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automatic watches - OK to let them 'run out of juice'

Anybody know about auto watches? I'm a complete novice, and I'm getting some conflicting info when I try my own research..

Is it OK to let an autowatch run down?

I've seen these auto winders for sale, are they necessary, or just a 'nice to have' to make sure that the watch is always showing the correct date??

I rotate my watches, and over the weekend, I tend to leave my new(ish) Seiko Cocktail time off, and use another. So come Monday, the auto has stopped. Doesn't bother me that I have to reset it. But I'd invest in one of those winder boxes if I thought the watch actually needed it.
 
Yes, it's fine to let them run out. Winders are more for people with multiple watches who don't want to keep setting the time on multiple watches.

Now, there is a debate regarding long term storage, where one side says it's better for the watch to constantly run so that oils don't pool, and the other side says running the watch constantly is unnecessary wear and tear, and the watch should be allowed to sit, and perhaps wound once or twice a year. Who knows.

If you're letting it rund down and resetting it though, you increase the chances that you'll do something to mess with the crown, or cross the threads, etc. But the only person I know who is consistently able to mess up a watch crown is my wife, so you're probably okay there.
 
Yes, it's fine to let them run out. Winders are more for people with multiple watches who don't want to keep setting the time on multiple watches.

Now, there is a debate regarding long term storage, where one side says it's better for the watch to constantly run so that oils don't pool, and the other side says running the watch constantly is unnecessary wear and tear, and the watch should be allowed to sit, and perhaps wound once or twice a year. Who knows.

If you're letting it rund down and resetting it though, you increase the chances that you'll do something to mess with the crown, or cross the threads, etc. But the only person I know who is consistently able to mess up a watch crown is my wife, so you're probably okay there.

They sell automatic watch storage that shakes the watch as it sits in storage case.
 
It's OK to let them run down, but to keep the lubricants from drying you should at least partially wind the watch every two weeks so that it runs a little. Watchwinders are a convenience, but offer no advantage apart from not having to reset the time. Of course, for something like a perpetual calendar watch, that can be a bigger issue. If you intend to put a watch in long term storage it is better not to wind it and just plan on having it serviced if you ever decide to use it again - winding a watch whose lubricants have dried out can harm the mechanism.
 
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