experience from newbie winding a Sapphire Sandwich Moonwatch

[scott784]

I just bought a Moonwatch a few weeks ago; and I started observing several times the watch would stop (typically before a 24 hour period).

My AD promptly fixed the watch within one week, which was great! But after being told the reason my new watch was not making it (no-where even close) to the 48-50 power reserve period) is because I overwound the watch, I felt like a bonehead!! So now I am just wondering if I am the only newbie to Speedys with this experience???

In the short time I've owned this watch, I had read (time and again) on various forums that you really can't cause any damage to the mainspring or other internal parts unless you use brute force (so to speak) when winding the crown. I have never used "force" with the crown. BUT, clearly, I must've managed to create this problem that required someone certified to work on these watches to open the case and make an adjustment. He said it only took him about 20 minutes to fix it - but that is from someone experienced in opening the cases and working on these watches.

I know a lot of this must sound stupid for people experienced with manual wound watches. But, it is not second nature for some folks that have only owned automatics in the past. So, fingers crossed, I will get the "feel" of this crown very soon and have confidence in never exceeding the so called "hard stop". I do wish the crown was a bit bigger for a watch that is going to have to be continually wound! Okay, enough ramble here. Any comments/advice appreciated for this newbie of a Speedy watch.

Edited: Feb 16, 2023

 

[Canuck]

No authorized dealer or Omega Boutique employee who knows diddly squat about manual wind watches would advise you that you have “overwound” the watch, resulting in the situation you describe! You were probably not winding it fully because of fear you’d damage it. Hence the run time problem. Wind it FULLY, until the crown (winder) will no longer turn! For someone to (purportedly) remove the back, fix the watch in 20 minutes, and return it to you saying your problem was caused by “overwinding” your watch, did NOT have the back off your watch, and wouldn’t know how to fix anything if there was something to fix! Wind it FULLY, until the crown no longer turns, set it to time, and let it run until it runs down and stops. Get back to us with what you learn.

 

[SC1]

I would guess you have yet to fully wind the watch and that's why you aren't getting anything close to your PR numbers.

As to the quick repair... I would bet it was wound fully in the backroom and handed back to you.

 

[pascs]

Its about 70 'winds' to fully wound and it should be quite obvious when you get there. All my Speedmasters are slightly different in the amount of winds to fully wound and some are more obvious than others depending on how tight the crown is.
If I just plan to wear my watch for a day or so then I'll normally just wind it 40 or so winds and not to fully wound, although i believe they can be a little less accurate towards the end of their power reserve.
Anyway in the 1000's of times I've wound my Speedmasters, I've not damaged one yet with winding it

 

[bitterspeak]

When I bought my Speedy, my AD showed me how to wind the watch and had me practice, so I'll get the hang of it. Even when I thought I felt resistance, my AD would tell me, "Keep going; you're not even close." Hahaha

As others have said, I'm pretty sure you didn't wind it all the way. But you will feel the crown stop when it's fully wound.

 

[watchyouwant]

Maybe your AD was a Stand Up Comedian before he changed jobs.....

 

[manwith2hats]

It is simple that you just wind until it stops. I would say that it is difficult to overwind and would probably take quite a bit of force. It is unmistakable when you hit max wind and the crown stops.


I feel like you should get a second opinion from somewhere else.

 

[JimInOz]

watchyouwant

Maybe your AD was a Stand Up Comedian before he changed jobs.....

.... or maybe a Magician.

Able to remove bracelet/strap, complete a pre-intervention clean, set up case opener with correct stops and pads, open the case, remove stem/crown, (I could go on) get it all back together correctly with replacement lubricated seal.

All in 20 minutes?

 

[SC1]

JimInOz

.... or maybe a Magician.

Able to remove bracelet/strap, complete a pre-intervention clean, set up case opener with correct stops and pads, open the case, remove stem/crown, (I could go on) get it all back together correctly with replacement lubricated seal.

All in 20 minutes?

Bullshit, I know a lot of mall kiosk watchmakers that could do that.

 

[Geezer]

From what you've written, the only thing that I can imagine is that the mainspring was broken, and that this is what was repaired by AD.

Mainsprings can be broken by forcing the crown when the watch is fully wound, but they can also break spontaneously (rare on new watches but it does happen).

But these are just guesses and the AD should be able to provide you with a more detailed answer.

 

[YY77]

Geezer

mainspring was broken, and that this is what was repaired by AD.

Not likely in 20 minutes.

 

[Geezer]

If we don't believe the ADs words, why believe the 20 minutes. The OP mentions "My AD promptly fixed the watch within one week".

Anyway, there is no point in arguing about this. If the OP really wants to know what was repaired (if anything at all), it would be pretty easy to find out.

I do find it hard to believe that the AD would tell the client the watch was repaired, when in fact nothing was done at all (and the watch was simply not being wound sufficiently). And on top of that telling the customer he was doing something wrong.

YY77

Not likely in 20 minutes.

 

[scott784]

Yes, that's exactly what I was told - that I had over-wound it - even though I've never tried to "force" the crown to turn. But, in so many words, he said it was a quick fix (about 20 minutes) and did not require replacing the mainspring. Just a minor adjustment after taking the case back off.

I did practice at the AD on another Moonwatch (since mine had already been fully wound at that point) when I picked it up. I was told to "keep going" a couple of times (on the practice watch) after the crown really started feeling lots of resistance.

But now that I have my watch back home, I am going to see how long the power reserve will continue to last before winding again (a test). I want to see this new Speedy go 48-50 hours as Omega promises on a full wind. Once the power reserve runs out, I will give it a full wind; and post back here with feedback.

Thanks for the replies here.

 

[YY77]

scott784

want to see this new Speedy go 48-50 hours as Omega promises on a full wind.

I'm getting 60+ hours from my 3861.

 

[SC1]

YY77

I'm getting 60+ hours from my 3861.

Same here.

 

[ExpiredWatchdog]

Overwinding a mainspring was a problem. In the seventeen hundreds.

 

[ninman]

It is literally impossible to overwind a watch. Even if you tried to force the crown to keep turning you wouldn't have enough strength to break it. There is no such thing as overwinding a watch. Keep going till you feel it stop, and don't worry about it.

 

[hronists]

^^^^

but, but, but my mate said his father overwound 60 year old watch that also happened never serviced!!!

 

[Evitzee]

YY77

I'm getting 60+ hours from my 3861.

Ditto, I get about 62 hours on the 3861, and surprisingly I get over 60 hours on the new 321, Omega is using longer mainsprings now it seems. The 1861's go about 52 hours. In over 60 years of manual wind use I've never broken a mainspring or damaged a watch, I just wind them until they won't go any further. Why the OP was told that he overwound the watch and it needed an 'adjustment' of some sort is strange. I'd go back to the AD and clarify exactly what the problem was and what was adjusted, if there was a problem they should be able to tell you. It will be interesting to hear back from the OP as to his run times after the watch was 'adjusted'.

Edited: Feb 18, 2023

 

[STANDY]

I just wind it until I need pliers and stop……it’s really that easy.