WINDING

In watchmaking, winding refers to the action of putting a spring under tension. The term is most often Applied marker to the Mainspring: when winding a mechanical watch, this spring is wound, thereby storing the energy needed to operate the Movement. Winding is done via the Crown, in manually wound watches, or automatically thanks to an Oscillating weight (rotor) driven by the movements of the wrist. As the spring winds, it coils around the Core of the Barrel arbor, held by the click which prevents it from letting down in the opposite direction. Winding is opposed to letting down, the reverse operation consisting of voluntarily releasing the spring’s tension. The amount of energy stored during winding determines the watch’s power reserve. Full and regular winding ensures stable amplitude and stable rate; this is why some mechanisms limit excessive winding in order to preserve the spring and the regularity of operation.