Automatic Watch Maintenance

Automatic Watch Maintenance

Although automatic mechanical watches do not have batteries, some easy-to-follow maintenance is necessary for continued and long-lasting good use.

Self-winding automatic watches depend on the movement of the arm to operate and do require some winding, even if you wear your watch on a daily basis.

If you wear your Automatic watch everyday, it is best to wind it once, every two weeks to keep the wheels in motion and oil fluid. Simply wind the crown (the same knob used to adjust the time and date) until you meet slight resistance.

If you do not wear your Automatic watch everyday, you should try to wind it at least twice a week to ensure continuous operation, as well as keeping the inside mechanism in complete running order.

Try to wind your mechanical watch at the same time every day. This is extremely beneficial for the mechanism. You may want to make it a routine, winding it every morning when you wake up.

Avoid setting the day and/or date (if your watch has these functions) at night. The day-date mechanism is activated during the nighttime hours and could be disrupted if set at this time.

And, always avoid wearing your mechanical watch, if you are playing a sport requiring continuous arm motion (e.g. tennis, baseball, golf), since continuous arm motion could damage the movement.