question for watch collectors | FerrariChat

question for watch collectors

Discussion in 'Fine Watches, Jewelry, & Clothes' started by ross, Jan 31, 2008.

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  1. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Mar 25, 2002
    36,206
    houston/geneva
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    Ross
    i have a few watches, mostly automatics. i store them in a steinhauser watchwinder. i have this set on the most frequent movement setting. this manages to keep most of the watches running smoothly and on-time. except one. the girard perregaux ww.tc just doesnt stay wound, and after inspecting it a couple times (underside of movement showing), the rotary movement of the watch winder doesnt seem to really move the watches winding mechanism at all. so, do i have a problem with the watch? or does this model just require more vigorous movement than the steinhauser puts out? solutions?
     
  2. TRScotty

    TRScotty F1 Rookie
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    Oct 12, 2006
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    It could be that your watch's rotor only winds in one direction.

    If you have it on a winder that only rotates one way, ie:clockwise, it may not wind the watch enough, or at all.

    My Omega winds in both directions, but my AP in only one.

    Hope this helps.
     
  3. Marbella

    Marbella Formula 3

    Aug 27, 2007
    1,890
    Marbella
    Full Name:
    Dirk
    Hello Friends,

    I have a few watches automatic and i just put them in the safe and when i want to wear them, i rejust the time & date and thats it.
    Is this verry wrong ? Do i really need to store them in a watchwinder ?
    I was thinking to do, but i have no power in my safe....and if i leave all of them in one box in the livingroom for example, i make it verry easy for the thieves.
     
  4. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
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    the watchwinder goes in both directions, and so does the watch.
     
  5. Ambassiatore

    Ambassiatore Formula Junior

    Jan 30, 2007
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    David Figueredo T.
    ...if this piece has been in service for more than 20 years without any maintenance it will need some check up, maybe nothing expensive or parts broken, but it may need a full tune up...

    does it stay working while wearing it? or does it stop after something like watching a movie or something...the vigorous winding is just a mith...it should be winded by only using the gravity of the rotorweight to spin the rotor...
     
  6. Ambassiatore

    Ambassiatore Formula Junior

    Jan 30, 2007
    926
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    David Figueredo T.
    I do exactly that...and I havent read the first bad comment about it (besides letting them with the crowns in so to avoid humid air getting in)...besides I´ve always thought is a waste to have those watches running and wearing out while enclosed in some fancy winder... ;)

    ...winders were a real need back when every watch needed winding, so you needed them running forever...nowdays with atomic watches sync via radio signal like my Ferrari Oregon Cientific clock, quartz watches and cell phones, you can update the time without being a single sec off...I have 2 quartz and 3 automatics and one of the quartz guys is the GMT provider...the rest wake up every time I need them, I even de-engage the quartz left.
     
  7. GrndLkNatv

    GrndLkNatv Formula Junior

    Sep 13, 2006
    878
    Grand Lake, Colorado
    Full Name:
    Mark Stephens
    That won't wind on the Steinhauser as well. I found that the angle the watch sits on the winder and the spring tension on the weight on the winding mechanism keep the watch from being wound (Omega put the Frederic Piquet caliber 1185, now called the 3303, into this speedmaster). When I put that same watch on an Orbita, it winds fine. My Omega only winds CCW but either way it won't wind on the Steinhauser that I have....


    BTW, GP makes their own movements and they are very fine movements and I can tell you for sure it's not the watch unless it hasn't had a cleaning and oiling for a very long time. Luigi (Gino) Macaluso is the company owner and former race driver for Fiat/Ferrari and also the FIA representative for Italy.

    http://www.edilportale.com/edilcatalogo0/EdilCatalogo_SchedaProgettista.asp?IDAzienda=47380

    BTW, a watch winder is a necessity for keeping an automatic watch in good service. Either that or manually wind them once in a while to keep the fine oil on the gears and to keep it from settling. As the old saying goes, if I could leave my engine running for eternity, change the oil while it was running, it would run forever without wear.
     
  8. Bdel

    Bdel Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
    358
    Hollis, NH
    Full Name:
    Bruce
    Sometimes as a watch gets older, the lubrication on the ball bearings of the auto winder pendulum needs to be replaced. The gentle turning of the winder does not impart enough "G"s to spin the auto winder. The motion of your wrist, however will wind the watch. You may to get your watch re-lubed. In some winders, the watch sits vertically, instead of at an angle. These winders usually work better since there is less weight friction to stop the auto winder pendulum from spinning.
     
  9. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
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    the watch is only 2 months old, so dont think its an age or care issue. i do think grndltnav may have hit on it since the mechanism seems to just need more vigourous action than the steinhauser can provide. too bad.
     
  10. Ambassiatore

    Ambassiatore Formula Junior

    Jan 30, 2007
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    David Figueredo T.
    ...you can try to make the whole winder work at an angle, just to see if it might help keeping it running...or maybe inclining only that watch, maybe attaching a piece of foam on the back before attaching it in the winder will help to know if it might help...
     
  11. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
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    the winders are already at an angle. just not hyper enough !
     
