If an antique or vintage watch is not in regular use, wind it about once a month so the oil does not sit in one place and the steel parts see a little motion. A watch that only lives in a display case can wait closer to every three months. A full wind on a typical pocket watch is roughly 30 to 40 half-turns of the crown and will run about a day. Stop when you feel the crown firm up. Forcing past that point is how mainsprings and clicks get hurt.
Do not leave a stored watch fully wound for months. A tight spring sitting still is extra stress on an old spring. Wind it, let it run down over a day or two, and put it away partly relaxed. Keep it away from speakers, damp rooms, and hot windows while it sleeps.
If a stored watch is stiff, gritty, or smells of old oil when you crack the cap, it wants a service more than it wants another wind. Winding a dry movement is polishing the pivots with dirt. A calendar reminder once a month is enough; a winder is unnecessary for a pocket watch that is not on the body every day.
Have a pocket watch that needs attention? The Good Old Times offers
free, no-fee service estimates (no charge if you decide not to proceed), local drop-off in
Mississauga by appointment, and Canada-wide service by mail — every repair backed by a
3-month warranty. Get a free estimate →
Also browse: fully serviced watches for sale ·
pocket watch guides (Collector’s Corner).