I picked up a used Speedmaster cal 1861, recently from OF. I was actually looking to buy a Seamaster AT and the seller I was in contact with listed this Speedmaster. I have always admired the Speedmasters and it was in my price range, so I bought it. But I have to admit I know very little about hand wound watches, as my only other Omega is a Seamaster cal 1120. So my questions are;

How much and often should I wind it? I am concerned about over winding.

It won't be a daily wearer, so will I harm anything if it sits and isn't wound for 2-3 or more weeks.

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks,
Josh

 

Hi Josh,

When you intend to wear the watch, wind it approximately 25 turns or until you feel some resistance. The watch will now be fully wound. If you will be wearing it for a couple of days, its easiest just to wind it in the morning when you put it on. Don't worry too much about overwinding as you would really have to force it to damage it.

The watch standing for some time unwound will not damage it at all to my knowledge.
Enjoy the watch in good health!

 

Thank you Sir. That is exactly what I was looking for.

 

Wind it fully at the same time each day - turn the crown until it stops, then don't force it. It's fairly obvious when that time comes (I remember being unsure before I bought my first manual-wind watch).

Generally, it's best to keep it wound every day in order to keep the lubricants from pooling - not such a huge issue with a modern watch, but it'll help with longevity.

 

I appreciate the input. The warranty card is dated October 2013, so it's a little over 2 years old. But I should still wind it everyday? I don't mind doing it, if it's going to add longevity.

 

Yep, best to wind it daily

 

Hmmm I actually rotate my watches and wind them when I wear them. I always thought that when they are running the lubricants and gears, etc work and therefore "wear out" and when they are not running the oils etc can dry out or no longer be as effective, but my thinking was that it would not cause damage either way as long as reasonable service intervals are allowed.

Either way found this with a quick google... http://www.ablogtowatch.com/ask-wat...need-to-be-wound-regularly-to-prevent-damage/

 

That is very informative. Thank you. And the article made an interesting point. How long does a watch sit before it is sold and wound.