Step-to-Step Instructions on How to Wind a Watch

Winding a mechanical watch isn't too difficult to do.

In the days before more modern technology, watches had to be wound by hand. As you turned the watch, the mechanical spring would tighten up. This would provide the energy for the watch to keep time, but as the spring unwound it would lose energy and you'd need to wind the watch again. Not many people still have watches that need to be wound, but it's not too hard to figure out.

Things You'll Need

• Mechanical watch

Instructions

1. Check to see if the watch has a screw-down crown. This is the little winding knob on top of the watch that you'll be turning to wind up the spring. If there is a screw-down crown you'll have to unscrew the crown (turning it counter-clockwise and pulling it out slightly) before you wind the watch. If the watch has a normal crown that turns freely, you can skip this step.

2. Wind the watch by turning the crown in a clockwise direction. If you're looking down at your watch, with the face pointed toward yourself, you should turn the crown in the same direction that the hands on the watch move. Wind the crown in slow, consistent turns.

3. Keep winding until you feel an increased resistance. This is the feeling of the spring inside the watch getting tighter and requiring more energy to wind. This may take 20 to 50 revolutions, depending on how wound down the spring is when you start. Once you feel this resistance, stop winding the watch.

References

• Earthlink: How to Wind a Mechanical Watch