Automatic Watches - Are you active enough?

[jlovda]

Originally Posted by inadeje

I see you have a 5513 on your profile. I too have one. Do you not find that the 5513 seems to autowind easier and never stops in the situations you’ve explained concerning your Exp II?

I will have to admit that even though I spent a thousand dollars each for service on the 5513 and 1675 in the last two years I hardly wear them because they are too expensive and valuable to me. (both bought new almost 50 yrs ago). One day on, thirty days off. I will say that I am amazed at the difference in winding. It seems I can just look at the 5513 and it begins running, two turns of the crown or one wiggle of the wrist will do it. If the EXP II is dead it easily takes well over ten turns before it starts moving.

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by jlovda

I will have to admit that even though I spent a thousand dollars each for service on the 5513 and 1675 in the last two years I hardly wear them because they are too expensive and valuable to me. One day on, thirty days off. I will say that I am amazed at the difference in winding. It seems I can just look at the 5513 and it begins running, two turns of the crown or one wiggle of the wrist will do it. If the EXP II is dead it easily takes well over ten turns before it starts moving.

Exactly

I’m glad we have the same experience with the earlier watches like the 5513. My 60s variant is identical, in so much as I only have to pick it up and move it slightly and it’s running. Not so with the post 80s watches I have, which one can move vigorously for quite some time and they don’t start functioning, having to resort to a manual wind.

I wonder why that is? Maybe some tech savvy watchmakers in our midst who could shine some welcome light on this phenomenon?

[Oxfordian]

Retired and living the dream but if the weather puts a stop to outdoor activities then my habit of alternating watches daily becomes an issue as I don’t often do enough arm swinging to keep the watch wound.

But I do have to have a few days of really bad weather for that to happen otherwise alternating watches works fine.

[Meyrin]

Originally Posted by Marcjvr

Do this a lot. It helps

[Meyrin]

My old 14060 never stopped, but when the wretched lockdowns started last year it did indeed occasionally stop! Just bumbling around my apartment and going out shopping once a week wasn't enough movement. So I just gave her a full wind once a week. No big deal...

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by inadeje

That is a very interesting point. Conscious of the need to remain active the wearer is subconsciously inspired to keep the timepiece operational. Almost like an external motivation, which can only be positive.

Thats a brilliant observation that I overlooked.

I’ve often said that automatic watches are like orchids. They require some attention from time to time. Not a lot, but some.

[173rdabn]

Unless you're catonic, it won't stop. Never had a watch stop due to inactivity.

[Dirt]

Never had a problem with an Automatic unexpectedly stopping on me unless it was in need of a service. In that regard it's a very compelling forcing function when it does stop
With a Rolex, i routinely get 6 hours power reserve out of 1 hour of wear.

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by Dirt

With a Rolex, i routinely get 6 hours power reserve out of 1 hour of wear.

Very interesting. Was this an experiment you carried out or an assumption? Exactly six hours from 1h of wear? Does anybody know if this is a known metric?

[dannyp]

I've started wondering if modern Rolexes require less movement than older to stay wound (less friction, fewer rotor winds to full power, etc)? For instance, I tend to wear my OP34, with a 22xx movement, for a couple of hours in the evening, and that's kept it wound for more than a week so far.

[214270Explorer]

I am elderly, and have a lethargic daily lifestyle.

I have many brands <see my signature.>

The only problems with keeping watches auto-wound are the four Vostok's. They do not have an efficient two-way winding system. When I wear them, they have to be slightly wound every two days or they stop.

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by dannyp

I've started wondering if modern Rolexes require less movement than older to stay wound (less friction, fewer rotor winds to full power, etc)? For instance, I tend to wear my OP34, with a 22xx movement, for a couple of hours in the evening, and that's kept it wound for more than a week so far.

Yes, I'm keenly interested in this technical data. Something along the lines of:

- Movement Y = 1 full rotation of autowind rotor = X% of mainspring tension

The result of said knowledge would give some basic metric from which to calculate the time to full mainspring tension (fully wound) thus permitting an analysis of minimal wear/activity scenarios to sustain the watch functioning for a given period

[JonaG]

“Secondly, Rolex’s move upmarket naturally makes the acquisition cost prohibitive for lower paid workers. Isn’t it logical to presume that lower paid workers tend to carry out more repetitive manual tasks.”

Shine yer shoes guv’ner?

[Jackie Daytona]

Apparently too active. I always kind of wondered where I was in terms of power reserve and how wound my watches were staying. Not concerned as they’ve never stopped but just curious. Then I bought my GS and the power reserve indicator is always staying pegged all the way at full wind just from wearing it. I realize different movements are all a bit different and spring drive certainly is different, but just found it interesting after being able to gauge it in some way.

[Jackie Daytona]

Originally Posted by Marcjvr

Do this a lot. It helps

Lol! I thought we all did that already.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by inadeje

Very interesting. Was this an experiment you carried out or an assumption? Exactly six hours from 1h of wear? Does anybody know if this is a known metric?

It depends on your activity levels.
Note i say "routinely" in my post and this is well established for my usage pattern with the results being repeatable.
If I take a dead stopped Rolex and wear it for 1 hour and then take it off and set it aside it will run for around 6 hours(give or take a little) without any intervention.
Likewise if I wear it for 8 hours, it will run for 48 hours(give or take 20 minutes or so) after I set it asside.

The method is as simple as the maths, and one can use any period of time for wearing to find out how long the watch will run for.

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by Dirt

It depends on your activity levels.
Note i say "routinely" in my post and this is well established for my usage pattern with the results being repeatable.
If I take a dead stopped Rolex and wear it for 1 hour and then take it off and set it aside it will run for around 6 hours(give or take a little) without any intervention.
Likewise if I wear it for 8 hours, it will run for 48 hours(give or take 20 minutes or so) after I set it asside.

The method is as simple as the maths, and one can use any period of time for wearing to find out how long the watch will run for.

Thanks, yes I understand your methodology. Which watch/movement are you referring to? I’m wondering if each movement is different, especially those with more power reserve (newer) and if those take longer to autowind or if the mechanism gears have somehow been arranged to power them faster for an equal kinetic movement.

[Krash]

Originally Posted by Dirt

It depends on your activity levels.
Note i say "routinely" in my post and this is well established for my usage pattern with the results being repeatable.
If I take a dead stopped Rolex and wear it for 1 hour and then take it off and set it aside it will run for around 6 hours(give or take a little) without any intervention.
Likewise if I wear it for 8 hours, it will run for 48 hours(give or take 20 minutes or so) after I set it asside.

The method is as simple as the maths, and one can use any period of time for wearing to find out how long the watch will run for.

Which movement? I don’t think my watch gets 48 hours after wearing it for 8 hours. I’m not sure it’s supposed to. I think the watch needs to be fully wound to get 48 hours. I have the 3135 movement.


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[Slurve30]

I was in quarantine in a tiny Japanese hotel room for nearly 5 days last year and my 16570 never stopped. I intentionally didn't manually wind it to see if it would stop. So based on that, I would think you have to be a near total vegetable for it to stop if it's on your wrist.

[jnkay]

With today's generous power reserves, won't be an issue for 99% of daily wearers and even for many that do short rotations. My awareness of the need to keep them running is something I actually like, though. Not dissimilar to driving a manual transmission in that it's an additional level of interaction with the machine.