- William Lang
- Sep 8, 2022
- 4 min read
Thinking about buying a mechanical watch, but wait, First learn about mechanical watches. Some people might consider a mechanical watch to be the ideal male accessory, but have you given it any thought? One of their best qualities is that mechanical watches are built to endure a lifetime and beyond. However, a mechanical watch may require a little more maintenance than a quartz watch, and there are certainly some things you should and shouldn't do with it. Mechanical watches are made up of hundreds of small pieces that all operate together.
What is a Mechanical Watch A mechanical watch uses a spring-loaded stem to store the energy transferred when you wind it. The watch is entirely physical, with gears and levers that utilize the stored energy to tell the time in a controlled way.
How does a mechanical watch work Mechanical movement watches are chosen due to their high quality and craftsmanship. A wound spring provides power to a mechanical movement, which powers the watch. This spring regulates the release of energy to power the watch by storing energy and transferring it through a set of gears and springs.
Why buy Mechanical Watch One thing that comes to your mind is why buy mechanical watches over automatic or quartz watches?
A mechanical watch is one of the best options for buying a watch. People buy these because they are reliable, durable and stylish.
They can last for many years with proper care and caution.
They are unique because they are all crafted by hand.
They are passed from one generation to generation as they are special and unique in their own way.
The mechanical watch's tick-tick sound will remind you that time is running.
Things that help your Mechanical Watch to work forever
1. Keep the watch clean. Water and dust are the main factors that affect its life. Therefore, you should clean the dust to make it work for a long period. Additionally, since dirt and skin oils can gather there, it's also a good idea to wipe the case back sometimes.
2. Be Gentle A mechanical watch contains hundreds of small components that work together in a precise manner. Therefore, you shouldn't subject your watch to high-impact loads, such as playing tennis or other impact sports, unless it is composed entirely of high-tech materials. To prevent dropping it unintentionally, set it over a dresser or when seated at a table. If you have a classic watch, the bracelet links can be hollow, which dent more quickly than solid links.
3. Ensure Service Timely Like a premium vehicle, you don't wait for things to break before getting looked at. You tune it up and give it some oil. A watch requires similar maintenance. It is a good idea to verify that it is still water-resistant and that the internal gaskets are still holding tight and have not degraded once every few years.
Have your watch serviced once every five years by a brand-authorized service facility or the watch manufacturer. The watch's lubricants may have dried up throughout those years. You can ask to remove dents from the metal case or bracelet while servicing. Allowing the service center to replace the dial will compromise the watch's authenticity, which you should respect.
Avoid These Things to Make your Mechanical Watch Last Long
1. Don't overwind You need to wind your mechanical watch. One thing to remember is that don't overwind it. If you overwind, it will damage your mainspring.
2. Don't set functions at the wrong time. A mechanical watch has some settings that should not be altered while performing its calculations, which is crucial. As an illustration, you shouldn't set the date on a calendar watch between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.
During those times, the watch's automatic date-changing mechanism signals the gear train to change the date on its own. At 2 a.m., the gear train disengages. The teeth of the mechanism could break if you try to set the date during such times. Frequently, you can set the date by moving the hands to the lower part of the dial, which is regarded as a safe location.
3. Know your watch's water resistance Do not use your mechanical watch's built-in chronograph (stopwatch) while submerged in water. Water will enter the casing and the mechanism of the chronograph by pushing the pushers. If you are diving underwater, it is preferable to time your dives with the unidirectional spinning bezel.
Mechanical vs Automatic watch Mechanical and Automatic watches are different in many aspects.
Movement A mechanical movement requires manual hand winding and is powered by the main spring. Because of this, this kind of calibre is frequently referred to as a "hand-wound mechanism." Unlike the quartz movement, the mechanical calibre doesn't require a battery to run.
The automatic movement powers the clock with the main spring, much like the manual movement. However, this movement uses your body's natural motion to wind itself rather than being wound manually. So if you wear an automatic watch daily, you will never need to wind it.
Winding Frequency
The biggest difference between mechanical and automatic timepieces is found here. Automatic watches are powered by your movement. The rotor rotates and winds the mainspring each time you move your arm. As long as you wear your automatic watch frequently, you won't need to worry about winding it.
The mainspring will gradually wear down if your watch isn't worn for a few days, at which point you'll need to manually wind it. On the other hand, mechanical timepieces must be wound more frequently to function.
Maintenance
Mechanical watches need more maintenance as they have many parts, but Automatic Watches don't require much maintenance.
Conclusion
Quartz models, which track time by electronically counting vibrations of a quartz crystal, began to dethrone mechanical watches in the 1970s. Common watches only expanded their reliance on digital circuits as technology advanced. Contemporary smart reincarnations resemble their archetypal counterparts only in shape and location on wrists.
Digital timepieces are more accurate than mechanical ones. They are more fragile and need upkeep. Nevertheless, these gadgets exhibit great engineering prowess despite all of these shortcomings. A mechanical watch emerges from its sleeping components to become genuinely alive through the inventive use of tiny gears, levers, and springs.
Source - Mechanical Watch