Sea Wolf winding

[dawej]

Maybe its kind of noob question, but how does the movement in Sea Wolf work in regards to winding it up? Or maybe this is to automatic watches in general. Anyway, when my SW has stopped, it doesn't start ticking when i start winding it (as a couple of my other vintage, manual wound watches do). But after some winding, i give it a very little shake and it starts ticking really nice.

Is this normal? I mean winding it for a while gives the watch a power reserve, but to start off from stopped it needs a little shake? Is that correct?

[Sea Wolf]

Most of my Zodiacs start up when you wind up the crown a few times.
Then I have a SST that you wind up and have to shake to get going.

Could be the movement inside, I really don't know why some take a shake to get started.
I noticed it as well but never had the nerve to ask 

Butch and others probably have the answer.

[Butch]

Needs a service.

[jon p]

  yeah, a clean movement should start right up with either slight movement or a turn on the winding crown. my 2 recently serviced SWs start running when they are first moved. i always manual wind about 10 turns before i set them and put them on.

[dawej]

A little update:

Since i started to wind it every day (about 10-15 turns) it has been running smoothly.

The strange thing is that before i started to wind it every day, i got the watch running on the morning by giving it a few neat shakes. The power reserve was really really bad (only about couple of hours) so it didn't even make it through the night. It was also running really slow, it was loosing about 12 seconds/hour. And this was after i had left the watch for a little service (he fixed a problem i had with the crown and gave it a quick clening).

But to the point. Since i started to wind the watch every day, its far more accurate than before. It has slowed down 15 seconds in about three days (and not in an hour as before  ) and as i said earlier, the power reserve is much better. I don't know exactly how long the power reserve is, but now it at least makes it through the night

But how is it possible that the watch behaves so different just by changing the method of energizing?

[mkelps]

No sure how frequently you rotate out your watches, but it might make sense to look into getting a lower priced multi-watch watch winder so you can have a few that are always keeping good time to choose from.

[Butch]

When was your watch last serviced?

[dawej]

I had a problem with the crown, don't know exactly what its called though. The problem was that after i had pulled out the crown to adjust the time, it would 'pop' back in. It did went in, but you could still adjust the time, so there were no click when crown was pulled back in.

Anyway, he fixed that, and he also told me that he had cleaned it. It was not a full service though (he asked me if i wanted a full service but i declined).

This was in the middle of this summer, and i bought the watch in January. So i don't know when it was last serviced.

But still, the question in my last post: "How is it possible that the watch behaves so different just by changing the method of energizing?"

[Butch]

Old oil? Gummy gears? Incorrectly lubricated? Tough to say. Once fully and correctly serviced they are very accurate and start up when wound. Then through motion are wound tight throughout the day so that they will run all night on the night stand.

Basically, until if is fully and correctly serviced, I am unsure what you can expect from it. Perhaps you should return it to your guy and ask him about this?

[jon p]

  i would ask your watchmaker what is the difference between cleaning and full service. i have heard stories of some watchmakers dont take the movement apart to clean, they just swish the movement around in the cleaner  and hit a few spots with new oil !! NOT a cleaning and you get only what you pay for!! good luck.

[Ultra-Vintage]

i would ask your watchmaker what is the difference between cleaning and full service. i have heard stories of some watchmakers dont take the movement apart to clean, they just swish the movement around in the cleaner  and hit a few spots with new oil !! NOT a cleaning and you get only what you pay for!! good luck.

Definitely not a watchmaker then.  When referring to the movement, a cleaning and a full service are the same thing.  There are a few guys out there that claim to be watchmakers that will do those sorts of things, that is why a collector should always send their timepieces to a legitimate and recommended watchmaker.  You can't just consider price alone, because when it comes to watches and their service you get what you pay for!

[jon p]

ULTRA---AMEN brother,you nailed it for sure.

[dbluefish]

Well, just my $0.02 worth, My SW(which was rebuilt by BWG), has to be wound quite a bit if it is to last the night.  But I wear it to bed so it is not a problem.  It runs a bit slow but it is 40 years old.  But on my SSW, he said from a dead stop, 30-40 winds would be needed for the watch to run through the night.  I assume this is if off the wrist.

For my peace of mind, I always give my automatics a really good wind if they are stopped and even give a good wind if all I do is adjust the time.  Just a little anal, I guess, but these are automatics and are dependent on having a well wound spring.

But in the end, the Zodiacs I have are just neat watches so a little fast or slow is no big deal.

BTW, and someone can correct me if i am wrong, but there are good and not so good winders that can even do more harm than good.  One of the issues is which way they wind, how long, how long is the pause, and whether or not they self reverse.I have two that i no longer use.

Just my thoughts.

paul