Watches On Winders ..Yes Or No ?

[Boaters]

I Was Looking For Some Feedback On Keeping A Watch In A Winder Or Not When Not Being Worn. Some Say It Is Mechanical And It Will Only Go Around So Many Times Before It Quits Or In This Case Breaks. Others Say It Keeps The Movement Lubricated And Should Never Be Left Dormant. What Do You Fine Folks On This Forum Say?
Thanks In Advance.

[dbakiva]

My working assumption is that if you wear an automatic every few days, it makes sense to keep it wound, particularly if it has a screw down crown and you would unscrew the crown and wind the watch every few days. If you have a watch you wear that frequently or somewhat less, and that watch has an elaborate calendar or perpetual calendar function, you may want to keep it going on a winder. If you do not wear the watch with any regularity, I do not see any reason to keep it wound, and prefer to let it sit, and either wind it when I put it on, or once every month or two to keep lubricants distributed. If you wear it daily, you have no need for a winder. I have several mechanicals, which I wind when I put them on, and let them stop between wearings.

I'd be interested to hear others chime in on this.

[Fordham-NY]

If you like to rotate quite frequently, I think you'll appreciate a winder. I don't think wearing out a screw down crown will be an issue; I sent a Breitling and Omega, both had screw lock crowns, and they replaced the crown/tube in both cases. I was the sole owner of the Omega for 10 years, and regularly unscrewed the crown 2x a month to adjust the time/date, and maybe a few times in between if I had to reset it. Not over use/abuse. My point is, I think they replace the screw down crown system regardless on a service.

I agree that it's a good idea to wind it up/wear it a bit kind of monthly to keep lubricants distributed well. But modern lubricants are synthetic, and less prone to "caking" up in clumps. I also think regular wear/winder use can help with accuracy/keeping good time.