The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have searched the web and I don't seem to be able to get the answer I want so I would appreciate some input from the experts.

I have several mechanical watches and I rotate them weekly or so.

What are your opinions on whether keeping them on winders or not? It's a bit of a pain to readjust time/date and rewind when I want to use a dead watch, but then I've also read that constantly keeping it moving may be bad for wear and tear but I've also read that it's better to keep them moving. Thoughts?

It's really up to you.

Service intervals are dictated by aging oils these days rather than use so that doesn't really matter. It's whether the inconvenience of setting and winding is worth the trade off of buying winders and / or manually winding each day and that's personal choice.

I'm no expert, but for all the reasons above I would go through the mental gymnastics of a reset each wear. No gain without pain.

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Jim

"You have Control".

My personal opinion is not to keep them on winders and allow regular "rest". IMO it's always good to let the main spring rest occasionally rather than keeping it under consistent tension unnecessarily that can lower it's lifespan faster and makes you pay extra for it's replacement sooner than expected(I stand corrected). It doesn't matter if you are wearing it everyday since you are using it but if you are not, I don't see the need to do it. Since you need to spend additional money to buy a winder I would rather you save it to fund a new watch. Winding a watch is a pleasure to me anyway so if you find it a chore then maybe a quartz might be more suitable for your needs:p

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Breitling Chronomat 01 Limited Edition
Breitling Navitimer 01 46mm

Understood. Perhaps I might have stated myself more clear. Winding and resetting time isn't a big deal but as my watches are diver watches unscrewing a crown and screwing back just "feels" like I'm stressing the gasket or o ring and that's adding to wear and tear more than letting it run on the winder. I suppose they cancel out and comes down to preference. Appreciate the opinions.

I wind my watches each day because I enjoy the daily handling of them and I want to be able to pick up and go. But after I had a problem with the crown on my SOSF I don't screw the crown down each time. I have just made the habit of ensuring the crown is screwed down when I put them on.

Yep, same here on the crown position. Crown threads are pretty good on Breitlings, but don't want to take the chance of any damage either.

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Jim

"You have Control".

Mainspring wear is a non issue - that's a service part anyway and will be routinely replaced. A modern mainspring will outlast a hairspring and the lubrication capability of the oils. When the power reserve drops in a watch requiring service it is generally not because of an aging spring but because of increasing friction in the mainspring barrel and running train caused by aging oils.

Owners of titanium Breitlings may well dispute that "crown threads are pretty good on Breitlings", the grade 2 Ti that Breitling uses is well known for having issues with stripped threads. The gaskets aren't really an issue unless the crown is overtightened, but in theory daily unscrewing and screwing of the crown can cause wear to the threads as that is metal on metal contact without any protection. In most watches and with most metals that's not a huge practical issue but given that the case / crown tube is not a service part and you want it to last Novacastrian's suggestion of only screwing the crown down when wearing works well - you just need to get into the routine of remembering to do it, especially if going into the water.

It's personal preference and also the number of auto's you have. I prefer to keep them on a winder for convenience. I have never read anything related to a winder causing increased wear between servicing.