How do I make my watch run again

6 Issues with Mechanical Watches and How to Fix Them

Mechanical watches are complicated devices. Some featuring thousands of tiny parts. As beautifully as they are engineered and designed, there is a lot that can go wrong with the internal components. A mechanical timepiece requires regular maintenance, servicing, and upkeep if you want it to last a long time. A properly cared for mechanical watch could last forever in theory. Below are some of the most commonly reported issues with mechanical watches.

6 Issues with Mechanical Watches and How to Fix Them

Mechanical watches typically need to be addressed by a pro. Understanding the issue so that you can properly tell a watch technician is really helpful. These watches are made to be precise without any battery, circuits, or internal chips. That makes the internal mechanics complicated and difficult to work on yourself.

1. The Internal Mechanisms and Gears are Loose

This is one of the most common mechanical watch issues.

If your mechanical watch has stopped ticking altogether, it is likely that there could be a blockage or jam in the internal mechanisms. Your mechanical watch, while sturdy on the outside, is a delicate balance of screws and springs which can be thrown out of balance or loosened by vigorous movement.

If you do sports wearing your watch you are more likely to loosen a screw or spring inside the watch. Even if you are very careful, your watch mechanisms can be loosened over time. Luckily, this is a very easy problem to fix and requires a professional diagnosis at your local watch repair.

2. The Mainspring Stops Working

If your watch has stopped working, it might be because the mainspring has stopped working. The mainspring is a tightly bound coil of wire inside the watch which makes it tick in time. If the the spring itself is defective, then the watch will no longer work. When you wind your watch using the knob on the side, you are preserving energy in the mainspring. Of course it may be just that you need to wind it, but if you feel any abnormal resistance winding it it could point to an issue with the mainspring.

If your watchs mainspring stops working, it can either be rewound by hand or replaced by an expert watch repair engineer.

3. Trapped Dirt Clogging the Movement

It could be that your watchs inner mechanism is lodged with dirt or dust. Even the tiniest amount of grime getting inside your watch can jam or damage the intricate mechanisms inside. Watch repair specialists work with careful precision to remove any clogging matter from inside your watch, to allow the mechanisms to unwind and rewind in the normal functionality again.

There are various ways dirt can get inside your watch. It could be a bad gasket and weak seal on the case. On a chronographer you have multiple stems and crowns that can lead to tiny particles of dirt getting inside.

These issues are most commonly solved through getting your watch serviced. A full movement overhaul entails taking all of the internal components apart, inspecting and cleaning them, and then putting it back together.

4. Water or Condensation Inside the Movement

Although most mechanical watches have watertight outer bodywork, no watch is totally waterproof. If your watch has been exposed to water, particularly for long periods of time, it might damage the inner mechanisms of the watch. Metal watches should generally be kept out of water, due to their ability to rust which creates problems both for the integrity of the metal and the aesthetic of the watch.

The back case has a gasket or seal that deteriorates overtime and can allow water in. It may even allow sweat from your wrist in while you are wearing it if the seal goes bad. Same with the seal on the crystal. Condensation is often the result of drastic temperature changes that can impact the movement.

Regular servicing of the watch is the best way to prevent these issues. When you get your watched serviced they inspect the seals and gaskets and replaces any parts that may lead to water or condensation getting inside.

5. Cracked Crystal Impacting the Mechanical Movement

If your glass watch face is smashed, the structure of the watch could be compromised. If shards of glass make their way into the mechanism of the watch, it could cause problems for the intricate springs and coils that make the watch tick. Although high quality mechanical watches have thick glass which is difficult to break, wearing your watch while doing sport, or dropping it onto a hard surface, could smash the watch face.

Any deep scratches or cracks in the crystal should alert you to stop wearing the watch and have the issue looked at. A small crack can lead to larger problems. A cracked crystal can lead to crystal shards in the movement.

6. The Watch is Running too Slowly or too Fast

All mechanical watches lose time slowly due to the nature of how they work.

