To wind or not to wind ?

[errol0_7]

Hi guys

How many of you have a watch or two that doesn’t get that much wrist time ?

I have one at the moment that isn’t getting any action - it is just happily sitting on the winder.

Should I turn the winder off and let it run down - save some wear and tear in the movement or just let it be spinning and ticking away

Thanks

[bp1000]

I would let it run down.

Winders are useful for a few watches, maybe 3 or 4 you swap between in a few weeks but long term, I run them down.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by errol0_7

Hi guys

How many of you have a watch or two that doesn’t get that much wrist time ?

I have one at the moment that isn’t getting any action - it is just happily sitting on the winder.

Should I turn the winder off and let it run down - save some wear and tear in the movement or just let it be spinning and ticking away

Thanks

No Rolex needs one of these machine winder things, for any non perpetual calendar watch or watches with many many complications, a watch winder is totally unnecessary. If you have a choice of watches and do not wear it every day, it is not real chore to reset it and wind it by hand. If you don't wear it every day you also reduce wear to the movement components, why waste that benefit by having it wound when it is not required to tell the time?. And before some members chime in that you will wear out the crown and threads by winding a automatic watch. Just think of all the manual wind watches with screw down crowns Rolex included they got wound up daily for decades.

[teck21]

Get a winder if you don’t get a kick out of winding and setting your watches.

Don’t get one if you do.

That is pretty much it.


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[bonsai-man]

Originally Posted by padi56

No Rolex needs one of these machine winder things, for any non perpetual calendar watch or watches with many many complications, a watch winder is totally unnecessary. If you have a choice of watches and do not wear it every day, it is not real chore to reset it and wind it by hand. If you don't wear it every day you also reduce wear to the movement components, why waste that benefit by having it wound when it is not required to tell the time?. And before some members chime in that you will wear out the crown and threads by winding a automatic watch. Just think of all the manual wind watches with screw down crowns Rolex included they got wound up daily for decades.

This.

[Andad]

All done.

[Driver8]

Originally Posted by teck21

Get a winder if you don’t get a kick out of winding and setting your watches.

Don’t get one if you do.

That is pretty much it.

This

I've never understood the hatred of winders. They serve a purpose, and that's it.

There's always lots of nonsense spoken in both camps, and you will invariably hear -

1) Keeping a watch running 24/7 is like leaving your car running the garage.
2) Manual winding will cause excess wear on the crown threads / keyless works.
3) Leaving a watch unwound will allow the lubricants to dry out and/or pool/settle.
4) Unscrewing/screwing in the crown more often during manual winding means more chance of cross-threading.
5) Using a winder increases wear on components.

My personal opinion from both using and not using winders over the course of 30 odd years is that point 1 is utter nonsense, and as far as points 2 to 5 go (while they are all possible) none of them make any noticeable difference to longevity or to service costs.

So basically as teck21 said, if you don't want to manually wind your watch very often, buy a winder. If you don't mind manually winding your watch, then don't bother with a winder.

If you do go down the winder route, I personally recommend Orbita, and I would also advocate not using a winder all the time as allowing the mainspring to unwind now and then is beneficial. Apart from that, you're good to go.

[SparklesMcgraw]

I love winding and interacting with my watches. Take a moment and enjoy it

[1William]

Wear out or rust out is an issue that is discussed quite a bit when it comes to winders. I use winders and like being able to pickup a watch on the go and not have to set it. I should own a watch long enough to need service based on age or wear. It is a matter of personal preference and convenience.

[garyk]

Originally Posted by 1William

Wear out or rust out is an issue that is discussed quite a bit when it comes to winders. I use winders and like being able to pickup a watch on the go and not have to set it. I should own a watch long enough to need service based on age or wear. It is a matter of personal preference and convenience.

I agree with this. I don’t agree with winders but it’s a personal preference. I keep my watches going by wearing them occasionally.

[Boaters]

I have a couple Orbita's but only use them when I am home. I run rugboats and leave them off the winders in the safe when I am at sea for months at a time. Of course one is always on my wrist at sea.

[Robf52]

Originally Posted by SparklesMcgraw

I love winding and interacting with my watches. Take a moment and enjoy it

Ditto.

[ltmgeller]

I love the tactile feel of winding and setting my watches. It's an enjoyable part of the Rolex experience for me.

[RyanJ]

Just a personal decision. As someone else said:

Get a winder if you do not want to set your watches.

It really is that simple.

[Gab27]

If I had multiple Rolexes, I would not get a winder simply because the process of manually winding a Rolex is strangely satisfying to me. Turning the bezel or turning the crown pleases me.

