My automatic watch stopped: how to get it running

Why it stopped

An automatic watch winds itself as you move, and runs for about 40 to 80 hours after you take it off. Leave it on the dresser for a weekend and it will stop. That is normal and does it no harm.

It can also stop on the wrist if you move very little, for example on a day at a desk, because the rotor never fully winds the mainspring.

Start it again

1. Unscrew the crown if it screws down. Leave it in the first position, pushed in.
2. Turn the crown clockwise 20 to 40 times. You will see the seconds hand start.
3. If the crown does not wind it, the movement cannot be wound by hand. Some, like the Seiko 7S26 in the SKX007, cannot. Hold the watch dial up and turn it gently from side to side for a minute instead.
4. Set the date the safe way from the date-change guide, then the time to the second.

If it keeps stopping

• It stops overnight even though you wore it all day: give it 20 or 30 turns of the crown each morning, so it starts the day full.
• It stops within a day of a full wind: the power reserve has dropped. Old oil or a worn mainspring is the usual cause, and it needs a service.
• It stops when you hold it still, or only in one position: take it to a watchmaker. Something is binding.

Do you need a winder?

Not for a simple watch. Stopping does not harm it, and setting it again takes a minute. A winder makes sense for watches that are slow to reset, like perpetual calendars. More on winders.