Men's quartz wristwatches, how they are wound. How do quartz watches work?

Mechanical watches, like any mechanisms, require regular checking, cleaning, lubrication and adjustment of the accuracy of the movement.

In order for you to enjoy using your watch, you must follow these simple rules:

Examination

It is advisable to check your watch every three to four years at an authorized service center indicated in the list attached to the watch passport. This is an important condition, since when the case is opened, even the smallest speck of dust that gets into the mechanism can disrupt the accuracy of the watch due to increased friction.

Factory

Wind the watch only by removing it from your hand. This eliminates uneven pressure on the crown, which is one of the most vulnerable watch components.

Manually wound watches must be wound at the same time by turning the crown clockwise until it stops. An automatic watch, if you wear it every day, should be wound once a week (20-30 rotations of the crown clockwise).

Shock resistance

Wearing a mechanical watch is not recommended for extreme sports, working with a breaker tool, etc. The recoil force experienced by a watch affects its durability and accuracy. No matter how perfect the shockproof mechanism is, there is always the possibility of excessive load that the parts of the mechanism may not withstand.

You shouldn't play sports wearing expensive mechanical or jewelry watches at all. For this purpose, there are special sports watches with a high degree of mechanism protection - a durable massive case and increased water resistance.

Quartz

Quartz watches are less demanding in terms of care, but also require inspection, cleaning and lubrication every four to five years only by an authorized service center indicated in the list attached to the watch passport. To replace batteries in watches with quartz movements, contact an authorized dealer before the battery expires. Used batteries can leak and begin to corrode, destroying the watch. Do not attempt to change the battery yourself.

Water resistance

If your watch is water-resistant, then after replacing the battery, the watch must undergo a water resistance test, and you must be sure that moisture will not get into it.

Calendar

In order not to damage the calendar mechanism, you should not reinstall the calendars and change the date between 20 pm and 06 am. At this time, all the gears begin to move to automatically change the date. Manually moving the calendar indicators in this position of the arrows can lead to a collision and failure of the mechanism.

For example, in a Breitling watch with caliber 7750, the date changes between 20:00 and 2:00. An attempt to reset the calendar with the hour and minute hands in this position is guaranteed to damage the watch. The date should be changed by first moving the hour hand to the lower sector of the dial (for example, to the 6 o’clock position).

Chronometer

The chronometer control of most watches also has its own peculiarities. In most cases, these watches contain a chronograph start/stop button, usually located above the crown, and a reset button. It is strongly recommended not to press the "reset" button while the chronometer is running. If the chronometer is running, you must stop it with the start/stop button before using the reset button.

Using the reset button while the chronometer is running can damage the mechanism of most watch models.

Glass

Most Swiss watches have sapphire crystals. Sapphire crystals are quite difficult to scratch, but there are some materials that can make it quite easy. Therefore, it is advisable to store watches separately from jewelry, especially with precious stones, and in places where they will be subject to minimal friction against anything.

The best option may be the box in which the watch was sold. These boxes are upholstered with special soft material and made specifically for your watch.

Replace broken or cracked glass immediately, as a hairline-thin crack will allow dust particles to enter the mechanism, affecting the watch's accuracy. It is not recommended to store watches in cold rooms.

Cold

In the cold, lubricating oils thicken, the mechanism stops, and the axle journals can be damaged. Watches should not be left on stone tables, such as marble, as the strong temperature changes that marble is subject to can cause damage to some parts, especially the springs and spirals of older watches that were made of stainless steel.

It is recommended to remove the watch before going to bed. While you sleep, you make uncontrolled movements that can damage your watch. In addition, a person sweats while sleeping, and sweat, gradually accumulating on your watch, can damage the case and gaskets that ensure the watch's seal.

Strap and case

If your watch is water-resistant, you can wipe it from time to time with a mild solution of mild soap or cleaning agent, after which the watch should be dried.

If your watch has a leather strap, then this procedure should only be carried out on the watch case. If your watch is not waterproof or you are not sure about it, wipe it with a slightly damp cloth and then dry it dry.

Sea

Salty seawater damages the finish of most watches. Therefore, even water-resistant watches should be washed with a soapy solution in warm running water after sea swimming to avoid corrosion and premature aging of the gaskets.
Washing your hands or being in the rain will not harm your waterproof watch, but showering (especially with gel) or staying under water for long periods of time will allow moisture to seep into the case and damage the movement.

