zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: Hi all,

: Apologies in advance for a question that has probably been answered
: numerous times already on this forum.
: I am a first time mechanical watch owner and have inherited a
: 1960-62 Omega Seamaster. To ensure I look after this watch in
: the most appropriate manner, I have been conducting some of my
: own research over the last few days.

: I have come across what appears to be a contradiction in
: information regarding the appropriate manner in which to adjust
: the time of a mechanical watch.

: Direction 1:
: 'Turn the crown clockwise until the hands reach the exact time.
: Only turn the crown clockwise, as counterclockwise turning can
: damage the internal workings of your mechanical watch'

: Direction 2:
: 'For some watches with mechanical movements, this (winding time
: backwards) is a bad idea for several reasons. First, the
: mechanisms are usually designed around moving forward, so some
: cannot take the stress of reversing properly. Second, after a
: mechanical watch settles in, reversing the watch against the
: pattern of wear may cause unnecessary additional wear'

: 'Remember to only turn the hands clockwise when setting the time'

: If I follow direction 1, the crown is turned clockwise, but the
: hands of the watch rotate anti-clockwise.
: If I follow direction 2, the hands of the watch turn clockwise, but
: in order to do this, the crown on my watch must be turned
: anti-clockwise.

: I would greatly appreciate if someone could advise which of the
: above, if either, is correct. Lastly, my watch does not have a
: date setting, only time, and is a 'manual-wind' watch.

: Thank you in advance and please excuse my ignorance.
: Drew

Hands clockwise is the correct answer. (On a some, but not all, watches, that may require turning the crown counterclockwise.