear again. You won’t be able to utilize the watch to its full power reserve capacity.  

You’ll need to manually wind the watch by pulling out the crown and rotating it 30 or 40 times. Upon hearing the signal to stop winding, you can set the time and date.

When you wear your watch continually, it should always reach full power reserve capacity. Now that you know how to wind an automatic watch, all you need to do is enjoy wearing it!

Don’t worry about overwinding your watch or letting your watch sit unpowered for too long. It won’t damage your watch! Lastly, think about a watch winder if you have multiple timepieces and you want them accurate and ready to go!  

If you want to learn more about watch care and collecting, sign up for our newsletter at The Slender Wrist today!