Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
Leon O
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by Leon O »

Geefiasco wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 5:07 pm Some very interesting responses and scary reading as a new watch collector/obsessor that has bought around 25-30 in the past 8 months! I recently narrowed down to just 8 but I still struggle to even wear 3 a week due to working from home everyday.

I usually do take them all out of the watch box and give them all a full wind at least once a week, but am I correct in saying this could even damage my watches?

I’m dreading having to narrow down even further to a measly 3 watch collection.
Geefiasco, You can take my issues out of your equation. The combination of my body, movements, and lifestyle have prevented me from keeping Selitta and Seiko movements going for much more than 2 days.

Going down to 3, that sounds really hard. You're inspire me to consider thinning the herd.

Leon
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by Geefiasco »

Leon O wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 1:08 am
Geefiasco wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 5:07 pm Some very interesting responses and scary reading as a new watch collector/obsessor that has bought around 25-30 in the past 8 months! I recently narrowed down to just 8 but I still struggle to even wear 3 a week due to working from home everyday.

I usually do take them all out of the watch box and give them all a full wind at least once a week, but am I correct in saying this could even damage my watches?

I’m dreading having to narrow down even further to a measly 3 watch collection.
Geefiasco, You can take my issues out of your equation. The combination of my body, movements, and lifestyle have prevented me from keeping Selitta and Seiko movements going for much more than 2 days.

Going down to 3, that sounds really hard. You're inspire me to consider thinning the herd.

Leon
Indeed, it would be a struggle to thin the collection down future. First World problems, eh?
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by H0rati0 »

Buy a watch winder for overnight use. Why not?

An auto is designed for being in use constantly. Watch winders work fine and any "added wear" is no big deal unless compared with putting a watch away and not wearing it for months. Make sure you get one with adjustable TPD (though 650 a day is plenty for most watches) and directional winding options - but I suspect these days probably all do.

For more than ten years I have usually kept three to four autos including a moon phase fully set on a winder so I can just grab one in the afternoon/evening as I too find myself often preferring replaceable quartz watches during the day to minimise knocks etc.

One further thing: I have found the clip in vertical style winders much better at maintaining wind (tested with PR indicators) the angled types didn't do the job for me on quite a few watches.
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by rkovars »

H0rati0 wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 5:34 pm Buy a watch winder for overnight use. Why not?

An auto is designed for being in use constantly. Watch winders work fine and any "added wear" is no big deal unless compared with putting a watch away and not wearing it for months. Make sure you get one with adjustable TPD (though 650 a day is plenty for most watches) and directional winding options - but I suspect these days probably all do.

For more than ten years I have usually kept three to four autos including a moon phase fully set on a winder so I can just grab one in the afternoon/evening as I too find myself often preferring replaceable quartz watches during the day to minimize knocks etc.

One further thing: I have found the clip in vertical style winders much better at maintaining wind (tested with PR indicators) the angled types didn't do the job for me on quite a few watches.
I have often wondered how much of the ire aimed at winders is held over from the shoddy winders of the past. There are pretty good options available today (some for pretty short money). Everyone totes out the car analogy but in my mind that isn't a good one because a car isn't designed to run 24/7. A watch is (or should be anyway).

I second his recommendation for the feature set too. That as a bare minimum. You can fudge some features with smart switches etc so that they run only a certain number of hours too (ones that plug into the wall anyway).

The only other thing I would add is start at the minimum on the settings and work your way up from there (based on the specs of the movement).

That last point is pretty interesting. I guess it would have to do with how the winding mechanism is designed. It is the Doctor Strange drawer with all of the watches completely horizontal. Nothing would wind!

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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by H0rati0 »

rkovars wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 5:50 pm
That last point is pretty interesting. I guess it would have to do with how the winding mechanism is designed. It is the Doctor Strange drawer with all of the watches completely horizontal. Nothing would wind!
I am pretty certain it is the angle the watch is held at, it needs to be steep enough that gravity acts reliably on the rotor. Some rotors don't seem to be as reliably activated, micro rotor movements particularly, but as you say it all depends on the actual design.
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by Gar787 »

“As for the C65 AM 2 VEV SE (quartz)... I set this once (five months ago), wear it when I want and then pop it back in the box... it's never stopped and has gained precisely 2 secs in that whole time :shock: Again, arguably we should all be wearing quartz watches :lol:

When I’m not wearing any of my quartz watches I ‘pop’ the crown as I have been reliably informed that while this stops the watch, logically it extends/preserves battery life…it works on my C8 Flyer for sure.
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by Leon O »

rkovars wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 5:50 pm
H0rati0 wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 5:34 pm Buy a watch winder for overnight use. Why not?

An auto is designed for being in use constantly. Watch winders work fine and any "added wear" is no big deal unless compared with putting a watch away and not wearing it for months. Make sure you get one with adjustable TPD (though 650 a day is plenty for most watches) and directional winding options - but I suspect these days probably all do.

