How Automatic Watches Handle Constant Winding
When you put your watch on a winder, the gravity pulls the rotors to spin and wind the watch. Many people think this constant spinning will snap the power source, which is a big concern. The end of this spring in modern automatic calibers does not attach permanently to the barrel wall.
Instead, it has a bridle, which is also called the slipping spring. The bridle slides along the inner wall of the barrel when the watch reaches full power. Professionals at credible watch repair services put a very specific braking grease, like Kluber P125, on the barrel wall so the spring slips smoothly. True overwinding is physically impossible because of this clever design.
The Truth About Mechanical Friction
Physics tells us that if a machine is running, the parts are moving. When the parts move, you get friction across the gear train and the delicate escapement. If you a leave a luxury watch running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on a winder, it will experience more use than a watch kept in a drawer for six months.
The pivots turn inside their synthetic ruby jewels. However, this is just normal use, not premature wear. A high-quality watch movement, like a Rolex 3235 or an ETA 2824-2, can run continuously for years. The jeweled bearings and polished pivots are resistant to friction. You will only see damaging wear if the lubricants dry out and you force the metal parts to grind together.
Importance of Turns Per Day (TPD) Settings
According to Aiman Moner, our watch repair expert with 30+ years of experience, the real danger comes from using bad equipment with the wrong settings. A good winder does not spin without stopping. It must mimic the natural movement of a human wrist, and this brings us to the Turns Per Day (TPD). Every calibre requires a specific number of turns to stay powered. For example, an Omega Co-Axial usually needs around 720 TPD in both directions. However, if you have an older Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement, it needs about 800 TPD, but only in the clockwise direction.
Moreover, if you buy a cheap winder that spins 2500 times a day without resting, you force the bridle to slip against the barrel wall. The constant slipping degrades the braking grease inside the barrel over time. That’s why bad winders can cause unnecessary wear. Therefore, you must program the exact TPD and direction, including clockwise, counter-clockwise, or bi-directional, matching your specific movement database.
Lubrication: Sleeping Watches vs. Running Watches
Decades ago, watchmakers would use mineral or animal-based oils. These old oils would turn sticky or coagulate if the watch stopped for too long. Today, the industry uses high-tech synthetic oils like Moebius 9010 for the high-speed pivots and heavier greases for the slow-moving parts.
These modern oils or fluids are highly stable because they don’t dry up quickly, even if the watch stops. However, if a watch is sitting dead in a safe or drawer for five years, the oils can still migrate away from the friction joints. Keeping the watch on a gentle winder schedule ensures the oils distribute evenly across the jewels.
Also Read: Pros and Cons of Watch Winders
When You Should Really Use a Winder
You don’t need a winder for a basic three-hand steel sports watch. It takes only 30 seconds to set the time and wind the crown a few times before you put it on your wrist. Letting a simple watch rest is fine and saves minor wear. However, the situation changes completely if you own complicated watches.
For example, if you have a perpetual calendar or a complex moonphase indicator, setting it after it stops is a massive headache. Using the small connectors and pushers on the side of the case too often can cause wear to the water-resistance gaskets. A winder is a very smart protective tool for these grand complications.
Just remember to keep the watches away from cheap winder motors that lack magnetic shielding, as a strong motor magnet placed too close to the case can magnetize the hairspring and ruin the watch’s accuracy. Therefore, invest in a proper machine, set the correct TPD, and follow the rules of the factory service intervals. That way, your watch movement will remain safe and healthy.