[rmagoo57]

Originally Posted by Gab27

If I had multiple Rolexes, I would not get a winder simply because the process of manually winding a Rolex is strangely satisfying to me. Turning the bezel or turning the crown pleases me.

I feel the same way. I do have multiple Rolex watches and no winder. Just got back from a 5 day trip to TX and I'm enjoying resetting them all. In between laundry and reading TRF!

[Brian Page]

I prefer to let mine run down and wind up when I wear them. I enjoy winding them, and I also think there is something to be said for them fully discharging the power supply ocassionally

[errol0_7]

well that has helped - I will use the winders for those getting regular use and let the ones not getting any use run down

all the best
John

[911991]

Originally Posted by teck21

Get a winder if you don’t get a kick out of winding and setting your watches.

Don’t get one if you do.

That is pretty much it.


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[brandrea]

Originally Posted by ltmgeller

I love the tactile feel of winding and setting my watches. It's an enjoyable part of the Rolex experience for me.

Same Mike, it’s a bonding experience

[alweisenberger]

If you're planning on servicing it every 10 years, they are meant to be worn for that long consistently anyway, i don't think keeping it on a winder at the appropriate turn speed would have any detrimental effect.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Same Mike, it’s a bonding experience

Have to agree mate to hand-wind any movement only take a few seconds most of the older Rolex hand-winds have a reserve of 38 to 42 hours.Myself did have two OPs from the late 1960s my sons wear them now most days,40 plus years old and still beating strong.Both have had just normal stem tubes service twice if I remember in there life and both have there original crowns .Automatics in reality made us all lazy press button for this and that,must have this faster bigger heavier etc, but a automatic movement is only a hand wound movement with a automatic mechanism fitted,hand-winds are far simpler and less things to go wrong.

A hand-wound movement "lives" because you actively want it to run . you sort of breathe life into it, and you have to do it on purpose. I think that's an entirely different attitude toward a watch than merely picking it up and find it working. And knowing that it will continue to do so without additional intervention by yourself.And IMHO makes you just part of the soul of the watch,and I like having to wind it each day,to keep its heart beating.

When I pick up one of my hand-winds and wind it, the whole process, the act of winding, just seems to have a sense of history and tradition to it. This makes hand-winds special to me. I can imagine my grandfather, and his father, and his father's father performing the same daily ritual. It's a connection to the past horology speaking and not like most of today's obsession with investment £££$$$$€€€€ stuff .

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by padi56

Have to agree mate to hand-wind any movement only take a few seconds most of the older Rolex hand-winds have a reserve of 38 to 42 hours.Myself did have two OPs from the late 1960s my sons wear them now most days,40 plus years old and still beating strong.Both have had just normal stem tubes service twice if I remember in there life and both have there original crowns .Automatics in reality made us all lazy press button for this and that,must have this faster bigger heavier etc, but a automatic movement is only a hand wound movement with a automatic mechanism fitted,hand-winds are far simpler and less things to go wrong.

A hand-wound movement "lives" because you actively want it to run . you sort of breathe life into it, and you have to do it on purpose. I think that's an entirely different attitude toward a watch than merely picking it up and find it working. And knowing that it will continue to do so without additional intervention by yourself.And IMHO makes you just part of the soul of the watch,and I like having to wind it each day,to keep its heart beating.

When I pick up one of my hand-winds and wind it, the whole process, the act of winding, just seems to have a sense of history and tradition to it. This makes hand-winds special to me. I can imagine my grandfather, and his father, and his father's father performing the same daily ritual. It's a connection to the past horology speaking and not like most of today's obsession with investment £££$$$$€€€€ stuff .

This should be a sticky thread Peter. Very well said

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[garyk]

Originally Posted by Boaters

I have a couple Orbita's but only use them when I am home. I run rugboats and leave them off the winders in the safe when I am at sea for months at a time. Of course one is always on my wrist at sea.

Your job sounds fantastic. Very cool..

[samson66]

Winders are great if you are rotating watches regularly and they tend to sit 3+ days between wearing. If you have a watch sitting for extended time periods just let it run down and wind by hand when you need it.

My wife wears her watch one day to the office per week and usually once during the weekend, so for that situation a winder is great so I don't have to wind it by hand and set it 1-2x every week. All depends on your situation

[47Fountain]

Winder. Plain & Simple. Life is too short to worry whether you should wind your watch or not.

[Boaters]

Originally Posted by garyk

Your job sounds fantastic. Very cool..

Thanks ... It has its up's and downs .... lol