Do You Need to Wind an Automatic Watch Every Day?

No, there is no need to wind an automatic watch every day, provided it is worn regularly. The motion of an internal rotor, driven by the natural movement of the wrist, is enough to wind the mainspring over the course of the hours. It is only when an automatic watch sits unworn for several days that it eventually stops, having run out of stored energy.

Understanding automatic winding

The principle behind an automatic watch rests on a rotor, an oscillating weight that turns with every movement of the arm and transfers that energy to the mainspring. The more active the wearer during the day, the more naturally and efficiently the winding happens. It is a system designed to do without manual intervention as much as possible, a principle found in the movements assembled in our Besançon workshop.

What happens if the watch stops

A power reserve, typically several dozen hours, allows the watch to keep running for a while after being taken off the wrist. Once that reserve is spent, it simply stops, with no harm to the movement. All it takes is winding it manually by turning the crown a few times, or wearing it again so it picks its natural rhythm back up.

The useful role of a watch winder

For those who own several watches and do not wear every piece daily, a dedicated watch winder keeps unworn watches running and set to the correct time. It is a practical, if not essential, accessory, particularly useful for complicated models that require longer resetting after sitting idle.

Automatic or quartz, two different logics

Those who prefer not to think about it at all often turn to a quartz watch, which runs on a battery and depends on no wrist movement at all. Both approaches are valid: one values the gesture and the living mechanics, the other simplicity and consistency.

Wearing an automatic watch regularly therefore remains the simplest way to keep it on time, with no particular discipline required. And should any doubt arise about how it is running, the two-year warranty that comes with every MONTIGNAC watch makes it easy to address these questions with peace of mind.