Automatic-Winding-Instructions.Pdf
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86 Exchange Street Portland, Maine 04101 Swiss Time (207) 773-0997 “Where Watchmakers Work” www.myswisstime.com [email protected] Automatic Winding Instructions: An automatic movement is a mechanical movement whose mainspring is wound as a result of the wearer’s arm motion. “Automatic” and “Self-Winding” are interchangeable terms. The movement of the wrist causes the oscillating weight, or rotor, to pivot freely on an axle in the center of the watches mechanism. This oscillating weight winds the mainspring, a coiled spring that powers the watch. All modern automatic and most vintage automatic watches use an internal safety device to prevent over winding. Louis Perrelet invented the first automatic watch in Switzerland in 1770. The problem was that this was the pocket watch era, and a watch in a pocket does not move enough for the rotor to wind the mainspring. It wasn’t until after WW1 when wristwatches became popular, that Emile Borer, Rolex’s technical chief, developed and patented the modern rotor system. Mechanical time keeping will never match the extreme accuracy of a quartz watch. With that said, automatic watches are plenty accurate for normal use, gaining or losing -12 to +30 seconds a day (depending on the mechanism in your timepiece). Quality, age, extra functions and condition of the movement all have an impact on the watches accuracy. Fully wound, the power reserve from the mainspring will enable the watch to function for 30 hours or more. Automatic watches perform at an optimum level when worn for daily periods of 8 to 12 hours, while being afforded sufficient motion through normal vigorous activity. Other factors that affect accuracy are extreme temperatures, causing the metal parts of the watch to expand and contract which affect the viscosity of the oils that lubricate the mechanism. Wearing habits can also affect a watch: how long it is worn each day and how active the wearer is. Even the position the watch lies in when not worn will affect the timing of the watch. An automatic watch can be wound by hand. If your watch is no longer running in the morning we recommend that you manually wind your watch 15 to 25* turns of the crown before putting your watch on to wear. This is also recommended for people with limited daily activity. Manually winding your watch will allow enough power in the mainspring for your watch to keep time more accurately when you wear it. A common misconception is that simply shaking your watch will provide it will with enough motion for accurate timing. Unless your watch is a Seiko this will not wind the mainspring sufficiently. Options other than manually winding your watch include a watch winder for use during the evenings or weekends. It is recommended that you remove your automatic watch while playing contact sports and other sports where an impact could occur such as tennis and even golf. Chopping wood, though not a sport, is also not recommended. Most watch companies recommend automatic watches to be overhauled every three to five years, which includes disassembling the entire mechanism, cleaning and lubricating the gears, changing parts that are not functioning properly, reassembling, testing, and regulating. This work can be performed right here with us at Swiss Time. Just leave your watch with us so diagnostic tests can be run to determine what is wrong and what the repair costs and timing for the repair will be. We, at Swiss Time, hope this information will be helpful. Please contact us if you have any questions. * Wind your watch by turning the crown clockwise, rotating it away from you. Turn the crown as far as you can, release, and start again. Be patient, a complete unwound mainspring can take from 20 to 50 revolutions. Keep in mind: automatic watch mainsprings will not stop like a manual wind watch. We recommend 15 to 25 turns of the crown to get your watch running. .