What time is it? Watches and horology

Guys at Alsal told me you really can't overwind. They suggested the concern you sometimes hear about overwinding is overstated. I don't know if it would be described as a safety feature per se but it is really obvious when it's fully wound.

On manual wind watches you definitely can overwind. The end of the spring is usually fixed to the inside of the barrel and over winding can break it off.

On automatics, because the winding mechanism can be constantly winding the spring, the inside of the barrel wall usually has notches and the end of the spring drags along the wall and ratchets into them. So you’ll feel resistance when it’s fully wound but you can keep winding, even though it’s not the best thing for it.

Clouds reflecting in the SPB313 by the Suffolk coast this evening.

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I know the answer is probably rtfm but how much should I be winding my moonwatch? I usually give it fifty or so ‘winds’ but I doubt they’re full rotations. Presumably if you wind more than actually required every day at some point you hit the limit?

A Moonwatch is easy to wind fully. You can feel quite clearly when it’s fully wound, you hit the resistance. Just don’t be ham fisted and it’ll be fine. It’s probably not much more than what you’re already winding. Ease up to it and you’ll see how it feels.

These are valuable information, as it’s one of those thing I feel “should I know about this” or not knowing whether each movement is different, Vostok for instance will tell you when it’s fully wound whether some are so subtle you barely can feel any difference.

Family member wants a watch roll for his 30th birthday. Any recommendations?

Dude at a local watch shop (Robin Martin in Portsmouth) told me that the standard 1861 Moonwatch should be wound daily, to “keep it topped up” for beat performance of the movement. Almost like its designed to be wound daily even though the power reserve is 40 something hours.

Almost like its designed to be wound daily even though the power reserve is 40 something hours.

I thought that is the case generally with watches with 38 hours? cause it's easy to forget you haven't wound it yesterday.

I tend to back off as soon as I feel any real increase in resistance, defo a bit conservative with it.

That applies to my only manual wind watch, a 1975 Longines Conquest, that works out as no more than 12-15 winds.

A watch I wear only for evening stuff. But keeps it going late into the next day.

Late entry for me. Not mine, but my wrist. So NOS that the shadow of the hands has been burned into the dial or something like that. Very, very nice in person. 1964 Olympic Monopusher.

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That's really cool

The shadow is wild. Very cool watch.

That's a cool effect!

Same for any mechanical watch to an extent. As the mainspring unwinds, the torque it provides decreases. This causes the amplitude (how far the balance wheel swings when it’s hit by the pallet fork) to be lower, and lower amplitude generally results in decreased accuracy.

Yes.
And which watchmaker invented a mechanism that keeps the amplitude solid regardless of the torque? Or rather the torque solid regardless of the power reserve? Probably Lange.. or am I making this up

Morning all. Missed Friday but who cares.

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The spring remonoitre? That's a John Harrison invention.

Maybe that’s it. I’m not sure how I’ve heard about it.
Very interesting, will have a read.

I think GS or someone did something along those lines recently but fp journe and Lange have both used them.

Edit:
Grand Seiko T0

Edit 2: my spelling sucks it's remontoire.

Yeah there are a few constant force mechanisms I think. Though they tend to stop working once the torque from the mainspring drops below a certain level (the GS one certainly does).

Lovely , still my fave Roman numeral dial .It just oozes charm

Ah guys, please stop, I’ve got shit to do and this is sending me down a rabbit hole.
I’ve ended up at how the constant force mechanism powers the Lange Zeitwerk models. Fucking watches.

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New Oris big crown pilot in gold 38mm.
Nice right?

...£12.5k

That is rather lovely.

Not sure I would drop a years mortgage payments on it though