Is it bad to wind an automatic watch by hand?

Many people wear automatic watches on a regular basis. Many people wind their automatic watches by hand before going to work or during their morning coffee break to ensure they keep accurate time throughout the day, but is this actually a bad idea?
No, it's not a complete no-no! There's nothing wrong with rolling it up a little.
So, I will explain about the "companionship" that can occur with any luxury watch.
What does "co-winding" mean for a watch? If you wind your automatic watch until it stops winding every day like a manual winding watch, be careful.
Have you ever had the experience of manually winding your automatic watch and the rotor turning along with it?

First, let me briefly explain the power sources of automatic and manual winding watches.

[Hand-wound watch]
Since watches are designed to be wound by hand, the power source called the "barrel" is wound from the center of the multiple gear train and stores energy. The "barrel" of a manual-winding watch has a limited amount of winding. This is because it is not an automatic watch, and the rotor does not automatically store energy. Therefore, the spring inside the "barrel" will stop winding, and there is a limit to how much it can be wound. The structure of a manual-winding watch is simple, and most manual-winding watches are made up of 4-12 parts from the crown to the transmission of power to the "barrel."

[Automatic watch]
The power for winding is generally obtained from a rotor or micro-rotor on the back. Manually wound watches have a rotor, so they can be wound automatically. For this reason, most models can also be wound manually. Automatic watches basically use the same power source as manual winding, storing energy in a "barrel."

Now, let's move on to the main topic: "Is it bad to wind an automatic watch by hand?" Automatic watches were invented in the early 1900s, a revolutionary change comparable to the evolution from unicycles to automobiles in modern terms. As a result, they utilized the latest advanced technology at the time, and the number of parts was significantly increased to power the watch using only the centrifugal force of the arm. Automatic watches utilize cutting-edge technology. Conversely, because there are so many parts from the crown to the "barrel," manually winding an automatic watch involves moving numerous gear trains. Therefore, winding an automatic watch every day can cause the internal oil to harden or run out of oil, resulting in "dragging."
However, if you store your watch without moving it at all, the oil may harden.
So how do you manually wind an automatic watch? Even automatic watches can stop working in today's world, where people move less. Therefore, the normal way to use a watch is to manually wind it a few times until the second hand starts moving, and then let the natural vibration of your arm rotate the rotor to keep the watch moving. That said, recent developments in movements have been incredibly fast, and unless it's an antique watch, manual winding until it stops working normally won't damage your automatic watch.
However, if the time becomes increasingly out of sync, we recommend having your watch overhauled sooner.

Some people may think that smartwatches that run on electricity are more advanced, but there are many electrically powered things being developed, from light bulbs to automobiles. Quartz watches are also convenient. However, both hand-wound and automatic watches have a similar feel to manual cars and are quite enjoyable. At least for me, as a collector of hand-wound and automatic watches, I use them regularly.

Some automatic watch collectors may think that maintenance is a hassle, but the latest movements can store energy efficiently, like a living organism, by lightly winding them manually and wearing them on the wrist. Movements with anti-magnetic functions have also been developed. Furthermore, many ratchet movements and micro-rotors, which began to be produced in the 1980s, are equipped with automatic rotors as auxiliary functions to manual winding. So, while quartz, LED, Spring Drive, and smartwatches are great, the feeling of a traditional mechanical "adorable piece of machinery" that doesn't use electricity or magnetism can also be said to be one of the joys of owning a watch.

I forgot the main topic, but I'd like to introduce a watch winder just in case. Please feel free to try it out as it is on display at Comptoine. Our boutique staff will be happy to provide you with detailed instructions.