The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have posted this information on another forum but I feel it is important that we are aware of the possible dangers of winders. I was able to devise a tpd counter by using a bicycle speedo and I found to my horror that the winder with my Breitling Cockpit,set for 450 tpd bw actually turned 1883 times on the day I tested it. The other winder holding my Chronomat, set fro 450 tpd cw ,turned 1200 times. This can't be good for them and when I have done some more tests I will post the results with some photos showing how it was done.

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Breitling Superocean Steelfish
Breitling Evolution Chronomat
Breitling Montbrillant Datora
Rolex GMT Master 11 BLNR
Rolex Submariner

Excess tpds aren't really an issue as you can't overwind the watch - I guess marginal wear on the slip clutch, but not noticeable.

The bigger issue is if there is a lack of rest periods to allow the watch to wind down. I'm also not sure on the definition of tpd - is it a movement or a 360 degree revolution.

Excess turns per day shouldn't be an issue normally but excess turns numbering in the hundreds would have to have an effect on the slip clutch over time. As I understand it tpd would be a 360 degree revolution.

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Breitling Superocean Steelfish
Breitling Evolution Chronomat
Breitling Montbrillant Datora
Rolex GMT Master 11 BLNR
Rolex Submariner

Best never wear your watch then!

A vaguely active user will keep their watch pretty much fully wound while wearing.

I'm with Roff on this one. Provided you use a winder just as a tool to keep your watch running if you aren't going to wear it for long enough that it might stop, then I don't see any problems with using them. If you kept a watch permanently rotating 24/7 and never wearing it then yes over time there could be a problem.

For me, if I'm wearing a watch for a number of days, I wear it during the day and take it off (leaving it on the bedside table) over night, before wearing it the next day. This is more than adequate to give it a slight run down and then back up again just by wearing it. However when I'm not wearing a watch for a while (i.e. if it's out of rotation while I wear others) then I tend to use a winder to keep it running. I make sure than an winder I own has a rest period built in, and I have even been known to turn a winder off overnight to give it a longer rest.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I've had no issues and indeed have no issues with using a winder, mine are on there all the time and then get worn in rotation, the winder has it's rest periods built in and on the setting I use it winds for 5 minutes then rests for 10 minutes and repeats so I don't feel this is excessive anyway.

Stef

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I've had a look at your "humble collection" and now I feel insignifigant. I expect to have my third by Christmas though. I was intrigued by you comments about your winding routine. The winders I have rotate at a rate of six rotations per minute . I believe that is about the industry average. 5 minutes on and 10 off means your winders are going for 15 minutes every hour . If we can accept that the figures on the Orbita database are close approximations then your watches require 650 tpd to remain fully wound. Your Chronographs require 800 tpd to remain fully wound.

650 turns per day is 27 turns per hour. If your wider is rotating more than twice every minute then it is overwinding. I know the slip mechanism allows for this but excessive use will wear it sooner . I would think it would be better to wind just enough rather than excessively.

By using a counter to determine the rate of turns my winders are turning and then using them with a $10 power point timer I can get very close to whatever rate of tpd I want.

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Breitling Superocean Steelfish
Breitling Evolution Chronomat
Breitling Montbrillant Datora
Rolex GMT Master 11 BLNR
Rolex Submariner

Thanks for the reply. I've not had a chance to actually time the turns per minute on my current winder. My previous one was also on an additional time switch. I must sit and time how mnay turns per minute it does and then re-instate the timer.

Stef

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I've done some calculations and determined that my winder needs to have a total run time of 13 hours @ 5 mins on/10 mins off which equates to 850 (approx) turns per 24 hours. I'll see how that works out, it's back on a time switch now. It also gets a 4 hour rest period in the evening.

Stef

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I just wind the watches I wear less often about once every week or two - IMO, winders are overrated if you own a quality timepiece. To the OP's point, I would think constantly winding the watch would eventually have some kind of an affect on it no matter how well it is made.

Either that or I have no idea what I'm talking about

Well considering I leave for work at around 05:30am during the week I don't have time to set times and dates etc, I like to just 'watch and go' LOL!

Of course since recently acquiring my Olympus with it's 4 year perpetual calendar having to change the date and time on that kind of defeats it's purpose!

I've been using a winder for over a year now and not a single problem has ever cropped up and the only time they are not on there is when I'm on holiday and they are in the safe.

Stef

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