The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi to all,
I just bought my first mechanical Breitling - Chronomat evolution and I would like some advice from all you experience people. My questions are around winding:
- The manual says wind 40 times. Question: this is 40 complete turns, i.e. something like 80 "finger" movements? (assuming that each movement causes the crown to go around half a turn).
- How often do you wind your watch - say every night?
- The movement is described in the Breitling site as "selfwinging mechanical" - what does this actually mean? If what I understand is correct, then why wind the watch "manually"?

Thank you in advance

Congratulations on the Evo!

Please feel free to post a few pics!

My interpretion of winding is 40 complete turns, somewhere near 80 "finger" turns. New automatic watches have an "overwinding" protection, so you shouldn't worry about that 41st turn. I wind my watches in the morning when I put them on - but only if they have stopped. I change watch quite regularly so it might have run out of power since the last time, therefore a new setting of the time and a winding. If I wear a watch several days in a row I don't wind it in between, my daily exercise takes care of that.

The automatic feature, or the "selfwinding" mechanism, means that a piece of metal disc inside the watch will rotate from your daily movements, and the rotations from the metal disc will wind the spring and the watch is gaining power. The reason you have to wind it manually the first time is that it'll need that power to start running - the selfwinding action will then maintain the power level rather than building it up.

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In answer to both questions, you must know that an Automatic watch (in this case your Breitling) functions with mechanical energy. There are two ways to increase the acumulated energy of an Automatic watch; 1) winding it with your fingers through the Crown, or 2) Just shaking your watch back and forth. If you dont use your watch for two days it will stop because it has no energy to function. If you use it every day your watch will function properly without having to give it manual winding through the crown. (have in mind that it is best to give it manual winding through the crown the first time you put it on, or when it has been stored for two or more days. ) Now to answer question #1 about 40 or 80 turns... Just turn the crown until you feel it is getting harder. The use of the watch will keep the mechanism going. For question 2 .. selfwinding mech means that the movement of the watch in your hand will keep it moving... and you should wind it manually , if it stops after storing it a few days. just to get the mechanism started. Hope this helps you!

I have a related question...

I couldn't decide between a Datora and an Avenger Seawolf Chrono. As a result, I bought both. Typically I wear the Datora every other day... but sometimes a bit longer and it winds down. Will it damage the watch to let it wind down like that? I know they sell those stands that keep your watch moving, but that seems like a bunch of infrastructure...

No, it won't.
You can wind it manually every morning when you won't wear it, so it won't stop.

Just as a reminder for everyone, admin has put together a very good FAQ page on the site - http://www.breitlingsource.com/articles_faq.shtml

I bought a 2014 Colt Automatic model A17388 a few months ago and initially it did not gain or lose a second for the first month. Now suddenly it is losing 3-4 seconds a day. I figured this may be because I haven't wound it and my arm movement may be insufficient to keep it adequately wound. I then searched the internet and found this thread. I have just finished winding about 120 full twists and the winding resistance has not changed. How does the overwind protection mechanism work? Is it a clutch type mechanism that simply allows the winder to slip when it's full, so that the wearer cannot tell when the watch is fully wound? Or is there maybe a fault with my watch?

We not sure that losing 3-4 seconds per day is down to a low power reserve, all other factors being equal a low power reserve will cause a watch to run faster, not slower. 3-4 seconds per day is also within COSC specs.

Automatic mainsprings do slip in the barrel when fully wound so you won't know when it is fully wound. However, after 120 turns it is fully wound

Welcome to BreitlingSource.

Thanks. Any reason why it would be so accurate for the first month and then start losing a few seconds a day? I suppose the Breitling repair shop wouldn't take it in to speed the watch up a bit? I'd rather it was on the fast side of perfect rather than the slow side. A whole easier to reset the time.

The watch is still settling, it's going to change and it will be affected by many different factors. I wouldn't do anything until you have an extended period of stable timing and then worry about getting it regulated. Technically Breitling don't need to do anything as it is within COSC.

Great info