Winding a Rolex

Winding a Rolex

Owning a Rolex is more than just having a watch - it’s an investment in heritage, precision, and unmatched craftsmanship. As a symbol of excellence, your Rolex deserves the right care to maintain its performance. Ensuring it’s properly wound is key to keeping its movement running smoothly, whether you’re putting it on for the first time or bringing it back to life after a period of rest. By following the correct winding procedure, you can preserve the accuracy and longevity of your timepiece for years to come.

How to wind a Rolex

Rolex produces automatic, manual-wind, and quartz watches, each with different winding needs. Here’s how to properly wind a Rolex with a mechanical movement (automatic and manual models):

Manually winding a Rolex

If your Rolex has stopped, you’ll need to wind it manually to restart its movement. Follow these steps:

  1. Unscrew the crown: Turn the winding crown counterclockwise until it pops out to its natural position.
  2. Rotate the crown: Turn it clockwise (forward) at least 25 times to generate enough power. Turning counterclockwise has no effect.
  3. Secure the crown: Press the crown back in and screw it down tightly to maintain the watch’s waterproof seal.

Does a Rolex need winding every day?

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  • Automatic Rolex watches (like the Submariner, Datejust, and GMT-Master II) self-wind through wrist movement. If worn daily, no manual winding is needed. However, if left unworn for two or more days, a manual wind is recommended.

  • Manually-wound Rolex watches (such as vintage Daytona models and certain Cellini pieces) must be wound daily to keep running.

  • Quartz Rolex watches (like the discontinued Oysterquartz) run on a battery and do not require winding at all.

Knowing your Rolex model’s movement type ensures you keep it running smoothly and accurately.

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