Yes, watch winders can damage automatic watches, but the risk is primarily from low-quality winders, incorrect winding settings, and certain older or specialty watch movements that may not be designed for constant winding. High-quality winders with appropriate settings are generally safe and can be beneficial for watches with complex complications by keeping them running and preventing time-consuming resets.
This video discusses the potential for damage from watch winders and provides advice on selecting the right winder:
Potential Sources of Damage
- Poor Quality Winders: Low-quality winders may not have proper motors, accurate winding patterns, or overwind protection, which can lead to excessive rotation or inaccurate movements.
- Incorrect Winding Settings: Overwinding can damage a watch, especially if it doesn't have a built-in overwind mechanism. Using the wrong winding mode for your specific watch movement is a common cause of problems.
- Older and Specialty Watches: Some vintage or specialized watches may not be built to be constantly wound. Winding them too frequently can cause damage to the delicate internal components.
- Magnetization: Some winders lack proper shielding and can magnetize a watch's movement, causing it to run erratically.
How to Avoid Damage
- Invest in a Quality Winder: Choose a winder with well-engineered components, a refined motor, and a suitable rest mode to ensure safe and effective operation.
- Set the Correct Winding Mode: Research the specific winding requirements for your watch's movement and select the appropriate number of rotations per day (TPD) for your winder.
- Consider Your Watch's Complications: For watches with complex functions like perpetual calendars, keeping them running on a winder can be beneficial to avoid difficult and tedious resets.
- Manual Winding is an Alternative: For simple, time-only watches, there is no need for a winder. Manually winding and setting them when you wear them is a perfectly acceptable and potentially better alternative for the movement's longevity.