Tightness

After 2-3 years, your watch may lose its seal due to aging gaskets. Therefore, it is necessary to check the tightness every two to three years and, if necessary, change the gaskets.

Magnetic protection

It is not recommended to leave the watch near speakers or other sources of magnetic fields. Most watches do not have magnetic protection, and when parts of the watch mechanism are magnetized, they may begin to lag or, conversely, move faster.

Repair

And, of course, you should not repair expensive Swiss watches in the first workshop you come across - there are official service centers for this.

From mechanical to pocket-sized

How to wind a mechanical watch

If you do not know how sensitive your wrist accessory is (how long the power reserve will last), you need to do some manipulations. To begin, make three to five turns of the crown. As soon as you feel that the watch mechanism begins to resist further turning of the crown, this will serve as a guideline for stopping winding.

Develop the habit of winding your watch at the same time - morning or evening. There are, of course, no traditions in this, and this is not a mandatory requirement that is stated in the operating instructions. The fact is that by choosing a certain time of day to wind your mechanical watch, you will do it calmly, without haste.

Remember that if you wind it regularly, your wristwatch will work more accurately and more consistently. And all because a constantly wound spring makes the operation of the mechanism more stable.

If your plans do not include long-term use of the watch, for example, when you leave and the clock remains at home, or it is time to switch to summer or winter time, you should do the following:

1. If the watch has been wound at least once in the last 24 hours, then the watch does not need further winding.

2. The clock hands should move exclusively forward and only little by little. This way, the minute tribe will not be endangered.

Do not forget that you only need to turn the crown forward. If this is done correctly, then neither the tribe nor the coupling will wear out or fail. To better distribute the internal lubricant, you can periodically rotate the mechanism in the opposite direction, which will slow down the process of abrasion of moving parts.

If you don't use a wristwatch for one reason or another, then you need to wind the watch at least once a month. Thus, the lubricant in the watch mechanism will not stagnate, and the mechanism will not deteriorate.

How to wind a self-winding watch correctly

If the watch has been lying motionless for a day or more, then you can bring it back to life with three turns of the crown. If after these manipulations the watch does not start, then you should make a couple more turns of the crown.

The automatic winding system is responsible for the quality of operation of a mechanical wristwatch throughout the day, but in this case everything depends only on how long you wear the watch on your hand.

How to wind a quartz watch

Modern quartz wristwatches are not inferior in their stability and reliability to mechanical watches. Therefore, if you are not sure that you will be able to wind your watch every day, then it is better to choose a quartz watch.

Today, quartz watches are produced not only with hands and displays, but also as a chronograph with an alarm clock, digital display, display backlight, stopwatch and other options. Before launching a quartz watch, the manufacturer conducts testing on a special stand, using pulses and checking the integrity of the electronic circuit.

How to start a pocket watch

In continuation of the series of publications about watch terms and recommendations for care and use, the blog site publishes material on how to wind a watch correctly, who needs to do this, and what else the crown can do.

Swiss mechanical wristwatch Armand Nicolet JS9 Date A480AGU-BU-MA4480AA

What watch needs to be wound?

Only mechanical watches need to be wound manually, since in the absence of any other power sources, their parts move only when they are given an impulse by a tightly wound spring. It gradually unwinds, the momentum weakens and eventually the clock stops. The mechanism does not work - the arrows are motionless.

Previously, watches were wound with a special key; today its function is performed by the crown, which in most models neatly protrudes from the side of the watch case. On pocket watches it was most often located at the top, and today, in addition to these two positions, there is also an oblique arrangement.

Why does a watch need a winding?

The winding of a modern spring watch mechanism works on the principle of a counterweight. Its simplest embodiment is the wheel clock that existed in ancient times. In them, a rope was wound around a horizontal shaft, to the end of which a weight was tied. Under the influence of gravity, the weight tended downwards, pulled the rope, and the rope accordingly set the shaft in motion. In turn, the shaft, rotating, forced a stick attached to it at an angle of 90 degrees to move - it acted as an arrow.

In modern watches, the motive power of dozens of interconnected parts of the mechanism is provided by a spiral spring. In the state of maximum winding, it is tightly twisted, and when unwinding, it acts on the gear drum. Through a system of teeth and gears, it sets the entire mechanism in motion.

