As many as 60% of customer coming to watch repair shop do not understand why his Rolex stops after wearing a few hours, It s was found that mainly they don't prime the watch, even on Rolex official site carry the important information to remind us to prime the watch. Especially some vintage Rolex.
You need to prime (manually wind) an automatic watch after it has completely stopped to give the mainspring enough initial energy to start the balance wheel and power the movement.
Why Priming is Necessary
- Jumpstarts the Balance Wheel: The internal weighted rotor relies on your arm's motion to keep the watch wound, but it cannot generate enough instant force from a dead stop to start the ticking mechanism.
- Ensures Full Power Reserve: Simply wearing a stopped watch or shaking it lightly only provides a minimal charge, meaning the watch may run slow or stop again soon after you take it off.
- Reduces Gear Strain: Giving the crown 20 to 30 manual turns properly tensions the mainspring, ensuring stable accuracy right from the start.
If you'd like, let me know the brand or movement caliber of your watch, and I can tell you the exact number of manual winds recommended by the manufacturer.
HK Snob
