Is it Bad to Let An Automatic Watch Stop?

An automatic watch is a beautiful timepiece that offers the charm of a mechanical watch and is complete with practicality for the wearer. But automatic watches require a great amount of care, so there may be many questions about how to maintain them, such as ‘is it bad to let an automatic watch stop?’

To help you preserve the longevity of your automatic watch, we will provide maintenance tips in this article. Furthermore, we will also answer the concerns that come to mind about how to take care of your automatic watch, including whether it is bad or not to let an automatic watch stop.

So, let’s explore the tips about automatic watch maintenance and keep your timepiece in shape for many years to come! Check out the details below!

FAQ About Automatic Watch Maintenance

As previously mentioned above, an automatic watch requires a great amount of care. So, if you are a watch collector beginner, you may have a lot of questions that pop up in your mind.

But worry no more! We will get the questions that are often wondered by the majority of people regarding automatic watch maintenance.

From the question ‘is it bad to let an automatic watch stop’ to the question ‘do you have to keep an automatic watch on,’ we got it all covered. Check them out below!

The watch collector beginner frequently asks this question. The answer to that question is no. Generally, an automatic watch will be perfectly safe even if you let it stop.

Specifically, it is safe to say that leaving your automatic watch unwound is perfectly OK. When you leave it unwound, you just need to rewind the watch if you want to wear it.

When your automatic watch stops, it means that the mainspring becomes fully unwound. Therefore, if you let it stop, you simply leave the watch unwound, and the mainspring cannot constantly power its movement.

At the moment when the mainspring is unable to power the watch’s movement, the escape wheel, which is the wheel that causes your watch to ‘tick’ repeatedly every second, is no longer receiving power.

When the escape wheel loses power, the pallet fork and escape wheel cease communicating. As a result, the pallet fork will not cause the balance wheel to oscillate and make the watch stop.

But there is no problem with that. As when you let that happen, you simply put your automatic watch to rest.

In conclusion, the answer to the question ‘is it bad to let an automatic watch stop?’ is ‘no’ as it is perfectly fine to leave your watch stopped.

What is The Problem If The Automatic Watch Stops?

Secondly, the commonly asked question is, ‘what is the problem if the automatic watch stops?’ The simple answer to this question is that nothing will happen.

Generally, with the rapid development in watch crafting, no harm will happen if an automatic watch is left on stop. If you leave it on the stop, the only thing that will happen is the power will get depleted.

Thus, the only thing that matters is how you store the watch to keep it from getting damaged. Instead, if you frequently leave your watch on the stop, you will extend the service interval needed.

The rumor that it is terrible to leave an automatic watch stop comes from the maintenance of automatic watches back in the day. Years ago, automatic watches were lubricated with animal-based oils like lubricants in motor vehicles.

The watch’s parts and gears constantly moved, and the lubricants kept friction low, extending the timepiece’s life and precision. And if the watch was not operating for a while, animal-based oil would coagulate, which became a problem.

Nevertheless, with the current model of automatic watches, that concern does not matter anymore.

Do You Have to Keep An Automatic Watch On?

Similar to the question ‘is it bad to let an automatic watch stop,’ the question ‘do you have to keep an automatic watch on’ is frequently being asked by the watch collector beginner.

The answer is no. If you don’t wear your watch, it is not necessary to leave it on. As when you keep your watch operating, the drying process of the lubricant will not necessarily become slower.

Instead, there is always a chance of damage when a watch is kept on operating daily. And there is no chance of damage if you keep your automatic watch off.

Theoretically, there will not likely be any damage if all lubricants are in optimal conditions, but when and under what circumstances will this be the case? Well, you can never be certain.

For whatever cause, lubricants can become contaminated inside the movement and lose their optimal lubricating values.

So, there is no exact scientific data that you have to keep your automatic watch on to make the lubricants in optimal condition.

Is it Bad to Wear An Automatic Watch Every Day?

The answer to this question is similar to the previous question and the question, ‘is it bad to let an automatic watch stop? There is no exact evidence that wearing a watch daily or rarely will result in any damage.

It can be said that wearing an automatic watch every day is not necessarily bad for your timepiece. As many factors keep your watch in shape, from the way you store your watch to the lubricant’s condition.

The longevity depends on how you maintain an automatic watch rather than the frequency of wearing it. Below are some of the maintenance tips you may apply to take care of your automatic watch:

1. Keep your watch on clean

2. Do not wear the watch in extreme temperatures

3. Avoid placing the watch near the electronics or strong magnets

4. Try to keep the watch away from moisture

5. Change the strap carefully

6. Service the watch regularly

Finally, we have come to the end of this article. We have covered all the information you need to keep your automatic watch in shape.

From the question ‘is it bad to let an automatic watch stop’ to the question ‘is it bad to wear an automatic watch every day,’ we have covered it all.

We hope that with all of the information we have provided, you can preserve your automatic watch’s longevity for years to come.

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