Storage: Crown in/ Crown out? Issues?

[biker]

Hello All, after joining WUS, I noted that a no. of users stored their watches with the crown out (from photos shared of their proud collections). I figured that it might have something to do with prolonging the life of the seals and spring(?). I started to do the same with my limited collection, and something strange started to happen - hence this thread to tap on the community's experience.

My oldest watch (a Citizen Diver NY0040) started to develop what can only be called a film/patina/clouding under the crystal. The lume (I don't think it's tritium paint - there is no T mark on the dial) has also seen a marked acceleration in degrading and is now 'splotchy'. The watch is about 16 years old. Runs great. Never been serviced though (such a cheap and cheerful beater - really torn about spending money to have it serviced out of sentimentality or just getting a new one). And the watch is always stored in the watch box along with the others. I ensure that it is bone dry before letting the crown out. None of the others in the box have seen any such changes. Finally, I'm in Singapore where the humidity is high. Questions:
- do you think watches should be stored with the crown in or out? Why?
- do you think the changes seen in my diver are related to this practice?

Many thanks.

[domino]

I don't know how much of seal a pulled-out crown has, but it seems to me that they could well be related, especially if the changed coincided with the change in the crown and you are in an area of high humidity. I've never understood the pulled out crown storage, unless it was to stop a quartz watch from running and possibly save the battery (which I seem to recall was addressed in an old thread with the conclusion that it did not save the battery) or if it was to avoid screwing down the crown, knowing that you would have to unscrew it to set it (if it was an automatic). I keep them all screwed down/pushed in. Interesting story.

[vmmvmmm]

I would say your issue definitely comes from leaving the crown out. In most all watch care instructions I have read, it states never to expose the watch to water with the crown out. This is because with most watches, the way they retain their resistance to water is by keeping the crown screwed down. Storing it crown out would definitely cause issues with ambient humidity, which will accelerate the oxidization of the dial and hands. This may not be true for all watches, but it is for most, I believe.

[link2derek]

The reason I store my watches (in a proper watch storage box, BTW) w/ the crowns out is so that I dont have to unscrew and rescrew the crowns in every time I wind my watches. The repeated screwing and unscrewing can wear out or strip the crown stem threads.

Of course, whenever I actually wear a particular watch, I screw the crown back in. It sounds like yours got some moisture in it somehow.

D

[Nalu]

I've also seen people recommend leaving crowns out to prevent distortion (plastic deformation) of crown/stem o-rings and to save battery life in quartz watches (I do the latter occasionally).

However, if you are going to leave the crown unscrewed I think it's essential that you store your watches in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment.

[lysanderxiii]

Almost every WR watch available today has seals in the crown that are engaged and sealing whether the crown is in or out.

The Vostoks are the only watch I know of that is unprotected with the crown out.

They WR may not be 300 m with the crown out but it is certainly enough to keep out humidity and dust.

Here are a few designs showing how the seal works when the crown is pulled out.


Non-screwdown crown, double gasketed. The Seiko design is the same but the gaskets ride on the inside of the case tube.


Screwdown crown


Vostok-type crown

[guitargonaut]

I think the reason many people photograph their watches with the crown out is that it stops the seconds hand on most automatic watches.

Jim

[whitestripes]

In addition to letting in water, letting in dust might also be a problem.

[Mystro]

Always crown screwed in. Even in a quartz diver. I can show you a 20 year old Tag Heuer quartz diver I have and its inside crystal is like new without any film. I always store all my watches quartz or auto with crown in.

[Cowbiker]

Good thread.