It is likely that your watch is slightly out of sync with the way it was originally fine tuned by the watchmaker. All watches are precisely wound to run against a timegrapher when they are manufactured.

If your watch is suddenly running slowly or quickly, you should see a professional watchmaker to have your watch serviced.

How a Mechanical Watch Works

To better understand the issues, it is helpful to understand how these timepieces operate. They have no battery, no microchip, and no internal circuit boards. These are precision made machines designed to deliver accurate time keeping.

Authorized Repairs for Issues With Mechanical Watches

When considering any repair work, regardless if the issue is common or uncommon, your warranty should be considered. Most watch warranties contain a statement that says any unauthorized repair work will void the warranty. For some brands that includes simple repairs like replacing a crown.

If you own a mechanical watch and it is still under warranty, you should consider the imapcts on seeking a local repair service. A local repair shop or jewelry store can likely fix your watch, but can noy honor your warranty. That means they wont do it for free even if it is covered under warranty. That also means they likely will not guarantee their work one it is completed.

Its advisable to at least consult with your brands authorized service center if you still are under warranty coverage. While that often means you have to mail in your watch, you can get certified technicians to work on it and if the issue is covered under warranty the work is done for free.

Vintage Mechanical Watch

Mechanical Watch Restoration

If you own a vintage mechanical watch you may want to consider finding a watch restoration shop. These places differ from that of a watch repair shop. While they can fix common issues with mechanical watches, they will be better handle an aged mechanical watch. These shops understand how to find replacement parts for older timepieces and if needed the ability to fabricate mechanical watch parts. Any type of restoration work always needs to consider how the work impacts the watches value in the eyes of a collector.

Issues With Mechanical Watches Final Thoughts

There are certainly more then these common issues with mechanical watches. If you own one, the best thing to do is get any issues you have addressed immediately. The best way to avoid future issues with mechanical watches is through preventative maintenance like routine servicing and cleaning.

How to Wind an Automatic Watch

Co-authored by:

Jewelry & Watch Expert, Designer, Gold, Silver, and Platinum Smith.

This article was co-authored by

Bill Green

. Bill Green is an Expert Jeweler and Appraiser. He is also the Founder & Creative Director of Jewelry & Timepiece Mechanix, and the Founder and Designer of Amaroo Handmade Opal Jewelry, based in Haddonfield, New Jersey. With over 40 years of industry knowledge, he and his team are known for restoring everything from new watches to vintage jewels and being one of the few shops that still design and make jewelry and watches. Jewelry & Timepiece Mechanix is part of the American Society of Jewelers and Gemologists and Ethical Metalsmiths. Bill studied at the Miami Jewelry Institute and the Gemological Institute of America as well as apprenticed with many accomplished craftspeople. This article has been viewed 652,165 times.

Co-authors: 20

Updated: April 11, 2024

Views:652,165

Article SummaryX

To wind an automatic watch, start by removing the watch from your wrist and locating the crown on the right side of the watch face. Then, grip the crown with your thumb and forefinger and rotate it clockwise. Turn the knob 40 times, or until the second hand starts moving or you feel resistance. Finally, make sure that the crown is still pushed all the way in before putting your watch back on. For tips on using a watch winder, read on!

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 652,165 times.

Cheap Fix for a Quartz Watch

We live a couple of miles from one of only a few a watchmakers in our very metropolitan area. Because droplets of moisture have sometimes gotten into the watch and condensed on the inside of the crystal, I wanted to talk with him about cleaning and lubricating the watch. The watch also stopped recently, but I got it going again by gently pokingwith a toothpickat the wheel that drives the second hand. I thought there may be a tiny piece of debris inside the watch, and cleaning would be a very good idea. The watchmaker has a very thick foreign accent and shook his head, "No!" when I asked about cleaning. He said, "New battery! One year!" When the watch was new, the first battery lasted 7 years. I have 3 1/2 years on the present battery. This watch is still supposed to keep accurate time when the battery is getting low, but the second hand begins to jump in 2 second increments every 2 seconds as a sign the battery needs to be changed. I have not seen that, yet, so I assume the battery still has some life in it..Still, some sites urge replacing the battery every two years, even if no inaccuracy problems are evident. I do not know if it makes a difference, but the watch came with a silver-oxide battery. The present battery is an alkaline battery.

