Typically, automatic watches store energy for up to 48 hours so that they continue working without needing additional winding. People who are not very active, such as elderly people or those confined to bed, may need to wind their automatic watches with more frequency. If you are sick and laid up in bed, your watch may wind down since it’s not getting regular everyday movement. [4] X Research source Avoid wearing watch when playing sports that require continuous hand or arm movement, such as tennis, squash or basketball. This will interfere with the automatic winding mechanisms, which are built for regular, everyday arm movement.
If the watch is waterproof, the crown may be screwed down to provide added waterproofing. You may need to unscrew this crown by turning carefully 4 to 5 times. When you wind the watch, you will push down on the crown at the same time, which will screw it back into place. [7] X Research source
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot typically over-wind an automatic watch. Modern automatic watches are constructed to protect against this possibility. [9] X Research source You should still be very gentle when turning the crown and stop winding when you feel resistance.
Functional watch winders may be display-friendly, with nice designs; but their purpose is almost entirely functional. These are usually on the less expensive end of the scale. Cheap watch winders can be very unreliable and are not worth the price, even if it’s low. Elegant watch winders have finer quality exteriors made of wood or leather, and they are more usually display-friendly, ready to sit on a shelf or dresser. They can still be small enough to fit in a drawer or safety deposit box. Extravagant watch winders are at the top of the price range. These are usually constructed out of fine materials and made to hold multiple watches. They may have features such as temperature control, storage drawers, synchronized time displays, and USB connections.
If you have watches you wear only once in a while, such as for a special occasion, then you don’t really need to bother putting it in a watch winder. If you know you will be wearing a watch to a wedding, for example, you can take it out the day before and wind it on your own, rather than going to the trouble of setting it in the watch winder for 30 minutes every day. Watch winders are good for collectors of automatic watches, especially if you have a large collection and want any one of your watches to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
