Why an automatic watch needs manual winding too
Winding an automatic watch sounds contradictory at first, since the movement winds itself while you wear it. That is exactly the point: an oscillating rotor inside tensions the mainspring a little with every arm movement, and as long as you wear the watch regularly, this mechanism keeps the power reserve full by itself. But if the watch stands still because it lay in a drawer for a few days, the spring is empty and the rotor has nothing to start from. After such a standstill, the power reserve first has to be built up again.
This is where manual winding comes in, and it is why winding an automatic watch can be classified clearly: after a standstill, it is best to build up the first power reserve by hand via the crown. This brings the movement straight to a safe level, instead of slowly nudging it along for minutes by shaking it or wearing it carefully. Afterwards, the rotor takes over the daily top-up again while you wear it.
The distinction between starting up and fully winding is important. A few turns are enough for the watch to start at all and for you to set it. For reliable running throughout the day, a few more are good, so that the watch also survives a short break from wearing. Both steps work with the same simple hand movement on the crown.
Winding an automatic watch: the right order
A fixed order, which you will quickly remember, helps to make sure nothing goes wrong when winding. First you check whether your watch has a normal or a screw-down crown, because the first step depends on it. Then you wind the movement in the right crown position and finally set the time and date.
- Unscrew the crown, if screw-down: If the crown is screwed down, first turn it anticlockwise until it pops out slightly. Watches without a screw-down crown skip this step.
- Choose position 0: The crown stays fully pushed in, in the winding position. In this position only the mainspring is tensioned, without the hands or date changing.
- Turn calmly clockwise: Turn the crown evenly forwards. As a rule of thumb, 20 to 40 turns provide enough reserve for the watch to run reliably.
- Set time and date: Now you pull the crown to the corresponding click, set the date first and then the exact time.
- Secure the crown again: Push the crown back to position 0 and, with a screw-down crown, screw it down firmly again so that the watch stays sealed.
This order works for practically every automatic watch with a date and three hands. On models with additional functions such as day of the week or moon phase, another crown click may be added, but the basic principle stays the same. If in doubt, a look at your watch's manual clears up any remaining questions.
Crown positions at a glance
The crown is the central control element, and on most watches its positions follow the same pattern. If you know them, you know exactly what is happening in the movement with every action. The following overview shows the three typical positions of an automatic watch with a date.
| Position | Crown position | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Position 0 | fully pushed in, unscrewed beforehand for a screw-down crown | Manual winding of the mainspring |
| Position 1 | pulled out one step | Quick adjustment of date or day of the week, if present |
| Position 2 | fully pulled out | Setting the hands, often with seconds stop |
Not every watch has all three positions; simple models without a date manage with winding and hand setting. The exact assignment can differ slightly depending on the movement, so the manual is the authoritative source when it matters. As a guide for everyday use, however, this table covers the vast majority of automatic watches.
How many turns? The rule of thumb and its limits
There is no answer to the question of the right number that is valid for all watches, which is why you should treat any fixed figure with healthy scepticism. As a rule of thumb, 20 to 40 crown turns have become established for reliably getting a stopped watch going. This range provides enough reserve for the watch to start and also to survive a short break from wearing.
Why no exact number is possible comes down to how the movements are built. Barrel length, gear ratio and power reserve differ markedly from calibre to calibre; a movement with 40 hours of reserve ticks differently from one with over 70 hours. The rule of thumb should therefore be understood deliberately as a rough guideline and not as a specification that you would have to follow to the exact turn.
In practice, it is best to go by feel: turn until the watch runs reliably and you can set it comfortably. If you then wear the watch during the day, the rotor fills the spring up to a sensible maximum anyway. How much reserve your specific calibre has and how that relates to the turns on a watch winder is explored in more depth in the article Turns per day.
Screw-down crown: unscrew first, close again afterwards
Many water-resistant watches, especially dive and sports models, have a screw-down crown. It presses a gasket against the case and so protects the movement from water and dust. Before you can wind such a watch, you have to unscrew the crown, because it cannot be turned while screwed down.