Tools

• Spanner wrench to remove the back
• Ballpoint penor jeweler's screwdriver to depress the stem lock

Materials

• Canned air with a guide tube
• Rubber cement or a properly sized "O"-ring

The photo shows me pretending to be a watchmaker.

Rolex Doesnt Work Troubleshooting Guide

Rolex Doesnt Work Troubleshooting Guide

There are many potential reasons why your Rolex watch isnt functioning the way it should. Some of them are easily solved and do not necessarily mean that your watch is broken. Other issues may be because your Rolex has broken and needs to be repaired.

In this article, were looking closer at the different issues with a Rolex watch that may cause it to not function properly and the troubleshooting for identifying these issues and finding a solution.

Rolex watches are known to be durable, robust, and long-lasting timepieces that can continue to tick year after year with little to no maintenance. But like all mechanical machines, issues that affect their proper functioning may arise due to a number of different reasons, some more serious than others.

If youre experiencing issues with your Rolex where it doesnt function the way it should or not at all, you need to troubleshoot it in order to identify the issue and resolve it.

Lets begin with the most common issues that are easily solved and which do not mean that your watch is broken.

Not enough energy

This is the most common reason that your Rolex watch will stop and not work. It is also the easiest to resolve. The reason why some people will believe that their watch is broken when this happens is that they dont completely understand how a Rolex functions and how it is powered.

Today, Rolex only manufactures automatic watches. In its early days, Rolex also made manual-wound watches and a few quartz watches, but the vast majority are automatic.

This means that they are powered by mechanical movements that are charged via a rotor that rotates by the movements from the wrist. But if you dont wear your watch for some time, the watch will eventually run out of energy because it is not being wound by the rotor. Rolex watches generally have a power reserve of 48 to 72 hours. Some have less, others have more. This means that when you take it off, the watch will continue to tick for this amount of time, assuming it is fully wound. But when it finally runs out of energy, it stops.

If this happens, you need to manually wind the watch to charge it with energy again. To do this, unscrew the crown and wind it clockwise about 25 turns. This should get the watch to start ticking again.

Some people believe that they can shake the watch to get it going, and in some cases, it may work. However, this is not advised. Whilst it may provide the watch with enough energy to start ticking, it will not be sufficient to fully charge it, meaning it may eventually stop again at a later stage.

Moreover, shaking it too violently may cause damage or unnecessary wear and tear to the movement.

If you tried this method and the watch started ticking again, there are no issues with your watch. It simply didnt have any energy to function.

Worth mentioning is that the energy in your watch may also affect its accuracy. This is why it is a good idea to keep the watch fully wound, or almost fully wound, at all times.

Crown pulled out all the way (hacking seconds)

Another thing that may cause your watch to not work is if you have your crown pulled all the way out. Fortunately, this is an easy fix that is easily resolved.

Most Rolex watches have a so-called hacking seconds function. This means that when you pull the crown all the way out, it stops. The purpose of this is to allow for more accurate time-setting.

If you have the crown pulled all the way out, push the crown back to the first position and see if it starts. If it doesnt start, try winding it according to the guidelines above and see if it is the lack of energy that is causing the issue.

Magnetized

Magnetism and mechanical movements do not go together very well. Mechanical movements consist of hundreds of small and delicate parts and may be affected by strong magnetic fields. If your watch is subject to magnetism, it may start acting strange and lose accuracy considerably. If its subject to strong magnetic fields, the watch may even stop.

Fortunately, resolving a magnetized watch is a relatively easy fix. Watchmakers have the proper machine to demagnetize the watch and this only takes a few minutes. You can even buy a watch demagnetizer yourself as these are small and affordable.

