[VIDEO] How to Wind a Watch

How To Wind a Watch

Before winding your watch, determine whether the watch is manual or automatic winding. If the watch has an exhibition caseback, one can easily determine whether it is automatic or self-winding. An automatic movement will have a rotor, which will rotate along with the movement of the watch. This rotor automatically winds a watch with an automatic movement. An automatic movement will only need to be wound if the watch has not been worn in a while.

How to Wind an Automatic Watch

To wind an automatic watch, take the crown in between your thumb and forefinger. Start by unthreading the crown by rotating it towards you. Once it is unthreaded, begin twisting the crown back and forth. This will wind the automatic movement. On an automatic watch, you cannot overwind it, so there will be no definite stopping point. The movement will continue to wind as long as you are winding the crown. Pull the crown out one stop and set it to the correct date. Pull it out once more to change the time on the watch. Push the crown back in and thread forward until it stops. The automatic watch has now been properly wound.

How to Wind a Manual Wind

A manual winding watch does have a definite stopping point when winding. This particular watch does not have a screw down crown so you will just take the crown in-between your thumb and forefinger and begin rotating back and forth. Do not rotate it too quickly so that you can stop once it reaches the stopping spring. This watch has a one-step crown because it does not have a date. Pull out the crown and twist it to set the hands to the correct time.

How to Wind a Watch with a Screw-Down Crown

Unscrew the crown by threading it toward you. Once the spring pops out, it is ready to be wound. Turn the crown back and forth to wind the watch. If the watch has a date function, pull the crown out one step and begin rotating the crown. This will turn the hour hand, which will change the date on the watch. After setting it to the correct date pull out the crown once more to set the hands to the correct time. Push the crown back in two times and rotate the crown upward, or away from you, to thread the crown back in. The watch has now been wound.