Hand-winding an automatic watch...?

[josh6262]

I know how an automatic watch works but my question is if it is already on your wrist and keeping time, then you take it off at night (or sleep with it) will it keep better time if you hand wind it before putting it back on in the morning?

[Rikki]

short answer yes the higher the power the higher the amplitude the more consistent time it will keep. Note I said consistent time not correct time if it is off time it will be consistently off the same amount of time with little variation. Rik

[Big Joe]

When my watch was returned from Rolex for service there was a note with it telling me to wind it 40 times to ensure it was fully ready. I usually only wound 25 times, but since then have chosen the 40 winds. I don't know if it makes that much difference whether 25 or 40, but I'll take the factory at its word.

[Andad]

I idea behind an automatic watch is that you don't need to wind it. When COSC test Rolex watches they don't take them off the testing machine every morning and wind them all up.
Enjoy your automatic Rolex and wind it up if it stops or just set the time and wear it. There is no real reason to ever wind an auto.

Rik, if you wind an automatic watch fully every day it just might need a service sooner.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by Big Joe

When my watch was returned from Rolex for service there was a note with it telling me to wind it 40 times to ensure it was fully ready. I usually only wound 25 times, but since then have chosen the 40 winds. I don't know if it makes that much difference whether 25 or 40, but I'll take the factory at its word.

40 winds? does that mean 40 x 360 degree turns of the crown?

When I wind a watch each 'wind' that I give the crown is closer to 600 degrees and 25 winds would equal more than 40 revolutions of the crown - so there are little winds and big winds.

If you want a full wind just keep winding as eventually the mainspring will 'slip' in the barrel. You might notice the extra drag. I can feel it and hear it on some of my watches.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by directioneng

I idea behind an automatic watch is that you don't need to wind it. When COSC test Rolex watches they don't take them off the testing machine every morning and wind them all up.
Enjoy your automatic Rolex and wind it up if it stops or just set the time and wear it. There is no real reason to ever wind an auto.

Rik, if you wind an automatic watch fully every day it just might need a service sooner.

Afraid Eddie when they test at the COSC the auto winding module is not present not even the dial or hands.The movements are loaded into magazines Rolex has there own special machine.Its because of the vast amount of movements tested each year by Rolex and they all wound quite fast by a machine linked to a central computer..

[Andad]

Well they shouldn't do that Peter.

Do they still have the second hand?