zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: A friend of mine just bought a brand new SMP
: Automatic Chronometer that's exactly like
: the 4-year-old one he's worn up to now (and
: loved). He is keeping BOTH. His thinking is
: that he'll wear the new one most of the
: time, and maintain the older one as a
: "back up" (eg, while the new one
: is being serviced, and to wear places maybe
: a little less friendly that he'd like to
: risk the new one in).

: Is this practical, given lubricant and seal
: issues w/ these watches (I'm thinking about
: the 2531.80)? At the very least, wouldn't
: there be accuracy issues w/ a watch that had
: to re-settle-in after sitting idle for
: months? The watches wouldn't have to be so
: similar even; just the fact of having two
: automatics would seem to me to present the
: same challenge. Heck, I made a note in my
: Treo 650 to remind me at regular intervals
: to screw the Helium Release valve in an out
: every few months just to keep that part of
: my own SMP at the ready.

: This is an interesting technical, maintenance
: question for me - so any experience or
: speculation would be welcome.

: Thanks!

You really have nothing to worry about. A winder will not damage your watch but it is not a necessity, either. It is merely a tool you buy for the convenience of not having to reset your watches routinely.

As the late moderator of this website pointed out on numerous occasions, todays modern lubricants don't result in watches that can cease to run if they aren't kept wound. As I've said before, watches sit in jeweler's cases for months or years without use, so there's no need to worry if you don't wear your watch for a while and let its power reserve run down. If you want a winder for its convenience, fine. But if you don't want to spend the money on one, your watches won't suffer.