Whether you've just acquired your first mechanical watch or you want to make the most of your timepiece, this guide will walk you through it step-by-step. Winding, setting the time, changing the date, using the chronograph: each function is explained precisely, to help you take care of your watch and avoid errors that could damage its movement.

 

How to wind your watch?

Manual-wind mechanical watch

To wind your mechanical watch, turn the crown clockwise, without forcing it, until you feel a slight resistance. This point of resistance indicates that the mainspring is sufficiently tensioned: there's no need to go beyond it. Forcing the crown past this threshold could irremediably damage the mechanism or even break the spring.

In practice, count approximately 20-25 turns depending on your watch's caliber.

 

Expert tip: Always wind your watch with the crown pulled out from your wrist, to avoid applying lateral pressure to the crown stem, a fragile and expensive part to replace.

Automatic watch: should you wind it by hand?

If your watch is automatic, daily wear is enough to keep the spring tensioned. The oscillating rotor, a semi-circular component housed in the movement, rotates with the slightest wrist movement and continuously winds the spring. Regular wear of 8 to 10 hours a day generally ensures sufficient power reserve.

However, if your automatic watch has been unused for several days, it may have stopped. Before wearing it again, you can wind it manually – most automatic movements allow this – then set the time and date.

 

How to change the time?

Setting via the crown

Your watch's crown generally has two or three positions:

• Position O (pushed in): normal wearing position, which protects the mechanism.
• Position 1 (first click): allows for quick date scrolling on some models or time setting on others.
• Position 2 (second click): allows for setting the hour and minute hands.

To set the time, pull the crown; you will feel a slight click. Turn clockwise to advance the hands. Once the correct time is displayed, push the crown firmly back into its initial position. This step is essential to ensure the watch's water resistance.

Precautions according to watch type: On watches equipped with a calendar (date, day, perpetual calendar), avoid setting the hands between 9 PM and 3 AM. This is the time range during which the date change mechanism is engaging: forcing the setting at this time can damage the calendar wheels.

 

How to change the date?

Depending on your model, two main methods exist:

The Quick-Date system
Quick-Date is the most common method on modern watches. Pull the crown to the first click and turn clockwise to cycle through the dates. On some models, you need to alternate between position 1 and position 0, repeating the gesture until you reach the desired date — an explanatory video illustrates this manipulation below.

Date change by advancing the hands
On some watches without a Quick-Date mechanism, you need to advance the hour hands past midnight for the date window to advance one day. To correct several days, repeat the operation by making full turns of the hands.

On other models, an alternative method exists: move the hands back to the 9 o'clock position, then advance them to 12 o'clock. This half-turn is enough to trigger the date change without having to complete a full turn. Repeat the back-and-forth between 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock as many times as necessary to reach the desired date.

 

How to use a chronograph?

The chronograph is the stopwatch function integrated into your watch. It is controlled via two pushers located on the side of the case, usually at 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock.

Start, stop, and reset

• Start: Press the upper pusher (at 2 o'clock) once to start counting. The central second hand or the chronograph's second hand begins to move.
• Stop: Press the same pusher again to stop the chronograph. The hands freeze, allowing you to read the elapsed time.
• Press the lower pusher (at 4 o'clock) to reset all chronograph hands to their starting position.

 

Avoid pressing the reset pusher without first stopping the chronograph, as this could damage the mechanism.

Similarly, for newer watches, if your watch is advertised as water-resistant but not certified for diving, avoid operating the pushers underwater: the seals are not designed to withstand external pressure on moving parts.