  12. Thomas L Carey

    Thomas L Carey Karting

    Apr 12, 2008
    74
    IL
    Full Name:
    Thomas Carey
    I am pretty sure it's not the watch as that winder is frankly not the greatest quality. It's Chinese of course. I have one of those myself. My guess would be the direction of the rotation on the winder needs to be reversed. Frankly after I bought mine on Ebay I found other folks were having bad luck with them so I have not used mine. I would suggest Orbita which makes a good quality product at a reasonable price. If you would like to roll the dice again get and SWI. Lots of folks that have gotten those are quite happy with them. You can find those on SNBC or Ebay.

    Best Regards,

    Thomas Carey
     
  13. SoftwareDrone

    SoftwareDrone F1 Veteran
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    Jan 19, 2004
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    San Jose, California
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    I too am having troubles with my GP 8020. I wear it during the day but take it off in the evening. It will die after only one day of sitting. I found a database somewhere online that said the watch should be wound 600 times in a clockwise only direction every day. I've had it in my new Wolf 4.0 winder a couple of times when not wearing it.
    I have searched and searched for more information on this watch (i.e. is there a way to manually wind it [like my Submariner]) or a confirmation on how to set the winder for this watch, and have come up empty.
    Any additional tips would be appreciated.
    :)
     
  14. enzo thecat

    enzo thecat F1 Rookie
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    #14 enzo thecat, Feb 9, 2011
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2011
    From the Orbita database:
    http://www.orbita.net/NEW/Database-G.htm

    GP 8020 CW 600

    That means Clock Wise Only Rotation. 600 Turns per day

    So far, the orbita database has been spot on for all of my automatics. The one exception was when my Rolex Daytona was new. It took a couple of months before the watch was running efficiently enough to be wound by the recommended settings. Now there is no issue.

    Some watches need to be hand-wound prior to putting them on a watch winder. Apparently hand winding gives the watch a "momentum" that without, the winder can ot maintain.

    HOWEVER, I do not think that applies to watches that are worn daily or every-other day. A GP should have a proper power reserve to negate having to hand wind if you are wearing it that often. Any chance that it is due for service?
     
  15. SoftwareDrone

    SoftwareDrone F1 Veteran
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    Thanks for the info.
    I purchased the watch in December from this outfit:

    http://www.tic-tock.com/wingates/watch-detail/38082

    I thought they tuned up the watch, but am not sure. It is under warranty.
    I do have my winder set to those parameters.
    When you say the watch needs to be hand wound before it goes into the winder, do you mean every time? And how exactly do you do this hand winding? Is there a guideline?
    I wish I knew more about this stuff...
    :)
     
  16. SoftwareDrone

    SoftwareDrone F1 Veteran
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    Update:
    I called the place where I purchased the watch and got a lady on the line who seemed to know quite a bit. For starters, she said you could manually wind this watch (a bit of information that I could not seem to find anywhere) and gave me instructions on how to do that. Also, she said it sounded like I simply do not give the watch enough of a workout. I put the watch on in the morning, go to work, sit there and write software all day (i.e. not much movement), go home at 5, take the watch off, and there it sits until the next day.
     
  17. enzo thecat

    enzo thecat F1 Rookie
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    #17 enzo thecat, Feb 9, 2011
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2011
    We should start a thread about the best ways to work out a watch!
     
  18. SoftwareDrone

    SoftwareDrone F1 Veteran
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    Maybe I can tell my boss that I can be most productive when I can keep track of the time, and I can't keep track of the time unless my watch gets a good winding, and my watch can get a good winding if I take my 360 on a spirited mountain drive with lots of twistys so that I can rotate my wrists clockwise and counterclockwise many times in succession.
    Sound right?
     
  19. Imola82

    Imola82 Formula Junior

    Oct 16, 2007
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    Chicago
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    Stu
    There is a thread in this section where I explain the problems I've had w/mine. Three times in my ownership I've sent it to Tradema (North American Service Center) and complete overhauls were performed the first two times and a partial one performed the last.

    Tradema tells me that this watch needs full overhauls every two or three years. As I stated earlier, they performed a partial overhaul but explained to me that it would likely be back in a year or two for another complete overhaul. Their reasoning is because of the complicated nature of the piece.

    As a lifelong Ferrari fanatic whom does not own the car, I am forunate to have the watch with the Cavallino on it and I wear it quite frequently. I got home last night from a business trip around 7:45PM and found my watch on the winder reading 1:25 (not stoped, just 6 hrs behind.) I was only gone for 2 days!!!

    I wrote several detailed letters to corporate explaining the history of my ownership and have not received a response. Very poor customer service in my opinion!!! None of the letters I sent asked GP for anything, all I did was explain the situation.

    Having reviewed this thread, it appears as if I'm not the only owner. Thoughts???
     
  20. Ingpr

    Ingpr F1 Rookie

    Jun 30, 2009
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    Never worked with my two Ulysse Nardin MD!
     
  21. forgeahead

    forgeahead F1 Rookie
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    Sep 16, 2008
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    Orbita makes winders specifically designed for a safe with 4 year lithium batteries.
    My Panerai doesn't stay wound in my swinging winder. The Rolexes and Omega keep perfect time on it.
     
  22. dozzina

    dozzina F1 Veteran
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    Aug 14, 2005
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    If the watch has an exhibition caseback, you could remove the straps and stick it upside down on the winder with double sided tape and see if the rotor is moving relative to the case in both directions on the winder. This would verify that there is enough torque to wind it at the angle it is held at when right side up on the winder. If the rotor "goes over the top" when winding in either direction, that is probably the winding direction and the watch is not being wound.
     

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