A manual-wind mechanical watch requires regularly winding, and is powered by the energy from a wound spring. This spring stores energy and transfers it through a series of gears and springs, regulating the release of energy to power the watch.
All mechanical watches have these five parts:
A mainspring
A gear train
A balance wheel
An escapement mechanism
An indicating dial
Did you know?
One of the earliest known wristwatches was gifted to Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1571 by Robert Dudley.
It wasn’t until the late 19thCentury that wristwatches became popularized – they were preferred by military personnel over pocket watches which were deemed too impractical in the heat of battle.
WINDING & SETTING THE TIME/DATE
Step 1 – Unscrew the Crown (If the watch doesn’t have a screw-down crown, skip to Step 2):
Remove the watch from your wrist and unscrew the crown (button on the right side of the case) by turning it anti-clockwise. After a few revolutions of the crown, it will ‘pop’ out a notch, at which point the crown can be turned clockwise.
Step 2 – Wind the Crown
Wind the crown clockwise. There will be some small resistance, and a distinct mechanical sound as you wind. Wind the crown until you are met with firm resistance, and then stop. Do not force the winder any further.
Step 3 – Set the Time & Date
Pull the crown out a notch, and turn to adjust the time. For models with a non-quick-set date, continue turning the hands around manually until reaching the desired date. For models with a date feature, make sure to correctly set the time to AM or PM. For quick-set models, pull the crown out a 2nd notch, and turn to adjust the date.
Step 4 – Closing the Crown
On models with a screw-down crown, push the crown back in towards the case, and turn clockwise simultaneously. The crown will ‘catch’ onto the screw thread, and after a few turns will not screw any further. Do not over tighten, and be careful not to cross-thread the crown. For models without a screw-down crown, simply push the crown back in towards the case.
IMPORTANT NOTES