Rolex stopped working

If your Rolex watch has stopped working and you have tried all the methods above, you may be looking at an issue with the watchs movement which requires service and repair. Whilst Rolex watches are robust and long-lasting machines, they occasionally need servicing to function properly, similar to the engine of a car. Worn-out parts need to be replaced and parts with a lot of friction and movement need to get new and fresh lubricants.

If your watch has been subject to some kind of trauma and stopped working after that, you can be fairly sure that something has broken and needs to be repaired. To ensure the proper functioning of the watch, the faulty part is usually not exclusively changed. Almost always, the movement gets a complete service at the same time to ensure that all components work together perfectly.

Some of the most common traumas that may cause a Rolex watch to break and stop working include:

• Dropping the watch
• The watch starts leaking water, for example, due to not screwing down the crown
• The watch was subject to shocks and bangs
• The watch is old and components have worn out or the lubricants have dried out

The latter does not necessarily mean that the watch is broken, but Rolex advises that a Rolex watch is serviced every 10 years. Things like lubricants will dry out and parts that are subject to friction may need to be replaced. Remember that a Rolex watch is powered by a mechanical movement consisting of hundreds of parts, so it is only natural that it needs to be maintained occasionally.

Identifying which of these are causing issues to your watch may or may not be difficult to do on your own, but it is still always advised that you take it to a professional watchmaker so that they can assess the watch and identify what is causing the issue. Oftentimes, the reason is not that something has clearly broken. Its just that the watch hasnt been serviced for a long time.

Regardless of the issue, the solution is usually always the same, a watch service. But depending on the condition of your movement, the service cost may be higher or lower depending on which parts, and how many parts, need to be replaced.

Moreover, just because you havent serviced the watch for a long time doesnt necessarily mean that it will stop altogether. Usually, it will just make the watch lose its accuracy. This can be solved by service and calibration of the movement. Even if you havent used the watch for many years or even decades, it may require a service to get going.

When a Rolex sits unused for many years, the lubricants inside the movement will run dry. In addition, it is advised that you service your watch on a regular basis and not just when it loses accuracy or stops functioning. This is because if you continue to use the watch when the lubricants are dry, it will cause more wear and tear to the moving parts, which may lead to a more expensive service further down the road.

Broken internal parts

As mentioned, it can be difficult to identify whether a certain component inside the watch has broken which causes the watch to stop. Since you cant resolve this issue by yourself, its best to turn to an experienced watchmaker. But if you can hear something rattling inside when you shake the watch, you are likely looking at a part that is loose inside and is causing issues with the watchs proper functioning.

Since this is a complicated issue that needs to be solved by a professional watchmaker, its best to take the watch to one and get help to repair it. Theres not much else you can do if you have an internal problem with the watch.

Rust

Whilst Rolex uses its patented Oyster case construction for most of its watches to ensure exceptional water resistance, a watch can never be water-proof. The seals, or gaskets, are critical components of a watch to ensure proper water resistance, and over time, they may fail. Since gaskets are made of rubber, they will eventually dry out and need to be replaced. Therefore, if you dont replace the gaskets occasionally, the water resistance may be compromised. The general recommendation is that you pressure-test the watch once a year if you plan to go swimming and diving with it for peace of mind.

All Rolex Oysters have a water resistance of at least 100m/330 feet.

At the same time, one of the most common reasons why Rolex watches leak is that the owner has forgotten to screw down the crown. Therefore, always make sure to screw down the crown before you jump into the water with your Rolex.

Water is one of the greatest enemies of a mechanical watch as it will cause rust and corrosion if it finds its way to the movement. Therefore, if you identify moisture on the inside of the crystal or even water inside the watch, you need to get it resolved as quickly as possible. The more time passes, the worse the damages will be, and the more expensive the repair will become due to the need of replacing more damaged parts.

To save yourself from the costs of repairing a water-damaged Rolex watch and to prevent the watch from leaking, have your watch pressure-tested once a year if you plan to go swimming or diving.