What happens if you overwind a pocket watch

Key-wind direction can be either clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on the watch, but is usually clockwise. Start by trying to turn the key gently in the clockwise direction. If it turns easily against the spring tension and you hear or feel the ratchet clicking, then you're turning the correct direction.

If you just encounter resistance, or if it feels like something is slipping, then you're probably trying to turn the wrong direction. If you have large hands, you may find it easier to hold the key and turn the watch. If you don't know what size key your watch requires, you can refer to our table of pocket watch key sizes.

If you have a keywind watch and you don't have a winding key for it, or if you've lost the winding key for your antique pocket watch, there are replacement keys available.

We have full sets of winding keys available on our Watch Accessories page. We also stock single keys in select sizes. You may need one key to wind the watch and another to set the watch, or you may just need a single key if the winding square and the setting arbor are the same size. If you are trying to wind your watch and can't, there could be several reasons. If the winding crown or key turns forever and you never build up any mainspring tension, then your mainspring is very likely broken or missing.

If the winding crown or key won't turn in either direction, then the watch is probably fully wound and won't run because of some other problem.

There is really no such thing as an over-wound watch. Such high quality movements run on less mainspring power. This offers a possibility of designing a thinner and longer mainspring that could fit into the same size mainspring barrel. If you are regularly using Your vintage pocket watch , it may quickly be running out of mainspring power, so you should probably wind once a day. Some people have developed a good habit to be winding their watches at same time each day.

Frequent Winding makes your watch to run consistently in timekeeping, without losing many seconds. Some luxury pocket watches come with power reserve indicators. You will notice these handy watches because they have a small dial with a scale indicating how much power is left in the wound mainspring. The wind indicator runs from zero to higher values. When the mainspring is fully wound, the up-down indicator points at zero on the scale.

Think of it as the number of hours that have elapsed since the watch was last wound. When winding a wind-indicator watch, it is common practice stop winding when the indicator reads zero. Winding beyond the zero means over stretching the spring to its elastic limit. Again, you should not allow the power reserve to run down to below the 35 mark before you rewind the watch. Keep you winding regular so that the power reserve never drop outside of the middle of the mainspring.

Wind indicators pocket watches are highly valued and sort after by pocket watch collectors. If you have one, even if it is old, you will have a good marketed for it. The number of turns in the winding arbor in a pocket watch determine how long to fully wing the watch. You need many winding strokes to wind a mainspring with many turns. In same way, the number of half turns in the winding stem varies according to the watch model.

A Full winding is quickly reached with pocket watches that have thicker mainsprings. A though a full wind is quickly completed, this kind of arrangement with a thicker mainspring may result in a hard-to-wind watch. Other pocket watches have different winding wheel ratios what require pretty longer time and many winding strokes for full wind to be completed. The gear ratio is calculated in such a way to make the watch slower, easier and smoother to wind, with little effort.

You should note that winding wheel ratios vary by pocket watch models. The size of your pocket watch winding crown also affect how quick a full wind is reached.

A larger the crown, makes it easier to wind the pocket watch while a small sized crown does not offer the grip that would be suitable for a smooth winding. Force winding may cause more damage. Understand that no harm can come in winding the watch unless it is forced in a winding process. Automatic Winding are also called Self-winding watches.

Related: How to measure your wrist size accurately, for watches and bracelets. This mainspring is the source of the mechanic energy the watch relies on and it often comes housed in a drum or barrel. Here is how energy from spring is converted into rotating hour, minutes and second hands. As the main spring winds, it stores potential energy or tensions as it coils up. When it unwinds or uncoils, the stored energy provides the power for the gear train escapement, balance wheel and hour, minutes hands.

It has a mainspring just like a mechanical watch, but the difference is that it is wound when you are simply moving or swinging your arm or wrist. If you cannot wear the watch to wind it, simply shake the automatic watch with your hand.

Generally, Most modern automatic watches today can be hand-wound. That goes same with hand-wound mechanical watches. Automatic watches are built in such a way that The winding mechanism will simply decouple from the mainspring when it is fully wound. In that case it will be winding into infinity.

When you notice this, know that is when you should stop winding your watch. Not all pocket watches with automatic moment have over wind protection. Some Old pocket watches have poor quality and they still use older mechanisms which were never designed to protect the mainspring from over-winding.

In the other hand, Manual winding watches do not have the over-protector. In this case, you will need to rely on feeling a resistance when the mainspring is fully wound. Elgin Watch Case Co. Essex Watch Case Co.

Fahys Watch Case Co. Illinois Watch Case Co. Keystone Watch Case Co. Philadelphia Watch Case Co. Roy Watch Case Co. Solidarity Watch Case Co. Star Watch Case Co. Ball E. American Horologe Co. Palmer D. Dudley E. Ingraham Co. Bowman E. Flint E. Welch Mfg. Quite often you will need to remove the movement from the watch in order to examine it. Antique watches in their original boxes, with a certificate of authenticity, are much easier to value.

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