Mechanical Watches - Ask and Get a Reply (AG&R)

[asingh]

Mechanical watches form an integral and collective (literally) segment in horology. A lot of people are not well - versed with this technology, so am starting a thread where questions and queries pertinent to Mechanical watches and their respective movements can be asked. Others are most welcome to give answers, though try to add images and resources since some concepts are quite technical in nature. IE: pure mechanics...!

Have fun..! And enjoy learning.

 

[surajspai]

Okay, so since everyone is rocking hmt 0231 n watches, how often to wind?how much?and how much is too much?
Same questions about automatics-only the "feel " of the winding is different.i guess they have a clutch to avoid over winding, but it can still be damaged.

 

[whatsinaname]

Okay, so since everyone is rocking hmt 0231 n watches, how often to wind?how much?and how much is too much?
Same questions about automatics-only the "feel " of the winding is different.i guess they have a clutch to avoid over winding, but it can still be damaged.

Manual Watch
How often to wind - Depends on the movement. HMT watches without a date should be about 30 hours.
How much - When the watch is fully wound, you will have trouble turning the crown any further.
How much is too much - When you feel the crown stop, don't force it any further. You can break the watch if you wind after you feel any resistance.

Automatic Watch
They do have a clutch to avoid over winding. But not all Automatics have a hand wind feature.

 

[asingh]

Okay, so since everyone is rocking hmt 0231 n watches,

Yes, mechanical watches are catching on. And HMT is literally a world renowned brand which carries heritage, history and legacy. Three aspects which horology aficionados crave.

how often to wind?how much?and how much is too much?

Basically you turn the crown till you feel it tighten (similarly how you would thread-down a screw) and feel the play tighten. Unless you really put muscle to metal, it cannot snap. The HMTs mainspring barrel would give 35-40H of power reserve. People usually wind them in the mornings, before strapping them on. So they run all day. Or people set a certain time of day (when they will be awake all 7 days, and wind it diligently at that time).

Same questions about automatics-only the "feel " of the winding is different.i guess they have a clutch to avoid over winding, but it can still be damaged.

No it cannot be damaged. The mainspring is "endless". A bridle clutch enables this. Even when the mainspring is coiled to maximum tension the free moving rotor will attempt to wind it "down" further. The extra coil welded onto the mainspring and notched to the barrel, will keep slipping and not tighten the coil further. If the watch has the capability to manual wind, once maximum tension is reached, the crown will continue to turn (if wound further) and you will feel/hear a faint "tick-tick". That is the bridle slipping in free-state. IE: the coil is wound, but no damage is being incurred.

 

[surajspai]

So,
1.i wind my watches, till they stop,and as tension builds i try not to force it.fair enough?
2.my pilot only gives 27 hours, while I get 40 or more from my other watches. Any way it can be "adjusted " to deliver more?
3.the pilot gains about 5 minutes , another gains about 10 minutes in a day,others fall back by a few minutes.i have read about getting it regulated,but could you elaborate on the matter? Maybe add it to your main topic and link it to the hmt threads so lazy chaps can tweak their watches, or get it tweaked to maximise accuracy of their watches?

 

[asingh]

So,
1.i wind my watches, till they stop,and as tension builds i try not to force it.fair enough?
2.my pilot only gives 27 hours, while I get 40 or more from my other watches. Any way it can be "adjusted " to deliver more?
3.the pilot gains about 5 minutes , another gains about 10 minutes in a day,others fall back by a few minutes.i have read about getting it regulated,but could you elaborate on the matter? Maybe add it to your main topic and link it to the hmt threads so lazy chaps can tweak their watches, or get it tweaked to maximise accuracy of their watches?

1. Yes that is the correct way to wind it.
2. You would need to give it to a watch maker who has expertise with mechanical watches. It cannot be self regulated to give more power reserve. Maybe, since it is running fast, you get less hours on a full wind. How long has it been doing this. Try to give it 15-20 wind/full-wind cycles, it might pan out, normal.
3. Well the case back can be opened and the balance wheel has a regulator. But you have to be immensely careful. Else send it in for a service. I manage to do this on my watches. But if you are not careful you can ruin the balance wheel and thus the escapement.

http://www.timepieceshoppe.com/regulate_adjust.html
http://users.tpg.com.au/wookie99/regulatingwatches.html

 

[letmein]

My Janata does not start when I wind it up. I need to lightly tap the front in order to get it running. Any ideas?

 

[asingh]

My Janata does not start when I wind it up. I need to lightly tap the front in order to get it running. Any ideas?

It could be that the balance spring is slightly tight. Instead of tapping it, give it 2-3 arc movement while holding it. After some repeat cycles, it should start to tick, once you wind it up.

 

[letmein]

It could be that the balance spring is slightly tight. Instead of tapping it, give it 2-3 arc movement while holding it. After some repeat cycles, it should start to tick, once you wind it up.

Sorry, what do you mean by arc movement?

 

[asingh]

Sorry, what do you mean by arc movement?

Give it a couple of winds on the crown. Hold the watch in your hand firmly, and move your arm up and down slowly 2-3 times. That should jump start the stationary balance spring. Then you can full wind it. Else full wind it, and do the arc motion.

Never wind the watch while it is strapped to your wrist...! Never.

 

[surajspai]

Has anyone tried replacing the crown on their pilots?after being spoilt by butter smooth movements in my other watches and their ample crowns,the pilot seems impossible to wind nowadays. The crown on the pilot is visibly smaller than similar crowns by atleast a millimeter and the difference is drastic. Or maybe the movement has become hard to wind and needs some work done on it.

 

[asingh]

Has anyone tried replacing the crown on their pilots?after being spoilt by butter smooth movements in my other watches and their ample crowns,the pilot seems impossible to wind nowadays. The crown on the pilot is visibly smaller than similar crowns by atleast a millimeter and the difference is drastic. Or maybe the movement has become hard to wind and needs some work done on it.

It should not be difficult to replace. But you loose the authenticity of the HMT, by putting in another crown. Only a small screw needs to be turned to disengage the crown step, and it can be reinserted, and the lock-screw closed. I have a lot of crowns at my hometown, might give this a try. Onion shape crown just might look good.