The Breitling Watch Source Forums

ok, lets start out by saying. i had an awesome one watch orbita winder at one point. i ended up selling it because i didnt use it.... lol

well, things are a little different now. mainly because im about to be up to 3 "nice" auto's. where i only had 1 at the time i had the winder and was simply just working to much to ever be able to wear it. i dont have a job that i can wear a nice watch at. so they mostly sit 90% of the time. which is ok for me to a point. but i do get sick of always having to wind it, set the date etc. every time i want to wear it. i used to like it, but like usual with little kids time because valuable and it would be much easier to grab and go.

on the other hand, i figure if the watch isnt "working" it isnt wearing out either? i figured i usually wear them enough to keep the oils spread about etc. but the extra wear and tear from the watch being on the winder might not be the best either?

any help or guidance of what you do or would do is greatly appreciated.

Servicing need has nothing to do with use. Servicing today is driven by the breakdown of the oils and that happens at a predictable rate as the oil ages, whether the watch runs or not has no affect on that. I guess that there is marginal additional wear on the running train that may eventually result in a higher cost to service if it's left to run, but it wouldn't be something that I worry about.

The synthetic lubricants used today don't really break down, and service intervals are pretty long regardless. One of the big reasons for regular intervals is checking water resistance given even modern silicone O-rings do wear out. The only reason one absolutely needs a winder IMO is if they have a perpetual calendar, or a billion complications that are a pain to reset. Another reason would be if someone doesn't want to risk accidentally setting the time in the 'danger zone', although it isn't a hard rule to follow, or if you just hate constantly readjusting dates/times...that's why I try never to have more than one auto at one time!

You might want to tell the companies that produce the lubricants that as they publish schedules of the rate at which they break down!

My apologies as I implied that to be today versus years ago, and I should have specified. Of course all oil will ultimately fail, but what is used today is far better than years before. I'm not familiar with exactly what is used in watches but I am a nut about car oils. I'd imagine gear fluids used in watches are not that far from certain gear lubes used with cars.

well, it figures. after i bought that 3 watch wood box from rainer i find myself wanting a winder instead..... lol.

Watch gear oils are custom made to be watch gear oils and are much, much, much lighter than gear lubes in cars.

well, now it looks like ill be on the hunt for a winder again.... i guess i just have a new watch box to.. lol

At least it's a pretty watch box!

Now here is an interesting spin on this from Breitling "Maintenance Tips" Q&A:

Q：My watch is equipped with a self-winding movement, but I have the habit of winding my watch manually. Will this impact my watch?
A：
Frequent manual winding is not suitable for a self-winding watch. Manual winding means completing an accelerated winding operation that may last for one day under the automatic winding mode; this can cause the self-winding system to run at high speed, resulting in the accelerated wear and a shortened life of the watch. Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01, 04 and 05 can store power for over 70 hours, allowing you to take it easy for a whole weekend or even a three-day holiday.

I always thought manual winding had minimal impact but this seems to suggest otherwise.
What to believe? Roff?

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"It is just a matter of time!"

The rotor doesn't spin when winding unless something is wrong with the disengagement of the rotor - this is a Breitling CYA. I had a watch that had this issue and believe me, you know when it's occurring - the whole watch vibrates and you can hear the rotor spinning incredibly fast. That can certainly cause damage, but it is not a 'normal' situation.

Well, they did not say "the rotor spins", they said "this can cause the self winding system to run at high speed" , whatever that means
In any case, I know exactly what you mean with the "you know when it's occurring - the whole watch vibrates and you can hear the rotor spinning incredibly fast" thingy.
That's exactly what I noticed shortly before my Colt Ocean Auto died last year after 11 very tough years and a full overhaul eventually brought it back to its youth.

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"It is just a matter of time!"