Detecting full wind

[HiBoost]

I have a couple of 32xx watches that I'm wanting to fully wind. When I first start winding (with the case pressed against my ear) I hear a series of precise clicks, almost like rotating a diver bezel. After a while (around 30 twists with my thumb, not sure exactly how many crown rotations this corresponds to) I start hearing some extra "pops" in addition to the original clicks. Is this the spring's end snapping in/out of the vertical barrel grooves? I.e. does this indicate full winding?

This would seem to make sense, but the reason I ask is because I often seem to be able to get higher amplitude readings by winding a few times more after this point, which would indicate it could be further wound still. But perhaps once you get into this part of the wind where the spring starts slipping in the barrel I'm just experiencing the difference in tension between "almost popping out" and "having just popped out"?

[214270Explorer]

What you are hearing with the "extra pops" is the spring clutch slipping to prevent over-winding. This is a good thing.

No worries. Any 'little bit' of extra wind <IF you could get it> would be meaningless as far as the amplitude reading goes. The Amplitude would likely return to a more nominal value after a small bit of running time.

Your watches are OK and you cannot over wind the 32xx's to cause damage.

[HiBoost]

Right, but that "clutch" is simply the vertical grooves and spring end on a 32xx, isn't it? Similar to the pics shown here: https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/b...erwind-a-watch

Some exotics like an Richard Mille have an actual mainspring clutch which engages/disengages are certain levels of power reserve (and a dial indicator of its current state). But to my understanding Rolex barrels just have the simple slots in them.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by HiBoost

Right, but that "clutch" is simply the vertical grooves and spring end on a 32xx, isn't it? Similar to the pics shown here: https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/b...erwind-a-watch

Some exotics like an Richard Mille have an actual mainspring clutch which engages/disengages are certain levels of power reserve (and a dial indicator of its current state). But to my understanding Rolex barrels just have the simple slots in them.

Correct, just like any other automatic watch.

A lot of people use the word clutch, there is no clutch to prevent overwinding. Just the end of the spring slipping inside the barrel.

[77T]

All slipping mainsprings work in a similar fashion. The differences are how the movement designer specifies their bridles, springs and barrels for manufacturing a watch with maximum power reserve in a given space.

The 'slipping mainspring' was patented by Adrien Philippe on June 16, 1863, long before self-winding watches. So this part of the design isn’t especially unique to Rolex.

IIRC, the 32xx movements have some unique attributes but the barrel and mainspring operate on the same principles as 31xx movements.

The perpetual auto-wind may have a role in how the gearing is engineered to achieve the calculated power reserve.

Remember, the 31xx era was initially designed in ‘80’s and launched when the public was more active than today.

I’m sure the current state of general public lethargy poses a challenge to movement designers in delivering a promised power reserve without daily stem-winding…


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