question on power reserve

[mkmk]

Assume your watch has stopped. You set it and give it 1 wind to start it and then put it on and wear it doing vigourous activity for days and night.
I have read here that wearing it will just keep it at the power reserve it was before you started wearing it.
I thought that wearing it would wind it to the point of a full wind (the equivalent of 40 turns of the crown).
Would appreciate the correct answer from someone who knows.

[sco]

The watch will continue to run while you wear it (probably). It will not wind any more from wearing it (even vigorously).

[diracpoint]

Originally Posted by mkmk

Assume your watch has stopped. You set it and give it 1 wind to start it and then put it on and wear it doing vigourous activity for days and night.
I have read here that wearing it will just keep it at the power reserve it was before you started wearing it.
I thought that wearing it would wind it to the point of a full wind (the equivalent of 40 turns of the crown).
Would appreciate the correct answer from someone who knows.

In my experience, wearing several days with decent amount of physical activity results in a full wind.

You can do this experiment. Start with just 1 wind as you said and then wear for a week or so and then see how long it takes before it stops.

[Friar]

I have a Ball watch with a power reserve indicator--which make answering this question much easier--and it will wind from active movement. One day I slipped into a lower pocket of some cargo pants where it got a lot of action. The power reserve showed that it was topped off in a couple of hours. I love that complication and am seriously thinking of getting a North Flag as well.

[REFZ]

When my Submariner of Daytona has stopped running it needs at least 10-15 full winds to start the movement.
Besides that I always give it about 40-45 full winds when I start wearing a watch which has stopped running.

When wearing the watch after that it will be fully wound for around 2 days when you stop wearing the watch.

[ratty]

Originally Posted by sco

The watch will continue to run while you wear it (probably). It will not wind any more from wearing it (even vigorously).

I've heard this said a few times but I don't understand it.

Imagine watch fully wound = 100%

Watch is then left on bedside cabinet for 10 hours. Let's just say for a figure that this reduces the stored energy by 10%. So watch is now 90% fully wound up.

Watch then worn all day so no more energy loss then again left on cabinet at night and losses another 10% of original full wind up. So now, after two lots of sitting on cabinet for 10 hours, it's at 80% or original full wind.

If this carries on, after about 10 to 12 nights of watch lying on cabinet the watch would stop if it did not recover some of it's lost 'wind' wouldn't it? Well mine hasn't! Surely this shows that movement while wearing the watch does actually restore some energy back into the spring and winds the watch up?

Even when being worn but not moving, such as at night, a watch will loose energy and if this is not replaced by movement the watch will stop in a relatively short time. I wore my first Rolex for about a year before I heard that it 'should' be wound every so often so surely it should have stopped long before this if movement does not restore energy?

[Lordofrolex]

When you first put it on give it about 25 turns you'll be good.

[tkerrmd]

don't think just wearing it gives it a full wind. I guess depending on activity and movement level theoretically it could

[The Joker]

Originally Posted by ratty

I've heard this said a few times but I don't understand it.

Imagine watch fully wound = 100%

Watch is then left on bedside cabinet for 10 hours. Let's just say for a figure that this reduces the stored energy by 10%. So watch is now 90% fully wound up.

Watch then worn all day so no more energy loss then again left on cabinet at night and losses another 10% of original full wind up. So now, after two lots of sitting on cabinet for 10 hours, it's at 80% or original full wind.

If this carries on, after about 10 to 12 nights of watch lying on cabinet the watch would stop if it did not recover some of it's lost 'wind' wouldn't it? Well mine hasn't! Surely this shows that movement while wearing the watch does actually restore some energy back into the spring and winds the watch up?

Even when being worn but not moving, such as at night, a watch will loose energy and if this is not replaced by movement the watch will stop in a relatively short time. I wore my first Rolex for about a year before I heard that it 'should' be wound every so often so surely it should have stopped long before this if movement does not restore energy?

I agree with this, well put. Science prevails!!

