Vintage watches in watch winder- harmful?

[Robert Tschiemer]

The manager of my AD said if it were him, he would not put my 1675 (1962) on a watch winder. Is there a concern? I have never heard that. I rotate my watches weekly and normally have it and a 5513 (1978) on the winder to alternate with a third watch.

[Dan S]

It's unnecessary wear and tear on the movement, by a factor of 3x in your case. However, if you care about having the date set correctly, I can understand why you might want to have the 1675 on a winder. There's no reason at all to do it with the 5513, IMO.

[Robert Tschiemer]

Thanks Dan. I keep learning!

[TuRo]

Originally Posted by Robert Tschiemer

Thanks Dan. I keep learning!

STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST - bit like having your vintage car collection on tickover while you party/sleep/gird you loins for a drive etc...lot of collateral wear !

Also it's not even going to be correct for many months of the year eg

February, April, June, September, November...

[Robert Tschiemer]

Yes, I take care of our vintage cars: Triumph Spitfire, MGB (two), and MG Midget!

[jchabalk]

Originally Posted by Dan S

It's unnecessary wear and tear on the movement, by a factor of 3x in your case. However, if you care about having the date set correctly, I can understand why you might want to have the 1675 on a winder. There's no reason at all to do it with the 5513, IMO.

If you rotate through 3 watches for a week at a time you could just extend the use of one to 2 weeks so the 1675 gets used monthly and keep the date correct, or change it by a day or so each time.

I agree though, i wouldn't keep them on the winder.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by jchabalk

If you rotate through 3 watches for a week at a time you could just extend the use of one to 2 weeks so the 1675 gets used monthly and keep the date correct, or change it by a day or so each time.

Sounds like a good excuse to buy a 4th watch!

[swish77]

If it’s OK to wear a vintage Rolex every day, not sure why putting it on a winder matters. Sure, it’s more wear on the movement, but having it on your wrist does that too.

Engines in vintage cars, on the other hand, are not designed to run 24/7. Watches, even old ones, are designed to run 24/7.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by swish77

Watches, even old ones, are designed to run 24/7.

Yes they are, and it also creates wear on the moving parts, which sometimes requires repair or replacement of parts. For example, in these 4-digit Rolex movements, I've often had to have parts replaced in the auto-winding mechanism. One may or may not avoid the need for repairs by increasing the service interval. IMO, it just makes sense to avoid unnecessary wear to vintage movements where parts can be expensive and hard to find.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Robert Tschiemer

The manager of my AD said if it were him, he would not put my 1675 (1962) on a watch winder. Is there a concern? I have never heard that. I rotate my watches weekly and normally have it and a 5513 (1978) on the winder to alternate with a third watch.

All a winder does is rotate the watch, turning the rotor. This keeps the watch running all the time, nothing more. The only "damage" going on is normal wear and tear. It's up to you if you want that additional wear or not.