Manual winding

What is manual winding?

With manual winding, the user supplies energy to a mechanical watch by turning its crown. A hand-wound movement requires this to keep running. In an automatic watch, wrist movement can wind the mainspring through a rotor. Many automatic movements can also be wound using the crown, but the procedure must be checked for the model.

Wind without forcing

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for crown position and winding direction. Do not transfer a fixed number of turns from one watch to another. Stop if the crown meets clear resistance or anything feels abnormal; do not force an old watch into operation.

Recording observations

Note whether the watch accepts winding, whether the crown is secure and whether the movement starts. Record these observations without equating them with a complete service examination. “The watch runs” says less than a documented account of rate, running duration and the functions actually tested.

See our wristwatches category.

Sources

Longines: mechanical watches and winding and Tissot: model-dependent winding and careful handling.