To unscrew it, turn the crown anticlockwise until it pops out a little by itself and turns freely. Only then can you wind the spring in position 0 and subsequently set the time and date. Do not use force; the crown should turn smoothly, and jamming indicates that the thread has not engaged cleanly.
The most important step comes last and is often forgotten: after setting, you push the crown back in and gently screw it down until it sits firmly. Only then does the gasket seal, and the watch stays water-resistant. Turn the crown only as tight as it goes without effort, because an overtightened thread does more harm than good.
Can you overwind an automatic watch?
This worry stops many people from winding their watch by hand at all, yet it is unfounded with automatic movements. The reason is the slipping clutch, also called a bridle: the mainspring is not rigidly attached in the barrel but via a sliding end piece. Once the spring is fully tensioned, this end piece slips and prevents any further winding.
In practice this means: you cannot overwind an automatic watch by hand, no matter how long you turn. This slipping clutch is the same mechanism that, while you wear the watch, ensures the constantly swinging rotor does not burst the spring. That is why a good watch winder is also harmless, as it relies on exactly this safety principle.
The situation is quite different with pure manual-winding movements, which have no rotor. Here there is no slipping clutch but a fixed stop: as soon as you feel noticeable resistance while turning, the spring is full and you must stop immediately. If you keep turning with force, you risk a broken spring. The simple rule of thumb is therefore: with an automatic, keep going until it slips without worry; with a manual-winding watch, only up to the first clear resistance.
Wind on the wrist or off the wrist?
In principle a watch can be wound on the wrist or off it, but winding it off the wrist is the gentler option. If you wind it on your arm, you press the crown slightly sideways, and this sideways load is transferred to the fine winding stem and the crown tube. Over the years this can stress the gaskets and the stem more than necessary.
It is therefore best to take the watch off for winding and hold it loosely in your hand. That way you turn the crown straight and without tilting, which protects the thread, especially with screw-down crowns. Especially after a longer standstill, when many turns are needed anyway, this small extra effort is worthwhile.
In a hectic day, a quick wind on the wrist is no big deal if you proceed gently. For a full wind after a break, however, the watch taken off remains the better choice. Once you have made this a habit, you automatically treat your movement with more care.
Shaking as a stopgap, put honestly
You often see it: a stopped automatic is shaken briefly until it ticks again. This works because the movement sets the rotor in motion and builds up a little reserve, but it is only good as a stopgap. A few gentle swings from the wrist get the watch started, but no more, because the power reserve generated this way is small.
You should, however, keep your hands off vigorous, jerky shaking. The rotor then spins at high speed against its bearing, and this unnecessary load wears down over time. Calm manual winding via the crown is gentler, faster and brings the watch more reliably to a sensible level.
The honest conclusion is: a gentle swing in an emergency is fine, but manual winding is the better standard solution. If you wear the watch afterwards, you no longer need to think about the reserve. Only those who rotate through many watches hit a practical limit here, which is covered in the next section.
Power reserve, winders and when they are worthwhile
If you own only one automatic watch and wear it almost daily, you need neither a winder nor frequent manual winding, as your wrist does the work. It looks different as soon as several watches are rotated, because every watch you put down will eventually stop. Then every time you reach for a watch you have to reset the time and date, and it is exactly this effort that annoys many collectors.
Here a watch winder can be the more convenient solution: it keeps the watch you put down in gentle motion, so that it stays wound and set. It is not necessary for the health of the movement; it is a convenience device for frequent rotators and for watches with elaborate calendar functions. Whether the purchase is worthwhile for you is explained in detail in the guide Does my watch need a watch winder?.
If you have decided on a winder, our watch winder buying guide with the comparisons for 1 watch and for 2 to 4 watches leads you to the right model. And if your watch suddenly runs very fast despite being fully wound, it is worth looking at the topic of magnetism in the guide Magnetised watch before buying a winder. That completes the circle from the right winding technique to suitable storage.