Watch winders
- Thread starter TheWraith
- Start date
SirDrake
Master Apprentice WIS
I don't have one but I think it have, mainly, 3 cons vs 1 pro
Pro: You don't have to set the time.
Cons:
You don't set the time, so the watch may be a little ahead/delayed.
Maintaining the watch always working increases the wear.
You spend money in a winder rather than to buy another watch.
But it's only my opinion.
Pro: You don't have to set the time.
Cons:
You don't set the time, so the watch may be a little ahead/delayed.
Maintaining the watch always working increases the wear.
You spend money in a winder rather than to buy another watch.
But it's only my opinion.
TheWraith
Master WIS
Thanks for replying
Good winders don't constantly wind, there are significant rest periods throughout the day. Good watch winders only maintain the watch where the movement currently stands, it doesn't not over wind it.
It's true, if you never take the watch off the winder, then the date will eventually be wrong, but most people wouldn't just leave their watch on the winder for that long.
Good winders don't constantly wind, there are significant rest periods throughout the day. Good watch winders only maintain the watch where the movement currently stands, it doesn't not over wind it.
It's true, if you never take the watch off the winder, then the date will eventually be wrong, but most people wouldn't just leave their watch on the winder for that long.
I second that. A winder is good to keep a watch working but if constantly using it in automatic / kinetic powered battery watches it may shorten its life as parts wear with use. It is recommended to keep a watch working at least a week per month for the oils to keep fluid so a winder can be used from time to time for that job but not for constantly rotating watches though this is a personal opinion.
TheWraith
Master WIS
I've researched winders, and that's actually a myth. A good winder (not a cheap, poor quality one) won't subject an automatic watch to extra wear and tear and shorten it's life. That's wrong. Like I said, good winders don't constantly wind, they have significant rest periods built into the mechanism of the winder (and wind the watch to its factory specs), so the watch can't be overwound or constantly wound, so it's life can't be shortened. Only the very cheap winders constantly wind, and nobody should buy those.
Kinetic watches are not suited for winders at all, as stated by Seiko, so they should never be placed in a winder in the first place.
Kinetic watches are not suited for winders at all, as stated by Seiko, so they should never be placed in a winder in the first place.
TheWraith
Master WIS
Exactly right. A good winder like the Wolf you mention won't cause any harm to any automatic watches.
I think the delayed start is particularly helpful, as when I put a watch I have worn the entire day on the winder it probably already has close to its full power reserve, so it makes sense to give it a bit of time to wind down before trying to wind it up again.
TheWraith
Master WIS
That's a good thing, but remember, a good winder doesn't wind a watch, it simply maintains its position from the moment you place it in the winder. For example, if you place a half wound watch on a good winder, then remove the watch two days later, it will still be half wound. No more, no less.
I understand, but while the winder should be set to wind the mainspring as much as it unwinds over a 24 hour period, this is usually not true over a shorter period of time, since winders tend to front load the winding in the first half of the 24 hour period, as opposed to evenly spreading it out throughout the 24 hour period. So, if you start the wind immediately on a watch with a full power reserve, you will just end up wearing out the clutch prematurely, and after the 24 hour cycle is over, you'll have less than a full power reserve (since it could not add to the power reserve beyond the maximum at the very start).
Which part are you taking issue with? If the TPD is properly set, then it should wind the watch as much as it unwinds over a 24 hour period. If you start the wind cycle when the watch is fully wound, then it won't wind it further. Also the winder when on tends to wind the watch faster than it unwinds, so if you place a fully wound watch on a winder that starts its cycle immediately, then at the end of the 24 hour period, it will have a bit less or much less than a full wind, depending on how the winding is distributed over the 24 hour cycle.
SirDrake
Master Apprentice WIS
I'm not saying that the winder will wear the mechanism faster, I'm saying that the mechanism that works everyday wear faster. So, if you want you that your watch has a long life, you should make it works two 1-2 weeks per month, and if you put the watch in the winder, it will work all the time...
If you have many watches, you have to put it to work sometimes, only to the mechanism get a good lubrification, as already said here, 1 week per month it's good.
The mechanism isn't free of friction, and every mechanical component that are subject to friction, wears when it is working.
I don't know about the magnitude of stress on the mechanism parts, but it can be subject to fatigue too.
If you have many watches, you have to put it to work sometimes, only to the mechanism get a good lubrification, as already said here, 1 week per month it's good.
The mechanism isn't free of friction, and every mechanical component that are subject to friction, wears when it is working.
I don't know about the magnitude of stress on the mechanism parts, but it can be subject to fatigue too.
SirDrake
Master Apprentice WIS
Ok! But I'm not convinced yet
I'm a mechanical engineer and I think that watches are like cars
You have to turn on it sometimes, but if you use it too much, you will have to change some parts because they will be too wore by the friction.
The cars have the fatigue failure too, I don't know if the watches failure by fatigue. It depends of the material and the stress on the components.
I'm a mechanical engineer and I think that watches are like cars
You have to turn on it sometimes, but if you use it too much, you will have to change some parts because they will be too wore by the friction.
The cars have the fatigue failure too, I don't know if the watches failure by fatigue. It depends of the material and the stress on the components.
JB Liguori
WIS
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I have 3 winders for several year now, never a problem, it has different setting, 3 for rotation and 4 I think for time of rotation. Versa at amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005P1C55W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1