How often to wind a watch while I am not wearing it?

I am interested in the answers you will get as well! My only advice is that watches like these do not belong in a bank safe! Enjoy them more! If it has to be get a safe at home

Seems an odd way to keep them if you ask me. Why not put a safe in your own home so you can play with them and, you know, maybe wear them, whenever you like?

I have multiple watches and change a couple times a day on average. Some don't get worn as much as others. As a rule I try to make sure each gets a full wind at least once a month.

#welcome !!

Thank you all folks for the advice about putting a safe in my place. I actually considered this option but decided to use the bank safety deposit box instead. The bank is very close to my place, just 10 minutes of walk. It is around the area that I go at least 2 or 3 times every week for grocery or lunch. It is very convenient for me to take out the watches. I was lucky enough to get the largest box from the bank when it opened a branch so close to my place. As I am rotating the watches (I currently have nine, some a bit expensive and others not so), I won't wear all of them all the times in any case. When I get a new watch, I usually wear it and enjoy it for one or two months before putting it in the safety deposit box for rotating.

The worst thing for a watch is to not be running. I wind my watches and set the time every other day!

I'd say every couple of months is fine. They don't need to be moving all the time. Last year I wound an Omega that had been dormant for 40 years and it started without an issue; its amplitude is a bit low so it could benefit from a service.

I don't wear my expensive watches too often, but I enjoy seeing them. I don't think I could contemplate putting them in a bank.

Woo.. 40 years... Do you plan to take it in for a service before wearing it regularly again?

I don't know.... putting the watches in a bank when they are not worn is not something that sounds so odd for me. At the end of the day, it is just a short walk to get to the bank in my case. They open 6 days a week. It is not like driving half an hour to get to the bank. It is indeed very convenient. I guess this also depends on how you wear your watches. Some may change the watches every single day. But I usually go with the same watch for a month or so before switching to another one. So, it is not very important for me to keep them all in my place all the times. Before I got my current bank safety box, I used to have a box at a different branch of the bank, which I must drive to get there. I won't put the watches in the bank safe in that case, as it is very inconvenient.

It's part of my bedtime routine to wind all my watches

Welcome to the Crunch!

Sources?

Purchased in 2001 for $40. I kept this watch thrown in box for 15 years. When I pulled it out, vroom vroom right up.. still ticks fine. 1972.

I recommend a safe at home.

Store your watches where you feel they are secure. If a SDB is best for you then use it. Mechanical items like to be in motion. Most modern lubricants will last a long time. How often a watch should be wound is a debatable issue and I have yet to hear a definitive answer. I would think if you wind each watch fully once a month they should be perfectly ok. For my own collection I like to rotate throughout the week. My dressier watches (especially the precious metals ones) get wore only once or twice per month. I usually give them a full wind weekly.

Can't say thanks to everyone individually. So, just say a big thank you here for everyone who cares to give me good advice!

Beautiful watch!

I have about 70 autos and wind them up once a month if I haven’t worn them that month.seems ok for me

I viewed the video clip posted and I would follow Mr. Murphy's advice. I'm not a watch expert, however, I can comment on the manner in which precision machines age and deteriorate. Some of the information may be relevant to the watch world. I'll post some thoughts in a day or two.

A jeweler family friend always recommended wearing and using your watch and never leaving it idle. He wore a gold Omega watch from the 50’s or 60’s everyday.

My local jeweler

I have around 400. I also usually change multiple times a day. Watchwinders are unnecessary in my opinion.

Roland is God tier!

Bit extreme there.

Agreed, do what you want. I’m on the other side but what ever floats your boat. 😃

And how many times was it serviced by Omega?

My work watch buddy did much the same, wore his Constallation and Speedmaster and simply wore them out after 20/30 years.

Let’s just say I am skeptical of the claim.

It's not unusual that someone who makes some money repairing watches will suggest running it continually.

Once a month is good. You don't want to put unnecessary wear on your watch by winding it daily if you wont be wearing it. Don't worry about watch winders. I learned this from Kevin O'Leary so I know its sound advice. He has a multimillion dollar collection and has done his homework.

Yeah, my watches, my rules.

Agreed, it'd be running on your wrist 🤷. All mine are on winders but, to try and avoid the potential for too much wear, I have them on a smart plug which switches them on and off just enough to prevent them stopping (the winders themselves aren't quite clever enough). They only run for a couple of hours per day.

Today's carry.....🇺🇲🫡

Thank you all for the input. After considering all the inputs contributed by all of you and also the learning from some more reading and browsing the net, I think I will take the middle ground.

I love watches but I am too lazy to always thinking about what watch should be on my wrist every moment. So, I'll leave two watches at home at any given time (one dress watch and one casual) and keep the rest in the bank. Every two months, I'll go to the bank and change to two other watches. So, there will be a rotation every 2 months. I'll wind all the watches at the same time while I am at the bank.

I think winding the watches every 2 months is good enough. I don't feel I need to keep them running all the time (I tend to agree that would cause unnecessary tear and wear), but winding them every 2 month will also avoid the risk that the oil and lubricant may dry up. I tend to believe that drying up of the oil is unlikely unless the watches are sitting in the bank for many years, as it is synthetic oil used in these days. However, winding them every 2 months seems to be a good approach, as even if this is not absolutely needed, it won't cause much unnecessary tear and wear in any case. As I am now expanding my collection into a bit more expensive timepieces, it is better to be more cautious.