2010-12-16

The Proper Way to Use and Care For Your Automatic Watch

A Self- Winding or Automatic Watch charges itself with the normal movement of your body. The process consists of the rotor, moving back and forth every time the user moves the arm or wrist. The rotor's pendular movement winds the mainspring, a flat coiled spring that powers mechanical watches. For that reason it is called a self-winding or automatic watch. In simple words it means that the user does not need to manually wind the watch with the crown. It is also important to consider that automatic watches will keep a power reserve usually from 24 hours to 72 hours,however there are some watches that hold more than 200 hours of power reserve. This feature favors some users who have the habit of taking the watch off the wrist for less than 24 hours , not having to reset the time eatch time they take it off. Since the first automatic watch was created in 1770 by Abraham-Louis Perrelet, automatic movements are very popular among Swiss Watch Manufacturers. There are some recommendations when it comes taking care of your automatic watch:


  • It is a good practice to wind your watch once every two weeks if you do not wear your watch regularly. This will ensure that all parts are well lubricated.
  • If you have not worn the watch for more than a day it is better to manually wind it before wearing it. You should wind the crown until you find some resistance. It is usually enough to wind it about 4,5 turns on most of the watches. Please keep in mind that some watches such as Breitling you will not find resistance when winding it but it is still advisable to wind it around 4 or 5 turns.


  • It is imperative that you do not set the day or date near midnight since it will disrupt the mechanism.
  • It is not recommended to wear the watch when playing high impact sports that require constant arm movement such as tennis.
  • Service your watch once every two years for proper lubrication.

With these tips you should have your watch running and keeping accurate time!


The Proper Way to Use and Care For Your Automatic Watch

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