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  1. Mike Oct 23, 2015

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    Hey all,

    I just bought a used SMPc, which had been to the factory because it was gaining or losing (can't remember) time. Blue dot still intact. Movement I think, is 2500(D).

    My watch seems to gain about 4 seconds every 12 hours...and I want to make sure it isn't because its underpowered--I don't wear this watch everyday, but I try to give it a few shakes now and then.

    Long story short, to test it I want to get it fully wound. Everything I read said wind the thing until it stops. Well, it isn't stopping. I've probably turned the thing about 250 times now.

    Am I missing something here?

    Did I just damage my first Omega by winding it 250 times?

    Freakin' out a little bit.

    Thanks everyone.
     
  2. flyingout Oct 23, 2015

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    Automatics don't stop when you manually wind. No harm done.
     
  3. Mike Oct 23, 2015

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    So I can just wind for hours, and there is a safety mechanism built in to prevent me from breaking something?

    Thanks
     
  4. dennisthemenace Hey, he asked for it! Oct 23, 2015

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    Yes, you can wind till your thumb, or the crown wears out without breaking anything, and I'm not so sure a low power reserve would cause your watch to run fast.
     
  5. flyingout Oct 23, 2015

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    Right. There are some automatic movements, one of which I own, that suffer more than others from manually winding. It's not going to break it, but there is no benefit to overwinding and will cause wear to some extent.
     
  6. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 23, 2015

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    Well, conventional wisdom is that a low reserve = less power = lower balance amplitude = shorter oscillations = faster rate.

    In reality there are too many variables to know for sure if a watch will run faster or slower when the reserve is low, but it's certainly not unheard of. Ideally you want the watch to be isochronous so that rate is not affected much by amplitude.

    Cheers, Al
     
  7. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 23, 2015

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    If you start with the watch run down and hold the watch to your ear when you wind it, you will hear the normal winding sound to start, which is the regular faint clicking that corresponds directly to you turning the crown. After maybe 50 turns of the crown or so, you may hear a second set of somewhat random clicking sounds spaced at larger intervals - this is the mainspring slipping in the barrel (the "clutch" that people often refer to on watch forums - misleading term, but anyway). When you hear this secondary clicking start, the watch is fully wound. Again this should be around 50 or 60 turns of the crown.

    Now depending on the thickness of the watch case, and how good your hearing is, it may be more difficult to hear this, but I can hear it on most SMP's I have in the shop for servicing.

    Cheers, Al