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The Art of Winding: Caring for Your Automatic Watch
THE AM Editorial · 28 Aug 2026
An automatic watch has no battery — it is powered by the motion of your wrist, stored as tension in a coiled mainspring. Wear it daily and it needs nothing from you at all. Set it aside for a few days, though, and it will run down and stop, which is completely normal and does no harm.
To bring it back: give the crown 20-30 gentle turns (unscrewed, if your model has a screw-down crown) before you put it on, then let your wrist finish the job through the day. Avoid violent shaking — it is a myth that automatics need to be swung hard to start. A watch winder is a convenience for a large collection, not a necessity for one or two pieces.
Service intervals matter more than most owners realise. Most Swiss automatic movements are happiest with a full service every 4-6 years — a full disassembly, clean, oil and regulation. Skipping this doesn't just risk accuracy, it risks the movement itself as old lubricant thickens and wears the gear train. THE AM's service desk can arrange this through our workshop partners for any piece purchased with us, authenticated or not.
To bring it back: give the crown 20-30 gentle turns (unscrewed, if your model has a screw-down crown) before you put it on, then let your wrist finish the job through the day. Avoid violent shaking — it is a myth that automatics need to be swung hard to start. A watch winder is a convenience for a large collection, not a necessity for one or two pieces.
Service intervals matter more than most owners realise. Most Swiss automatic movements are happiest with a full service every 4-6 years — a full disassembly, clean, oil and regulation. Skipping this doesn't just risk accuracy, it risks the movement itself as old lubricant thickens and wears the gear train. THE AM's service desk can arrange this through our workshop partners for any piece purchased with us, authenticated or not.
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