How to wind a watch correctly?

Turn the crown in the “clockwise” direction, that is, in the direction of its movement or “forward”. It is recommended to sometimes do a slight rotation back, counterclockwise, but not sharply or a full turn. This will help distribute the lubricant more evenly while preventing breakage.

Rotate the crown evenly, not too quickly, feeling the degree of tension of the spring with your fingers. As soon as the head starts to move tightly or slight clicks are heard, you have fully wound the spring. This requires an average of no more than 20 revolutions.

You need to wind the watch by removing it from your hand so that the rotation of the crown is uniform: the position of the rod acting on the spring must correspond to the norm, since in a mechanical watch the relative position of each part is vitally important.

Swiss mechanical wristwatch TAG Heuer Carrera CAR2012.FC6235 with chronograph

Functions of the crown

The crown has several functions that are performed in different positions. In the standard position, it serves to wind the mechanism. In watches intended for diving or simply with a highly sealed case, it may be on a thread and in order to wind the spring or use other functions, the crown must first be unscrewed.

To control the hands, to set the exact time, or if the watch has stopped, the crown is pulled out. In watches with a calendar, it also has a third, most often intermediate or middle position, when the crown is pulled out, as it were, halfway.

Setting up a calendar

If you have a calendar and need to set the time, the hour hand can only be moved forward. If you scroll it back and make more than one revolution (more than 12 hours), this may lead to damage to the calendar mechanism.

The ability to change the date without rotating the clock hand is not available in all models. Where it exists, a separate crown position is provided for this purpose. It is best to change the date in a position where the hour and minute hands are at around 6 o'clock, then the mechanism is safe. If the position of the hands is close to the natural change of day, that is, to 12 o’clock, manually changing the date can also lead to breakdown.

You can also set the date if there is a delay of several days, either by sequentially turning the hour hand for several days, or by using the features of the mechanism. In this case, you must strictly follow the instructions.

In some models, you can jump to the next day by turning the hour hand at the 12 o'clock position back to 8 o'clock and again to 12, when you hear the date change click. Another option is to move the hand back and forth between 10 and 2 o'clock.

On the calendar wheel you need to set the previous one from the date you need, and then scroll to the next day and current time, already controlling the hour hand.

Swiss mechanical titanium wristwatch TAG Heuer Carrera CV2A84.FC6394 with chronograph

Do I need to wind a self-winding watch?

Craftsmen sought to free the owner from the need for manual winding back in the 18th century, and already in 1931 Rolex released the first model of a wristwatch with automatic winding.

Swiss mechanical wristwatch AVIATOR Airacobra P45 Chrono Auto V.4.26.0.178.4 with chronograph

How often should this be done?

Even if your watch model lasts up to 48 hours on one spring winding, for greater accuracy of the mechanism, it is recommended to operate the watch in a fully or nearly fully wound state. Therefore, the most common advice is to wind your watch at the same time every day. Along the way, they can be summed up if you notice a slight deviation in the current time.

A watch that you do not wear or wear very rarely should be wound at least once a month so that the lubrication of the mechanism parts does not harden. Like any other mechanism - the analogy most often used is a car engine - a clockwork needs to function in order to remain operational longer.

From mechanical to pocket-sized

How to wind a mechanical watch

If you do not know how sensitive your wrist accessory is (how long the power reserve will last), you need to do some manipulations. To begin, make three to five turns of the crown. As soon as you feel that the watch mechanism begins to resist further turning of the crown, this will serve as a guideline for stopping winding.

Develop the habit of winding your watch at the same time - morning or evening. There are, of course, no traditions in this, and this is not a mandatory requirement that is stated in the operating instructions. The fact is that by choosing a certain time of day to wind your mechanical watch, you will do it calmly, without haste.

Remember that if you wind it regularly, your wristwatch will work more accurately and more consistently. And all because a constantly wound spring makes the operation of the mechanism more stable.

If your plans do not include long-term use of the watch, for example, when you leave and the clock remains at home, or it is time to switch to summer or winter time, you should do the following:

1. If the watch has been wound at least once in the last 24 hours, then the watch does not need further winding.

2. The clock hands should move exclusively forward and only little by little. This way, the minute tribe will not be endangered.

