Watch Winding is a thing ?

[Tonray's Ghost]

So apparently when you have too much money and you're a bored middle aged guy, you can collect a bunch of watches and then you'll need an automaytic watch winder to keep them all ready when you want to 'grab and go' on your day out.

Apoloigies in advance to any watch collectors here...

[toomanycats]

I suppose it's all a matter of perspective.

guitars and watches.jpeg

[Tonray's Ghost]

I suppose it's all a matter of perspective.


guitars and watches.jpeg

And I'm not really even questioning the collector aspect..but it's like having an automatic intonation machine to keep all those guitars ready to go..ha ha ha

[Rollin Hand]

For self-winding watches, isn't it a "use it or lose it" thing, where the mechanism needs to keep working or it'll stop functioning correctly?

Mine was used constantly and stopped working anyway.

[dabbler]

I suppose it's all a matter of perspective.


guitars and watches.jpeg

And I'm not really even questioning the collector aspect..but it's like having an automatic intonation machine to keep all those guitars ready to go..ha ha ha

While I think I see the analogy you are making, I wholeheartedly disagree, and for the record I have collections of guitars and watches. W

What it's REALLY like is a battery tender connected to a car you rarely drive.

[dabbler]

For self-winding watches, isn't it a "use it or lose it" thing, where the mechanism needs to keep working or it'll stop functioning correctly?

Mine was used constantly and stopped working anyway.

I have heard that if the watch is not used regularly the lubrication can gum up or harden and cause issues. However, I only wind my automatics the day I put them on and I haven't experienced any failures yet.

I suspect that the environment in which they are kept is as much an issue as whether or not it is constantly running.

[glasshand]

FWIW, the experts now seem to be saying that there is no need for an automatic winder.

Some watch winder proponents often cite it as a maintenance precaution for times when your automatic watch is not on your wrist. The theory goes something like this: The lubricants inside your mechanical watch that reduce friction between its many moving parts will, if left dormant, become dried up or coagulate. This, in turn, could cause damage to the movement and, thus, the watch should be kept moving to avoid this degradation of your watch’s lubricating oils.

When I asked Henry Ly — the Managing Director at Watchmaking Project, an NYC-based independent watch repair shop — if this was true, his response was quick and stern: “No, absolutely not.”

According to Ly, factors like age and temperature can cause a watch’s lubricants to dry up, but a lack of use shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Further, modern synthetic watch oils don’t coagulate like their animal-based counterparts of yesteryear. So while they will eventually dissipate with time (again, regardless of whether or not the watch is running), there’s no need to worry about them gunking up and damaging the watch.

(https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/watch-winder/)

[Tonray's Ghost]

For self-winding watches, isn't it a "use it or lose it" thing, where the mechanism needs to keep working or it'll stop functioning correctly?

Mine was used constantly and stopped working anyway.

Well it kind of works that way biologically, perhaps an automatic 'wanker'might be a market winner ?

[Rollin Hand]

For self-winding watches, isn't it a "use it or lose it" thing, where the mechanism needs to keep working or it'll stop functioning correctly?

Mine was used constantly and stopped working anyway.

Well it kind of works that way biologically, perhaps an automatic 'wanker'might be a market winner ?

I suspect a quick Google search would turn up something....

[PoodlesAgain]

I have heard that if the watch is not used regularly the lubrication can gum up or harden and cause issues. However, I only wind my automatics the day I put them on and I haven't experienced any failures yet.

Same thing with old film camera shutters, marvelously complex devices, BTW. One needs to fire them across range periodically, or loose timing accuracy, affecting lower range speeds, where there are more parts involved than higher ones. Shutter repair folks are retiring, or dying off....