[Tri-Tip]

Originally Posted by ratty

I've heard this said a few times but I don't understand it.

Imagine watch fully wound = 100%

Watch is then left on bedside cabinet for 10 hours. Let's just say for a figure that this reduces the stored energy by 10%. So watch is now 90% fully wound up.

Watch then worn all day so no more energy loss then again left on cabinet at night and losses another 10% of original full wind up. So now, after two lots of sitting on cabinet for 10 hours, it's at 80% or original full wind.

If this carries on, after about 10 to 12 nights of watch lying on cabinet the watch would stop if it did not recover some of it's lost 'wind' wouldn't it? Well mine hasn't! Surely this shows that movement while wearing the watch does actually restore some energy back into the spring and winds the watch up?

Even when being worn but not moving, such as at night, a watch will loose energy and if this is not replaced by movement the watch will stop in a relatively short time. I wore my first Rolex for about a year before I heard that it 'should' be wound every so often so surely it should have stopped long before this if movement does not restore energy?

I agree as well. When my Sub-C was my only Rolex, I went for probably a year without winding it because I wore it daily.

[KevNev]

It can potentially get up to a full wind just by wearing it. This of course depends on your activity level.

Anyone that states it will not gain any wind just by wearing has obviously never worn a watch with a power reserve complication.

[mkmk]

Interesting the difference of opinions on a subject that has a definitive answer.

[sco]

Here is an example of why just wearing the watch with one wind is not optimal. It is much more productive to wind an automatic watch via the crown. That is all I was saying.

http://www.bernardwatch.com/blog/why...ith-the-crown/

[ratty]

Originally Posted by sco

Here is an example of why just wearing the watch with one wind is not optimal. It is much more productive to wind an automatic watch via the crown. That is all I was saying.

........

Well it might have been what you meant, but it was not what you said.

I have heard a few people say that movement when wearing an automatic watch can not increase the energy stored but, as I have said, I do not understand how this can be correct.

[sco]

Originally Posted by ratty

Well it might have been what you meant, but it was not what you said.

I have heard a few people say that movement when wearing an automatic watch can not increase the energy stored but, as I have said, I do not understand how this can be correct.

I have always been under the impression that just wearing an automatic will not increase the power reserve. If I am incorrect, then I can accept that.

[ratty]

No problem at all, I just wonder why people think this.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by sco

I have always been under the impression that just wearing an automatic will not increase the power reserve. If I am incorrect, then I can accept that.

Yes, you are incorrect.

It takes about 650 turns of the rotor (through wrist action) to maintain power reserve (zero loss, zero gain)

If you are active enough to give it 700 turns daily, it will eventually wind it fully - but with that sort of gearing it will take a looooong time, perhaps weeks.

Likewise, if you only give it 600 turns daily, it will slowly run down because you are not putting as much into it as it is consuming to stay running.. It will eventually reach parity and stop on your wrist..

It ain't magic, it's physics..

[Jemspeed]

This has an easy answer, I have an Orient with a power reserve indicator that can't be manually wound. Starting from zero and earing it and taking it off at night, it would wind progressively up to full wind by the middle of the second day. This watch can not be hand wound you can only wind it up by wearing it.

[Robbie68]

My IWC Big Pilot will go from one day power reserve to a full seven with approx three days of normal wear.

[Tools]

Some manufacturers are geared differently, especially those that do not have an active winding crown.

These watches will auto-wind faster, but the trade off is that they will rotate the mainspring in the barrel if they are always over-wound, essentially wearing out the mainspring barrel.

It's a trade-off in manufacturing and engineering design. All watch movements are not the same..

[Andad]

My 14060m (weekday watch) will wind up from zero PR to full PR on my wrist during one day out on site.

Other results may vary.

[ratty]

Originally Posted by directioneng

My 14060m (weekday watch) will wind up from zero PR to full PR on my wrist during one day out on site.

Other results may vary.

How do you know when it is fully wound up?

[Andad]

When I take it off on Friday nights at around 4.30pm home time it will run until about 1.00pm Sunday.

