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I read this the other day while discussing mechanical pocket and wrist watches:

Plus it is common practice to pull the stem out and stop the wristwatch at night or when not wearing it. You then have to set everything each time you put it on. That's what the regulator clock on the mantle is for.

Why would anyone "stop the wristwatch at night"? Or ever? "Pull the stem out"? Why deliberately cause more problems for yourself? I can understand forgetting to wind it up for 33+ hours so that it has stopped naturally, but why actively go out of your way to manually stop it instead of just winding it up so that it's ready when you wake up and doesn't have to be set every day?

Don't tell me this is some sort of "wear and tear" thing? Surely they can't be that fragile, as to require a "good night's sleep" like a human?

Kaz
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  • There is wear and tear involved, even at the scale of mechanical watches. Springs take sets; gears, bearings and sprockets wear, all these lead to inaccurate measurements. Why run something for 24 hours when you only need 16? You effectively extend it's life 50%. – jko Jul 01 '21 at 18:24
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    @jko Well... Because it's a massive PITA to set the time against some other clock every day as compared to just winding it up? – Kaz Jul 01 '21 at 18:28
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    Yes you've reiterated your question and I suggested an answer a person that still wears mechanical watches could make. – jko Jul 01 '21 at 18:37
  • This sounds just like you: https://engineering.stackexchange.com/q/44917/10902 – Solar Mike Jul 01 '21 at 18:42
  • you are asking a question about some unknown person's behavior ... how can such a question be answered without asking that specific person? ... what does it have to do with engineering? – jsotola Jul 01 '21 at 19:08
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    @jko FWIW the only component that was worn out and failed (and done that twice) in the 60 years I have been using the same mechanical watch (24 hours a day, and zero maintenance) was --- *the stem.* And it's an automatic winding watch, so the stem was only ever used to correct the time occasionally. Who knows how many stems I would have got through if I "pulled it out" every night to stop the watch! (It's a good quality watch, but not in the top price range - the last time a professional put a value on it, his estimate was around £2,000.) – alephzero Jul 01 '21 at 19:27
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    If this is "best practice." I wonder why most owners of expensive mechanical watches use automatic winders to keep them running continuously when not being worn. – alephzero Jul 01 '21 at 19:36
  • Just spitballin ideas that seem to make sense for pulling out. Doesn't seem to make sense in general to have a watch at all anymore as most people have phones, some of which have turned into watches anyway. Never a fan of having anything expensive on my person. – jko Jul 01 '21 at 19:41
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    This is the first time I've been made aware that some people might pull out a watch stem to stop it over night & then reset the time in the morning using a mantle clock. Firstly, not everyone has a mantle clock. Secondly, doing this is fine if someone has the time to do it every morning. It's easier to let the watch run over night & put on one's wrist in the morning, showing the correct time (assuming the watch keeps time accurately for extended periods). – Fred Jul 02 '21 at 08:13
  • It would be nice if you could credit the source of the excerpt you posted. Indeed it seems a very uncommon practice to me, I've actually never heard of somebody doing so. – carloc Jul 02 '21 at 17:46
  • The comment was mine. I'm a mechanic most of the time and don't wear any watches or rings or anything. I wear the watch maybe once a month or so. But my dad always did that when I was a kid. That's where I got it from. – Phil Sweet Jul 02 '21 at 19:47
  • @PhilSweet thank you, interesting, many different habits make world an interesting place to live. My dad use to teach me to take off and charge my watch every night before going to sleep. Time alignment was then due at every opportunity, a time signal on the radio or TV or something alike – carloc Jul 04 '21 at 12:46

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Mechanical watches wear out. They have to be rebuilt every 5 years or so. This method prevents wear, and also lets you spread the life amongst several watches daily, versus the wear of multiple watches winding down and the same time.

Tiger Guy
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