Sorry to ask such a dumb question but for a Speedmaster 1861 manual wound movement - when all the power is gone is it okay to set the time and then wind it up, or should it be running when setting the time?

Also, is it okay to let the chronograph be running and winding it?

 

All OK.

 

Don't worry you can't broke it so easy

 

As others have said, generally it's all good. The one caveat I would say is that when setting the time with low power on the mainspring, if you set the hands backwards it may cause the watch to run backwards due to the tightness of the cannon pinion, and that is not a desired thing. So I would recommend that if yours does this at low power when turning the time backwards, that you either wind it more before adjusting the time, or only adjusting the time forwards.

Cheers, Al

 

Thanks guys!

 

Thank you @Archer, another useful thing for me to learn. You say not desired. Can it also do damage? I am asking because I have been doing this on purpose with non-hacking watches in order to achieve a hacking result (trying not to exert so much pressure that the watch actually runs backwards).

 

Speaking of the cannon pinion, and winding: I read years ago that when setting the time (forward was mentioned), it should be done in short turns of the crown, not long rotational turns, where the hands move significantly. Something about the latter not being good for the cannon pinion. Any truth to that? Thanks.

 

If the escapement runs backwards, then the escape wheel teeth have to climb over the very sharp pointed edge of the pallet fork jewels, and I believe that doing this excessively can lead to the front edge of the stones getting chipped, like this:



It may also spread the lubrication around in a way that may thin it out and cause it to travel to locations where it's not doing any good.

I can't see what the problem is with that really. The cannon pinion is meant to be a friction clutch so the hands can be set, and it would take a large amount of hand setting to wear that connection out. Note that if the cannon pinion is tight enough to cause significant backpressure when turning the hands backwards, it will also cause the same pressure going forward in time, but it will be added to the torque coming from the mainspring. This can cause the balance amplitude to increase and may cause the watch to rebank briefly, resulting in a very fast rate. So if the CP is tight, then you will get some time drift if you do a lot of moving of the hands forward all at once. But I can't see that any real damage would be done to the CP as a result of this.

If you have to move the hands forward a certain amount of time to set the watch, if you do it in short turns or long turns, you still have to do the same amount of adjusting to get where it needs to be...

Cheers, Al