Automatic Watches - Are you active enough?

[Kevin of Larchmont]

I’ve worn a Rolex off and on for twenty-three years, daily for eighteen of those. I’ve never had one stop from lack of use unless I was wearing another watch for an extended period of time or was perhaps very sick. I never hand-wind unless I am starting one from stopped. These days I keep one or two on winders as I rotate other watches into the mix; I change watches every 1-3 days it seems. I’m in sales and drive a lot, I try to walk the dog every day but can’t always and I hike every weekend in fair weather. While not technically sedentary I am no athlete. In my observation there is no risk that automatic watches could become unserviceable or extinct based on my own limited movement. On the contrary, the awareness of the challenge to keep them moving is part of the fun of owning and wearing automatic watches.

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

On the contrary, the awareness of the challenge to keep them moving is part of the fun of owning and wearing automatic watches.

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.

[Koolpep]

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 don't think that is any normal behavior - usually we wear the watches and don't let the watch wear us....

[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.

[azs.77]

I haven’t had one stop on me yet. I’m fairly active and rarely take off the watch I’m wearing.


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[JayHantz]

I have never had a watch stop on me while wearing it, but I have always had an active lifestyle and will take a break in the office to walk around or do something every hour or so.

[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.

[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?

[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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[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.