For more than ten years I have usually kept three to four autos including a moon phase fully set on a winder so I can just grab one in the afternoon/evening as I too find myself often preferring replaceable quartz watches during the day to minimize knocks etc.

One further thing: I have found the clip in vertical style winders much better at maintaining wind (tested with PR indicators) the angled types didn't do the job for me on quite a few watches.
I have often wondered how much of the ire aimed at winders is held over from the shoddy winders of the past. There are pretty good options available today (some for pretty short money). Everyone totes out the car analogy but in my mind that isn't a good one because a car isn't designed to run 24/7. A watch is (or should be anyway).

I second his recommendation for the feature set too. That as a bare minimum. You can fudge some features with smart switches etc so that they run only a certain number of hours too (ones that plug into the wall anyway).

The only other thing I would add is start at the minimum on the settings and work your way up from there (based on the specs of the movement).

That last point is pretty interesting. I guess it would have to do with how the winding mechanism is designed. It is the Doctor Strange drawer with all of the watches completely horizontal. Nothing would wind!

Image
Thanks, I have a decent vertical 2-watch watch winder that has kepy my automatic watches going in the past.

Leon
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by rkovars »

Gar787 wrote: Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:50 am “As for the C65 AM 2 VEV SE (quartz)... I set this once (five months ago), wear it when I want and then pop it back in the box... it's never stopped and has gained precisely 2 secs in that whole time :shock: Again, arguably we should all be wearing quartz watches :lol:

When I’m not wearing any of my quartz watches I ‘pop’ the crown as I have been reliably informed that while this stops the watch, logically it extends/preserves battery life…it works on my C8 Flyer for sure.
This depends on the design of the module. Some stop the movement and go into a low power mode preserving the time. Some just stop the stepper but don't go into the low power draw. The specs on the movement will let you know.
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by Andy Porter »

Depending on the watch winder, it shouldn't be winding the watch more that if you are wearing it and the movement is smooth without the bangs and jolts of everyday life. I keep my C60 on for all exercise, unless the bracelet will interfere with my wrist, and put my polar on the other wrist.

If the power bank is 30+hrs, you should be able to take the watch off for that period of time and it still be running. Just shaking your wrist while at your desk will count to winding the watch.
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by JymKhana »

I am not clear on a point. Specifically are you only having issues with 1 watch? I don't want to come across as questioning your level of activity. I myself have a desk job now and don't move as much. Even so, I cannot recall have a self-wind watch not able to keep enough of a power reserve from simply wearing it. Perhaps the watch needs to be checked for issues.

If the watch is fine then I don't see that having it sit in a watch-winder over-night would be that big of an issue in this specific case.

Finally, you said you picked it up at Disney? Where exactly? I live just a few hours away and so I take the family there occasionally and if there is a place I can see the CW collection at Disney I would love to do that before buying another.
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by tikkathree »

Watch winders? I have a 4-watch winder and nowadays tend to use it infrequently other than for my most complimacated watch which is an ETA apprentice piece with day, date, month and moon phase to be kept current.

Otherwise the notion that they create excessive movement wear? Well for most of the population a watch is a "wear every day all day" item so I don't subscribe to the "if you use it you'll wear it out" theory (same goes for chrono movements to my mind either).

Aye, I've had days where I've not done enough wrist movement to wind the watch properly.

Habitually I choose tomorrow's watch this evening and will adjust and part wind it on for the last few hours of the day. Unless of course SWMBO is asleep on my left shoulder. :lol: :lol:
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Re: Top off in the Morning or Watch Winder Overnight

Post by Leon O »

JymKhana wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:50 pm I am not clear on a point. Specifically are you only having issues with 1 watch? I don't want to come across as questioning your level of activity. I myself have a desk job now and don't move as much. Even so, I cannot recall have a self-wind watch not able to keep enough of a power reserve from simply wearing it. Perhaps the watch needs to be checked for issues.

If the watch is fine then I don't see that having it sit in a watch-winder over-night would be that big of an issue in this specific case.

Finally, you said you picked it up at Disney? Where exactly? I live just a few hours away and so I take the family there occasionally and if there is a place I can see the CW collection at Disney I would love to do that before buying another.
I've had similar challenges with a Seiko SKX, a Seiko, Samurai, a Limes Endurance II (Selitta SW200-1), and a microbrand that used a Miyota 8215.

Appolgies for typo, I BROUGHT it on a trip to Disney World.
C7 Rapide Quartz, C60 Pro 300 Chronograph Quartz, C3 Malvern Chronograph, C7 Rapide Chronograph Quartz, C65 AM GT LE, C7 Rapide Chrongraph LE, C65 Trident Diver HW, C5 Malvern 595, C65 Trident GMT Pepsi
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