How to wind a mechanical watch
How many turns a manual or automatic watch needs, how to tell when it is full, and the habits that keep the crown and mainspring healthy.
Hand-wound watches
Wind at the same time each day, ideally in the morning, so the mainspring delivers steady power while you wear it.
- If the watch has a screw-down crown, unscrew it first. It pops out to the winding position.
- Turn the crown clockwise (away from you, when the watch is face up) with smooth, even turns.
- Stop when you feel firm resistance. Do not force it past that point.
- Screw the crown back down if it has a screw-down crown.
Automatic watches
An automatic winds itself as you move, but a watch that has stopped needs a start. Give it 20 to 40 turns of the crown so it does not run on low power, which hurts accuracy. You cannot overwind an automatic: a slipping clutch protects the mainspring, so you may feel no stop at all.
Good habits
- Take the watch off your wrist to wind it, so you do not strain the crown stem.
- Never wind or set a watch while it is wet or underwater.
- A winder is optional. It helps with complicated calendars that are tedious to reset.