Mechanical Watches

• Manual, automatic and pocket mechanical watches employ springs and a gear-like balance wheel to keep time. When you wind the watch, the mainspring winds tighter and tighter; when you stop winding, the mainspring gradually unwinds on its own, generating power to cause the balance wheel to oscillate. The balance wheel's oscillations are controlled by a balance spring. When the mainspring has fully unwound to its original shape, the watch stops working and must be rewound.
  
  

Manual

• Also called wind-up watches, fully wound manual watches generally will run for 20 to 30 hours, so they must be wound every day. The manual watch has a small, textured knob on the right side of the watch's face. This is called the crown. Hold the watch face-up in your left hand and turn the crown clockwise -- or forward -- with your right index finger and thumb. When you feel resistance, stop. Winding beyond this point may cause damage. However, do not hesitate to wind the crown all the way to this resistance point, either; most watches -- especially antique ones -- run more accurately if they are wound completely and then allowed to run to a stop.
  
  

Automatic

• Automatic, or self-winding, watches use the same mechanism as the manual to keep time, but they do not require the same winding ritual. The wearer's normal activities produce kinetic energy that winds the watch. As the wearer moves, a fan-shaped rotor swings back and forth in a manner that winds the mainspring. As long as the watch is worn about 12 hours each day, the watch will not need winding. However, a few days without wear may deplete the watch's 42 to 48 hours worth of power reserves so the watch stops and must be rewound. Some watch models require the wearer to move the watch back and forth or in a circular motion for a few minutes. This winds the mainspring so the watch begins working again. Automatic watch models that retain the traditional crown may be rewound like a manual mechanical watch.
  
  

Pocket Watches

• Like the manual watch, the pocket watch usually must be wound every day. In some models, the crown is located at the top of the pocket watch. Using your thumb and index finger, simply turn it in a clockwise direction until it stops. Some antique pocket watches, however, employ a key, pin or lever for winding the watch and setting its time. Pin- or lever-set watches also include the winding crown, but the lever or pin may need to be in the proper position before the crown will wind. For key-set watches, you must insert the key into the proper hole in the back or front of the watch. This serves as the crown; you wind the key.