M
MECHANICALS
GUIDE to
AFFORDABLE MECHANICALS
MECHANICAL WATCH TIPS:
Gentlemen,
start
your engines!
If your among the growing list of fans of mechanical watches there are wind and let it run down of its own accord - even if you do not intend to
some basic does and don’ts specific to the use (and abuse) of our tick- continue wearing it. This will bring the mainspring to its tightest and allow
ing timepieces. it to go through the cycle from fully taught to completely relaxed. With
One point of interest is whether a mechanical watch benefits the advent of new alloys now used, the likelihood a mainspring going
from being used – or is better off if left in a non-running state for “set” (that is losing its ability to fully unwind) is less of an issue than it
long-term functionality. used to be, but it can still happen and fully winding and unwinding makes
According to our go-to Master Watchmaker and advisory board member this unlikely problem even less of an issue.
Don Loke, the answer is somewhere in the middle. While running as Another timely piece of advice from Mr. Loke is to be sure to use an
mechanical watch keeps the oils and grease fluid and functional, a wrist- automatic winder that is adjustable so it will not continuously try to wind
watch does not necessarily need to run 24/7 in order to stay limber and a fully wound automatic watch. Modern automatic mechanical watches
benefit from this effect. benefit from a slipping bridle to protect the mainspring from breakage,
Whether an automatic or manual wind our expert recommends running a but if constantly over-wound to the point the bridle is constantly slipping
mechanical watch at least once a month for best long-term performance. within the housing, you will impact the service life of the components and
I would add that it’s also good idea to bring your watch to a state of full possibly impair the power reserve over time.
10 | AboutTime Magazine