Manual movements are the oldest and most traditional types of watch mechanisms. These movements are typically referred to as "hand-wound movements" because they must be wound manually to build energy in the mainspring of the timepiece.

 

How a Manual Movement Works

The user must rotate the crown multiple times in the winding position in order to wind the mainspring and fill the power reserve. Mainsprings unwind slowly and release energy through a series of gears and springs that regulate the movement. This is what powers the watch hands and complications.

 

Winding Intervals

Winding intervals for manual-wind watches depend on the power reserve capacity of each watch movement, which can be anywhere from 24 hours to several days. Some watches may require daily winding while others which sports an eight- day power reserve, only need to be wound approximately every eight days. The power reserve is filled by manually winding the crown 40-50 full revolutions (please refer to the user's manual for detailed instructions). Each time the power reserve is drained, the timepiece will require a manual wind to initiate movement.