Congratulations on your new watch. If you are reading these lines, a watch has most likely just found its way to your wrist. It has travelled through the decades, accompanied other lives, and today begins a new chapter with you.
A mechanical watch is no ordinary object. It lives to the rhythm of its mainspring, its balance wheel and the gestures of the person who wears it. These gestures are simple, but they follow their own logic. Whether you are discovering your first mechanical watch or wish to know the one already by your side a little better, this guide explains step by step how to wind it, set the time and date, use a chronograph and care for it so that it continues to travel through the decades.
Contents
- Identifying your watch
- How to wind a mechanical watch
- How to use a screw-down crown
- How to set the time
- How to change the date without damaging your watch
- How to use a chronograph
- How accurate is a vintage watch?
- Good everyday habits
- Caring for the crystal and case
- How to store your watch
- When should you service your watch?
Identifying your watch
Three questions are enough to know which gestures apply to your piece.
Is it manual or automatic?
Does it have a screw-down crown? If the crown will not pull out with gentle pressure, do not force it: it is probably screwed to the case. See the dedicated section.
Does it have a date, a day or a chronograph? Each complication has its own rules, detailed below.
If in any doubt, write to us: we know every watch we have selected and will be delighted to help.
How to wind a mechanical watch
Manual-wind watch
Take the watch off your wrist, then turn the crown clockwise, slowly and without forcing. In the other direction, the crown turns freely without effect: this is normal. Stop as soon as you feel firm resistance: the mainspring is then fully wound. Forcing beyond this point can break the mainspring or damage the winding mechanism.
From a complete stop, allow between 20 and 40 turns depending on the calibre. If the watch was worn the day before, a few turns are enough. Most vintage manual-wind watches offer a power reserve of around a day and a half to two days.
Always wind your watch once it is off your wrist. On the wrist, the crown is turned at an angle, putting lateral pressure on the winding stem, a thin and delicate part.
Automatic watch: should you wind it by hand?
Worn daily, an automatic watch winds itself. With every movement of the wrist, its oscillating weight turns and winds the mainspring. A normal day of wear is generally enough to keep it running.
Some automatic watches from the 1940s and 1950s use a so-called "bumper" system: the weight does not make a full rotation but swings through a limited arc, between two buffer springs. You may feel small knocks on your wrist: they are perfectly normal and part of the charm of these calibres.
If your automatic watch has been left still for a few days, it has probably stopped. On most models, you can restart it with the crown: around twenty slow turns are enough, then wearing it takes over.
Sometimes, a few gentle wrist movements are enough to restart it. Never force a crown that does not seem to wind the watch.
How to use a screw-down crown
On many sports and diving watches, the crown screws onto the case to improve water resistance. It must be unscrewed before any adjustment.
- Unscrewing: turn the crown towards you, anticlockwise, until it releases with a slight jump. It is then in the winding position.
- Screwing back: gently push the crown against the case and first turn it slightly backwards until you feel a small "click": the threads are then aligned. Then screw it clockwise, without forcing, until it stops.
If the crown catches or resists while screwing, never force it: unscrew it and start again.
How to set the time
The crown positions
- Position 0 (pushed in): wearing and winding position. This is the position that protects the movement.
- Position 1 (first click): time setting on watches without a date, or quick date correction on watches equipped with one.
- Position 2 (second click): time setting on watches with a date.
Setting your watch
Pull the crown out to the time-setting position: you will feel a slight click. Turn it to bring the hands to the desired time, preferably moving them forward. Then push the crown back to position 0, and screw it down if it is a screw-down crown.
On a date watch, check that you are on the right 12-hour cycle: the date should change around midnight, not around noon. If it changes in the middle of the day, simply move the hands forward by 12 hours.
Setting the time to the second
On watches with a hacking seconds function, the seconds hand stops when you pull out the crown: wait for it to reach 12, pull out the crown, set the minutes, then push the crown back in on the exact second of your reference time. Many vintage watches do not have this feature: the seconds hand keeps running while you set the time, and accuracy to within a few seconds is then the rule.
How to change the date without damaging your watch
The 9 pm – 3 am window
On most mechanical watches, the date change starts getting under way in the late evening. Between around 9 pm and 3 am, avoid using the quick date correction: the mechanism is then engaged, and forcing it can damage the calendar wheels.
The safest method: set the hands to around 6:30, set the date to the day before, then move the hands forward until the date changes, and continue to the exact time. Your watch will then show the right day and be on the right 12-hour cycle.
With quick date correction (Quickset)
This is the most common method. Pull the crown out to the first click, then turn it to scroll through the dates. On some vintage models, the date is corrected by alternating the crown between position 1 and position 0: each back-and-forth moves the date forward by one day. The video below shows this technique.
