There
may be several reasons why a mechanical watch does not work on some people. Most
people who have this problem fall into one of the following categories.
1. An old and worn watch
Sometimes
a person inherits a high quality watch which had worked well for more
than 20 years when worn by its previous owner. Therefore, the new owner
expects it to work as well for him. Well, it's precisely because the
timepiece has given good service for so long that it has become worn out
and it deserves a good retirement alongside other "antiques". Nobody
expects modern exploits from a classic car, even if it was the best
during its era. Why should we expect anything different from a watch?
2. A new but not water-resistant watch
A
modern watch, even if housed in a magnificent case but one which is not
water-resistant, can have problems when it is subjected to many of
life's daily activities. If worn during sleep, dust can enter the watch
just from rubbing against the sheets. On the other hand, if the watch is
removed before going to bed, its internal temperature decreases
creating an airflow into its interior. As the air enters, so does the
ambient dust, but unlike the air, these small particles do not leave.
Non
water-resistant watches need more care that other timepieces and it is
necessary to have them cleaned more often; usually once a year for small
ladies' models and once every two years for less delicate men's
watches.
The
use of perfume can also damage these watches as it can negatively
affect the oil used to lubricate the delicate watch parts. Happily,
synthetic oils used today are more resistant to the chemical in
perfumes.
3. A manual-winding watch
All
hand-wound mechanical watches, water-resistant or not must be wound
regularly. Modern mechanical watches can often work for 40 to 50 hours
between windings as compared to earlier models whose power-reserve was
30 to 36 hours. It is preferable, however to wind these watches at least once every
day and at about the same time because this will increase their
precision.
Some
wearers wind their watches whenever they happen to think of it, that
is, several times during one day and not at all the following day. It is
not wonder, then, that their timepieces sometimes stop. If this sounds
like you, you should consider wearing a quartz or an automatic
watch.
4. Automatic and water-resistant watches
Automatic and water-resistant watches can also present a number of problems that may be due to two factors:
-the wearer is too still (eg. sit down for a few hours with less wrist movement)
-the wearer is too active
People
who are bedridden or confined to a chair because of illness, old age
or, as is more likely the case, have low activity desk jobs, are not
getting enough activity to rewind their automatic watch. When these
people were healthier or just more active, their watches worked well,
and it is perhaps difficult for them to admit that they are the reason
for the poor operation of their faithful timepieces.
On
the other hand, people who are too active, especially those who gesture
a lot, tend to over-wind their automatic watches. They should remove their watches
at night to better maintain the automatic winding mechanism. For those
who are less active, they should wear their watches at night to keep
them wound.
Watchmakers have defined what they call the "winding speed" of manual-winding mechanical watches by using a very simple formula:
Winding Speed | = | Time worn + Time not worn |
Time worn |
Example:
An unwound automatic watch (but wound just enough so that it will start
functioning) is placed on the wrist and worn during 8 hours. Taken off,
it will work for 16 hours without stopping.
Therefore:
| |
|
A
normal winding speed is between 2 and 3. Below 2, the watch may stop.
Above 3, it will work very well at the beginning but the mechanism will
wear out faster than normal.
5. Watches used under rigorous conditions
Everyone
who wear a watch under difficult conditions should use a
water-resistant or even a diver's watch, especially when this watch is
exposed to shocks, water (especially sea water), acids, dust or sudden
temperature changes. Watches used under such conditions should be
equipped with resistant crystals and anti-shock devices. For doing
housework, it is also preferable to wear water-resistant timepieces
because they can be unintentionally exposed to water.
The
magnetic doors on refrigerators and cabinets may magnetize a watch if
they come into direct contact with it. In these cases stainless steel
offers better protection than a gold case. A magnetized watch works very
poorly though, at first glance, it is not apparent that there is the
problem.
6. And what about quartz watches?
Quartz
watches with analog display, that is with dial and hands (the only kind
of quartz watches manufactured in Switzerland) can be damaged by water
and dust. If they are in a watertight case, they are well protected and
should work fine as long as the battery is good. They are also less
susceptible to the effect of magnetism than their mechanical
counterparts. However, they have the additional disadvantage of stopping
with no warning once the battery is low. If it has not been changed for
a long time, it is a good idea to replace the battery before going on a
trip or on vacation since the right one my be difficult to find outside
major centers in most countries.
Swiss
companies selling quartz watches are able to ensure good maintenance
and repair as long as the component parts are available. Once parts are
no longer being made, the watches cannot be repaired. On the other hand,
mechanical watches can be repaired as long as a watchmaker can be found
who is capable of hand-making the defective parts. This, of course, is
expensive, but if the watch is a collector's item, it may be worth the
effort.