18/06/2026
A small mark that tells a big story…
The yellow wear marks in this photo are from a Sellita automatic movement, and they’re a perfect example of something we see far too often in the workshop.
This wear has been caused by excessive manual winding. Many owners believe that winding an automatic watch every day is good practice—but it isn’t.
An automatic watch is designed to be powered primarily by the movement of your wrist. If it has stopped, give it just a handful of turns (around 4-6) to get the movement started, then put it on and let the rotor do the rest.
Repeatedly winding an automatic watch day after day, especially when it’s already running, places unnecessary stress on the winding mechanism. Over time this leads to accelerated wear, just like the damage shown here.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Sellita, ETA, Rolex, Omega, Tudor, Grand Seiko, or any other brand—the laws of mechanics are the same. Excessive winding causes unnecessary wear.
Treat your watch with respect, and it will reward you with decades of reliable service.
A.J. Watch Repairs
Preserving precision, one movement at a time.
WatchService MechanicalWatch LuxuryWatches Horology WatchRepair TimepieceCare WatchCollectors Rolex Omega GrandSeiko Tudor ETA WatchMaintenance PrecisionEngineering CanberraBusiness