Some vintage watches have a small corrector pusher recessed into the side of the case. Press it with a wooden toothpick or the dedicated tool, never with a metal point, which would scratch the case.
Without quick date correction
On watches without Quickset, the date moves forward by turning the hands. Two full turns of the dial move the date forward by one day.
On many vintage models, there is a faster method: turn the hands back to around 9 o'clock, then move them forward past midnight. Repeat this back-and-forth as many times as necessary. This technique uses the watch's normal mechanism and carries no risk, as long as you never force it: if you feel unusual resistance, stop.
Day of the week and end of month
On watches that also display the day, it is corrected, depending on the calibre, by turning the crown in the other direction at the same position, or at a different position. Finally, a standard date watch does not know how long each month is: after a 30-day month or February, simply move the date forward manually on the 1st.
How to use a chronograph
The chronograph is the stopwatch function built into your watch. It works independently of the time, which continues to be displayed normally.
Two-pusher chronograph
- Start: press the upper pusher, usually at 2 o'clock. The large chronograph seconds hand starts moving.
- Stop: press the same pusher again. The hands stop and you can read the elapsed time: seconds on the large hand, minutes (and sometimes hours) on the small counters.
- Reset: once the chronograph is stopped, press the lower pusher, usually at 4 o'clock.
Monopusher chronograph
Some vintage chronographs have only one pusher, located in the crown or at 2 o'clock. It controls all three functions in sequence: one press to start, a second to stop, a third to reset.
Reading the dial scales
- Tachymeter: start the chronograph as you pass a marker and stop it after one kilometre (or one mile). The hand shows your average speed on the scale, in km/h (or mph).
- Telemeter: start it when you see a flash of lightning, stop it when you hear the thunder. The scale shows how far away the storm is.
Precautions to follow
Never reset a running chronograph: always stop it first. Only the rare "flyback" models are designed for this. Also avoid leaving the chronograph running permanently, as this puts unnecessary strain on the mechanism. Finally, never operate the pushers underwater or with wet hands.
How accurate is a vintage watch?
A mechanical watch does not have the regularity of a quartz watch, and that is its very nature: its balance wheel oscillates several times per second, driven by a spring, gears and oils. Its rate varies slightly depending on how wound it is, the temperature, your activity during the day and the position in which it rests.
For a vintage watch in good working order, a variation of a few seconds to a few tens of seconds per day is within the norm. Observe it over several days rather than a single day.
A sudden change of several minutes per day, however, is not normal: if the watch has been properly serviced, the most common cause is magnetisation (see below). In that case, contact us.
Good everyday habits
Water. Unless it has recently been pressure-tested by a watchmaker, consider any vintage watch as not water-resistant, even if it is marked "Waterproof" or "Water resistant". Take it off before showering, swimming, the sea or the sauna, as well as when washing your hands. Never operate the crown or pushers with wet hands.
Shocks. Take your watch off for sport, DIY or gardening. Racquet sports and golf are particularly hard on a vintage movement.
Magnetism. Magnets are everywhere in daily life: cases, bag clasps, wireless chargers. A magnetised movement can start running very fast. Avoid placing your watch in contact with them. If it happens, rest assured: demagnetisation by a watchmaker only takes a moment.
Heat. Avoid prolonged direct sunlight, the rear shelf of a car or sudden changes in temperature, which can alter the oils and damage certain dials.
Caring for the crystal and case
The crystal. Many vintage watches have a slightly domed acrylic crystal. It scratches more easily than mineral or sapphire glass, but polishes up beautifully: a dedicated paste such as Polywatch, applied with a soft cloth, removes light scratches in a few minutes.
The case. Simply clean it with a dry microfibre cloth. Never polish the case yourself: polishing removes metal, softens the edges and makes a vintage watch lose part of its value. Collectors specifically look for well-preserved cases. Never attempt to open the caseback either: only a watchmaker should do so.
How to store your watch
Store your watch in a dry place, away from light and magnets, in its own compartment so that it does not get scratched by other objects. Our Signature Watch Box was designed for exactly this.
You can let your watch stop when you are not wearing it: this does it no harm whatsoever. During a long period without wearing it, wind it from time to time so it runs for a few hours and the movement stays properly lubricated. A watch winder is not essential.
When should you service your watch?
A full service every 5 to 7 years or so cleans, lubricates and regulates the movement. Do not wait that long if your watch stops for no reason, if its accuracy changes noticeably, if its power reserve decreases or if the crown becomes stiff or gritty when winding. Entrust your watch to a watchmaker experienced with vintage pieces.
A watch made to last
Your watch has already travelled through several decades. With these few gestures, it will travel through many more by your side.
For any question about its use or care, our team remains at your disposal via chat or at contact@vintagewatchspirit.com.
Looking for your next mechanical watch? Discover our selection of vintage watches, serviced by our watchmaker and covered by a 12-month warranty.