On a full manual wind it runs for just over 45 hrs.

[Blingtone]

Originally Posted by diracpoint

In my experience, wearing several days with decent amount of physical activity results in a full wind.

You can do this experiment. Start with just 1 wind as you said and then wear for a week or so and then see how long it takes before it stops.

^This

Is it just me?
I don't get these power reserve questions?
I have numerous Rolex watches (bought my 1st in'82) and never had an issue in all that time.
Wear it..... it's wound

[Blingtone]

Originally Posted by ratty

How do you know when it is fully wound up?

Not sure if it's in the booklet that comes with your watch, but I've always been told 40 turns of the crown.
Not 39.
Not 41.
40...... and it works just fine for me :)

[zama]

Originally Posted by ratty

I've heard this said a few times but I don't understand it.

Imagine watch fully wound = 100%

Watch is then left on bedside cabinet for 10 hours. Let's just say for a figure that this reduces the stored energy by 10%. So watch is now 90% fully wound up.

Watch then worn all day so no more energy loss then again left on cabinet at night and losses another 10% of original full wind up. So now, after two lots of sitting on cabinet for 10 hours, it's at 80% or original full wind.

If this carries on, after about 10 to 12 nights of watch lying on cabinet the watch would stop if it did not recover some of it's lost 'wind' wouldn't it? Well mine hasn't! Surely this shows that movement while wearing the watch does actually restore some energy back into the spring and winds the watch up?

Even when being worn but not moving, such as at night, a watch will loose energy and if this is not replaced by movement the watch will stop in a relatively short time. I wore my first Rolex for about a year before I heard that it 'should' be wound every so often so surely it should have stopped long before this if movement does not restore energy?

Its why I wear mine 24/7 (other than the shower) the night terrors and thrashing about I have at night keeps the bad boy wound.......

[stainlesssteve]

I wore my first Rolex (a Datejust) for years and never wound it, ever. I remember my Mom, who had given it to me as a gift, and herself had worn Rolex for years, telling me to just shake my wrist to wind it up. And that's what I did... for probably ten years... until the Internet was invented. Then I joined a forum where I became obsessed with Rolex and learned that they could actually be wound up manually!

[ratty]

Originally Posted by Blingtone

Not sure if it's in the booklet that comes with your watch, but I've always been told 40 turns of the crown.
Not 39.
Not 41.
40...... and it works just fine for me :)

I meant if you don't wind it.

[dabbotjordan]

Originally Posted by stainlesssteve

I wore my first Rolex (a Datejust) for years and never wound it, ever. I remember my Mom, who had given it to me as a gift, and herself had worn Rolex for years, telling me to just shake my wrist to wind it up. And that's what I did... for probably ten years... until the Internet was invented. Then I joined a forum where I became obsessed with Rolex and learned that they could actually be wound up manually!

Same but with an old seadweller,if it stopped I would just shake it until it started again!

[jatco]

Originally Posted by sco

Here is an example of why just wearing the watch with one wind is not optimal. It is much more productive to wind an automatic watch via the crown. That is all I was saying.

http://www.bernardwatch.com/blog/why...ith-the-crown/

...sorry 'bout tagging on to an old post...but this was Pg 6 of 21..starting from the Oldest.. .
..
.....Only because I was searching about 'what effect, if any, would a 'service' to a DJ have, ( new mainspring etc..), with regards to Power Reserve.
Would a new mainspring etal, have an effect on the Power Reserve..?
I'm running a 'test' now to see how that turns out...after my DJ service...
.
..Re Winding..." When I tested my Rolexes for power reserve, I wound them 90 times, just to be absolutely sure they were fully wound. As a normal wind isn't usually a full 360 wind, I would recommend at least 60. Whatever, you can't overwind it"..
.
.- .90 seems like a reasonable way to go, since it's difficult to turn the crown a Full 360 degrees in one motion, between your thumb and forefinger... (as most do)..! - Just a thought...