# Does Anyone Wind A Watch Anymore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417 "2004-09-28T03:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/1 "2004-09-28T03:20:57Z")
I’m just curious, especially now that analog watches are vogue nowadays once again… Does anyone wind a watch anymore? Also, does anyone wear a self-winding watch anymore? And, whatever happened to digital watches, anyhow? Can we “turn back time” and bring them back? - Jinx 1970’s: Look Ma, no hands! 1990’s: Look Ma, no time! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/2 "2004-09-28T03:35:22Z")
I wind mine every morning. Of course, I carry a pocket watch. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/3 "2004-09-28T03:42:20Z")
Two self-winders here. Most high price watches will be mechanical, rather than quartz. Also most of the larger & established brands will have a mechanical watch or 2 in their catalogue. For about the same price. I’m considering buying a Seiko automatic (self-winding) with sweep hand, day and date as a gift. $125. ---
**Author:** ![zippyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/839c29/32.png) [@zippyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zippyh)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/4 "2004-09-28T04:13:00Z")
There’s actually a thriving online community of mechanical watch devotees. Try [timezone.com](http://timezone.com), [panerisiti.com](http://panerisiti.com), [thepurists.com](http://thepurists.com) for example. Most mechanical watches are automatics (i.e. wind themselves through wrist motion) but some of them are still hand wound. The vast majority of Rolex are automatics with a few being quartz. The Rolex dress watch brand Cellini make some hand winds. Omega still makes the Speedmaster Pro (first watch worn on the moon) which is hand wind. Most Panerai, Lange and Pateks are hand wind. Jaeger le Coultre makes a lot of hand wind models too. I personally have more mechanical watches than is healthy. Many of them are hand wind. I only have one quartz watch. Sure, the mechanicals don’t really keep time as accurately as a cheapo Casio, but that’s not really the point. Besides, we all need our obsessions. Of course if one has a hand wound watch and doesn’t want to take the trouble of winding it, he can always get one of these. [http://www.orbita.net/pages/12140.htm](http://www.orbita.net/pages/12140.htm) ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/5 "2004-09-28T05:28:28Z")
I have a pocket watch that was used by my great grandfather. He was a railroad conductor and this watch was very important for him. For years it laid in a drawer in very poor condition. I finally went and had it repaired and the jeweler told me to wind it occasionally and it would stay in good condition. It is on a shelf where I see it every morning when I get up and I wind it at least once a week. Other than that I do not wear a watch since I have found that it just makes you a slave to time. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/6 "2004-09-28T06:18:13Z")
I think some of this was covered in another thread. Someone said that Rolex has dropped the quartz watch line. Omega makes quartz and automatic versions of the seamaster. You can get a decent automatic Seiko diver’s watch for $100-200. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/7 "2004-09-28T08:16:35Z")
When I do carry a watch it is a pocketwatch and yes, I have to wind it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/8 "2004-09-28T08:52:11Z")
I had a Seiko self-winder that gave me many years of faithful service; when it finally packed up a year or two ago, I bought a Citizen Eco-Drive (solar power). Before the Seiko, I had a pocket watch that required winding. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/9 "2004-09-28T10:10:38Z")
> [@sevastopol](#): > > I’m considering buying a Seiko automatic (self-winding) with sweep hand, day and date as a gift. $125. Not to inspire envy, but I got the above! A Seiko Seamaster from the 1960s. Bought it for 10,000 yen. One caveat: If you want to adjust the _day_, plan on rotating the hour hand many times around the dial. If you screw up and go a day ahead, you’ve got to rotate one week’s worth! My watch is sick, however. I’m hoping it won’t cost a fortune to get it repaired. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/10 "2004-09-28T10:12:45Z")
I _do_ have an Omega Seamaster from 1960 that runs perfectly, but the sick Seiko is a Seikomatic-R. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/11 "2004-09-28T10:32:20Z")
I have worn a wind up watch for more than 15 years. It was my grandfather’s watch and my grandmother gave it to him when he got called up for WW2. It’s a 21 jewel Accurist, made in Switzerland and I love it. Unfortunately, it’s broken at the moment and I had a hell of a job finding a mender for it. I think I’ve found a place now, courtesy of my messageboard mates, so I hope the man can fix it for me. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/12 "2004-09-28T13:35:27Z")
russian made self winder here=) i make g-shocks run backwards after wearing them for about 3 months. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/13 "2004-09-28T14:31:03Z")
My mom ( **infamousmom** ) and I collect watches. I have about nineteen, of which six are windup – one cheap Timex, one slightly less cheap Timex, a Harper, an aging Old England (classic 60s wideband watch Mom got when she was in high school), a Bulova (not currently working), and my favorite, a Girard Perregaux. Mom has two or three times as many watches as I do, and a fair number of them are windup as well. I get some very strange looks when I idly take my watch off my wrist and wind it. I’ve actually been asked “Are you _winding_ that watch?? Or are you just spinning the thingie?” ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/14 "2004-09-28T15:43:26Z")
After 20 years of not wearing a watch (when I left McDonald’s, I swore I wouldn’t live by the clock again!), I recently had my late fathers 1940s Cyma Watersport repaired. Runs like a damn, looks very cool. I got it done to wear at work when I’m in 1940s military uniform. Wind it every morning. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/15 "2004-09-28T15:52:08Z")
I have 5-6 “dress watches” that are either automatic or hand wind (3 auto, 2 hand). I’ve found in my travels that if you ever need to get a watch repaired, go to an antique dealer. The dealer isn’t a repairman, obviously, but I’ve found most antique dealers know where to get a watch fixed as they often have antique watches repaired. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/16 "2004-09-28T16:04:44Z")
I wind whichever one of my Elgins I’m carrying, one in the morning and once in the evening. Gears, baby. tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/17 "2004-09-28T16:23:51Z")
I wear a Russian-made stemwinder, just for kicks. It keeps time as well as my quartz watches, and I never have to buy batteries. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/18 "2004-09-30T09:45:41Z")
I have a no name watch from I guess the 70’s. A large face and hands and it keeps time beautifully. However (a loaded word) thinking back, all these watches loudly proclaimed they were ‘anti magnetic’. Can anyone think why? I know they all were proud of so many jewels, but why anti magnetic? ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-wind-a-watch-anymore/266417/19 "2004-09-30T17:21:54Z")
If you magnetize the innards of a mechanical watch, the movements are unlikely to function properly. They won’t release when they should.