Ref. 07 · Topic
Care and fixes
Most automatic problems come from too little winding, magnetism or a movement that is due for a service. Start with the free checks before you send the watch off.
- Full wind by hand
- about 30 to 40 crown turns, by movement
- Service interval
- often 5 to 10 years, per maker
An automatic that stops overnight is often just not wound enough. A day at a desk gives the rotor little motion. Wind it by hand with 30 to 40 turns of the crown if it hand-winds, or wear it on a more active day, and see whether it then runs through the night.
A watch that suddenly gains minutes a day is often magnetized. A watch shop can demagnetize it in seconds, and an inexpensive demagnetizer does the same at home. A drift of some seconds a day is normal for an automatic and can be regulated.
Set the date away from midnight: on many movements, changing the date between about 9 pm and 3 am can damage the date wheel while it is engaged. Move the hands past midnight first so you know AM from PM, then set the date.
Common mistakes
- Changing the date while the hands sit near midnight.
- Opening the caseback yourself and breaking the water seal.
- Sending a watch for service for a problem that winding or demagnetizing would fix.
Pages on this topic
- Magnetized watch: how to tell and fix itHow to tell if your automatic watch is magnetized with a simple compass test, how to use a demagnetizer safely, and how to keep it from happening again.Fix
- How to wind an automatic watchHow to hand wind an automatic watch, how many crown turns it takes, whether to wind it every day, and why you cannot overwind an automatic. Seiko 7S26 notes too.How-to
- How to wind a Seiko 5How to wind a Seiko 5: which models hand wind (4R36, 4R34), how to do it with the crown, and how to start older 7S26 Seiko 5s that cannot be hand wound.How-to
- How to start a stopped automatic watchGet a stopped automatic running again: hand wind it with the crown or swirl it gently, then set time and date in the safe order. Plus what to do if it stops again.How-to
- How to set time and date on an automatic watchSet the time and date on an automatic watch in the safe order, avoid the 9 pm to 3 am date change zone, and get am and pm right on Seiko, Orient and Tissot.How-to
- How to care for an automatic watchSimple habits that keep an automatic watch running well: winding, setting, water checks, cleaning, avoiding magnets and shocks, storage and service.How-to
- How often to service an automatic watchHow often an automatic watch needs a service, signs it is due, what a full service includes, and what affects the cost, so you can plan care for your watch.Explainer
- How long do automatic watches lastHow long an automatic watch lasts, what wears out first, how long Seiko automatics last, and the habits and services that keep one running for decades.Explainer
- Automatic watch running fast or slow: fixesWhy an automatic watch runs fast or slow: magnetism, resting position, low power reserve or due service. How to check it and when regulation makes sense.Fix
- Automatic watch keeps stopping: causes and fixesWhy an automatic watch keeps stopping, overnight or when not worn: low activity, partial winding, magnetism or a worn mainspring, checked in order of likelihood.Fix