Do not forget that you only need to turn the crown forward. If this is done correctly, then neither the tribe nor the coupling will wear out or fail. To better distribute the internal lubricant, you can periodically rotate the mechanism in the opposite direction, which will slow down the process of abrasion of moving parts.

If you don't use a wristwatch for one reason or another, then you need to wind the watch at least once a month. Thus, the lubricant in the watch mechanism will not stagnate, and the mechanism will not deteriorate.

How to wind a self-winding watch correctly

If the watch has been lying motionless for a day or more, then you can bring it back to life with three turns of the crown. If after these manipulations the watch does not start, then you should make a couple more turns of the crown.

The automatic winding system is responsible for the quality of operation of a mechanical wristwatch throughout the day, but in this case everything depends only on how long you wear the watch on your hand.

How to wind a quartz watch

Modern quartz wristwatches are not inferior in their stability and reliability to mechanical watches. Therefore, if you are not sure that you will be able to wind your watch every day, then it is better to choose a quartz watch.

Today, quartz watches are produced not only with hands and displays, but also as a chronograph with an alarm clock, digital display, display backlight, stopwatch and other options. Before launching a quartz watch, the manufacturer conducts testing on a special stand, using pulses and checking the integrity of the electronic circuit.

How to start a pocket watch

How to Set a Quartz Clock

So, where do we start? First, a general overview of how quartz watches work.

A quartz watch consists of an electronic unit and a stepper motor, the operation of which is to supply an impulse every second from the unit to the motor, with the help of which the hands move. It is believed that quartz watches are more accurate, since they contain a quartz crystal, which is responsible for the pulse frequency, which is why the watch is called quartz.

A variety of watches have flooded retail counters; now quartz watches come in different colors and models, with hands or with a digital display, that is, electronic ones. The “perpetual motion machine” of the watch is the battery, so it does not require daily winding of the mechanism; you can forget about this until the battery life expires.

Setting the exact time in a quartz watch

To do this, first of all you need to carefully pull out the crown, and in some watches you also need to unscrew it a little, and then pull it out. Next, using rotational movements, we set the hands on the clock in the correct position, the main thing is that the second hand starts counting from the number 12, and we snap or screw the crown until it stops, thereby putting it in the reverse position.

Setting the calendar in a quartz watch

We pull out the transfer head, stopping at the first click, with slow rotating movements, set yesterday's date and day of the week, as soon as the second hand touches the number 12, again pull out the transfer head until the second click and with rotating movements set the current date and day of the week. To change the date and day of the week, you need to pull the crown again until it clicks and set the correct values.

Following design features, watchmakers recommend setting or changing the date and days of the week before 9 pm and after 4 am. Please note that sometimes you will have to make manual calendar adjustments at the end of each month that does not have a 31st day, i.e. November/February/April/June/September.

If we compare quartz watches and mechanical watches, then mechanical watches lose in that they behave differently under various factors, for example, temperature changes, the number and frequency of spring winding, watch position, wear of parts, while quartz watches are not sensitive to light shocks or weather conditions and other environmental changes. Since the most important thing in a quartz watch is the pulse frequency, and it is almost always constant, therefore, you can be sure of the accuracy of this mechanism.

Also, some quartz watches have chronometers or chronographs. Chronometers are accurate watches down to the second that do not react to external factors; their accuracy will not be affected by different positions, shocks or temperature changes. Before the watch is released, chronometers are thoroughly tested and the tested product must receive a special certificate; only after this the product can be called a chronometer.

Chronographs are no less accurate watches, but with additional small dials that display not only hours and minutes, but also fractions of seconds. Nowadays there are different models with different numbers of counters. If a quartz watch has at least one chronograph, then it should have additional buttons on the side of the case, near the transfer head, to control the chronograph.

Setting the time on a quartz chronometer

It is also necessary to pull out the transfer head, but to the maximum or third position and with slow rotations we set the exact time, as soon as the time is set, we snap the transfer head back.

Setting the date on a quartz chronometer

We set the transfer head to the second position and begin to rotate until the required date; upon completion, we return the transfer head to its original position.

Working with a chronograph on a quartz watch

First you need to start the stopwatch, press the “A” button, the second hand starts to start, to stop the countdown, you need to press the same “A” button again, when you press the “A” button again, the counter will continue counting again, and to reset all parameters you need press the “B” button.

WOMEN'S QUARTZ WATCH