To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
Foxman50
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To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Foxman50 »

That is the question!

sorry couldn’t resist.

Being new, 2 days, to owning multiple automatic watches. I wondered what the consensous was on whether it’s best to let a watch die then hand wind it or leave it on a watch winder indefinitely.

Seems there are some potential issues which show up with hand winding which is a worry. But ultimately what is better for the watch.

Apologies if this has been asked many times.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Soporsche »

Hi, it has indeed been asked a lot of times.. IIRC it nearly always ends with a mixed response..
To try and be succinct (a challenge for me):
If you are wearing them regularly and its a pain having to reset them time/date each time then a winder is useful.
There is an argument which advocates them to ensure lubrication remains spread throughout watch.
Counter argument which points out that parts will wear out faster ie you wouldn't leave your car running when not using).

I have friends with multiple high end watches that never use a winder, others that use them just for the couple of watches from their collection that they are currently wearing, others use them for all (normally not massive collections).
I personally dont use them at all for any of my modern or vintage automatics (c.25 now), I just set/wind as required, wear for a few days or so and swap for something else.
End of the day its down to personal choice and convenience and there doesn't seem to be a definitive its better or not.

Im sure someone more knowledgeable will be alone to give better advice shortly 😁.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Thegreyman »

I don't think there is a correct answer, Stephen has set out the main arguments for and against.

It's down to personal preference and for me I wouldn't bother with a winder, I'm happy just to set my watch each day, other than the rare occasion when I wear the same watch two days consecutively, or my Panerai which has an 8 day PR so might conceivably still be running if well wound when I last wore it.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by rkovars »

Even watchmakers won't come down on a consensus on this. But I have had some lengthy conversations with my local watchmaker who I trust a lot and he suggests - whatever you want. He says that the modern synthetic lubricants that they use generally don't pool or tend to get tacky. Most watches and movements were designed to last a lifetime. If you had one watch and wore it every day that could be 70, 80, 100 years! There are certainly 100 year old time pieces that run like the day they were made. He does suggest if you are leaving a watch in the watch box or safe for many months at a time idle to give it a wind every so often. Watches, like cars, like to run. Other than that he suggests doing whatever is the most convenient. YMMV.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Foxman50 »

Thanks, actually hadn’t considered the obvious question of wear on the mechanism. If they are regularly serviced, do people stick to the recommended 3-4 years anyway, how long should you expect it to last if sat on a winder.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Foxman50 »

Well 70 years will well n truly see me out so maybe wear is not such an issue. Will see how i go with winding for now, but maybe ill invest in a winder at a later date.

Be interesting to hear from someone who uses them.

Out of interest with those who have quite a number of watches, what sort of rotation do they get. Probably some more often than others.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Soporsche »

Again, im afraid there isn't a firm answer. I have a 45yo watch (low value) that i think has been serviced last 18-20yrs ago and runs beautifully. A higher (ish) ish value watch that gets serviced c. Every 5-7 years.
I would advocate getting them serviced (like anything mechanical) but should it be every 3-4 years. Personal opinion/choice is not that frequently.
As for length of life on a winder, as pointed out above there are watches worn every day for 50-60 years that run fine and have lasted very well, others require some work sooner to keep ticking to good time (excuse the pun).
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Foxman50 »

Is there anyway to find out the service history of a CW watch. The one i have just purchased is 6 years old and wonder if it has ever had a service.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Jcalder68 »

I have a winder and keep all my automatic movement watches in it. Ot can keep up to six winding at any one time.

However, I also have a timer plug that runs it. I have set the winder to run full time, bit I have set the timer plug to only power the winder up every so often. It therefore actively winds my watches (clockwise and anti-clockwise rotations alternating every 5min) for three hours on/one hour off between 08:00 and 22:00 every day. At night they rest.

This replicates my daily wear pattern pretty well; I am gently active and consistently active when awake. It also means that any watch in my collection is also close to fully charged (but never desperately over-wound) and can be swapped onto the wrist whenever I need.

Works for me,

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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Foxman50 wrote:Is there anyway to find out the service history of a CW watch. The one i have just purchased is 6 years old and wonder if it has ever had a service.
Unless the seller has given you a service history then, no is the answer. Certainly for older CW's.

Newer CW's that have the current Serial number format introduced in May 2019, will have their service history recorded by CW.

Hope that helps.

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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

As you have now seen, the general consensus is a little vague. I have a mix of manual wind and automatics in my main collection. I do not include a number of vintage watches which are all hand wound.

As far as the manuals are concerned I let them run down when not being worn. I like to give them all a run every so often and certainly wind all the vintage watches once a month for a few days.

I have one winder and I tend to keep an automatic on it if I’m wearing that watch quite a lot. Usually it is my Cartier Tank but recently I have been putting the new Meistersinger on there when I go to work because I want to keep it running for a month to see how it keeps time.

Other than that, when I’m not wearing them, they are stopped in the box. My system, if you wish to call it that, has never seemed to affect any of my watches adversely.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Foxman50 »

Many thanks for the responses, i actually expected winders to be used more frequently than appears to be the case.

I do like jcalder’s aproach, as he indicates it mimics daily wear.

I have swapped watch this morning, which is dead, and rather than wind it i will wear it and see how well it keeps time. Maybe it will not have enough power to keep time but will be interesting to see, although you may well know the answer.

Thanks vRS, does that relate to Skoda, ive had MKI, MKII facelift and MKIII love them all, though does seem odd CW wouldn’t keep records.

Thanks all again.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Foxman50 »

@Bahnstormer_vRS just thought i would post a pic of my last vRS, best car i have had by far. This is when you say it has nothing to do with Skoda :D
20150416_111233.JPG
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Foxman50 »

So i have just taken the dog for a walk, about 3 miles an hours walk, and at my usual pace which is more a march than a stroll. This got me wondering how long does the movement actually take to fully charge, if that's the correct term, the watch from dead.

Appreciate this is not exact as it must depend on movement but what would you think.

To add, the watch was set at around 3.5hrs ago and so far we are 1 second slow so that is not bad at all.

If you can put it on straight from dead and it keeps perfect time, what does a watch winder actually achieve other than not requiring to have to set the watch each time you put it on. I thought it was better mechanically for it, now reading that seems reverse.

Apologies as i do tend to overthink things.
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Re: To Wind Watch or Watch Winder

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

It’s actually not especially easy to damage a good mechanical watch simply by using it. There really are not many completely right or completely wrong answers here. Guy (above, who is definitely a Skoda man by the way) tends to start a watch by wearing it early in the morning then set it when it is running nicely. He would be able to tell you more about that.

As long as you don’t change the date between 8 pm and about 2 am, and as long as you take care screwing the crown in, you’ll be fine.
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