For a watch you will wear again within a few weeks, put it in a lined box, dial up or crown up, away from damp, heat and magnets, and let it wind down on its own. For a watch going away for months or years, do the same and add a service check before it goes and a wind-and-run every so often while it is stored. A stopped automatic is not deteriorating, so there is no need to keep it running unless you want it ready to wear.
Should I let an automatic watch stop, or keep it running?
Either is fine for the watch. This is the point most people want settled, so we will put it plainly: leaving an automatic stopped does not harm it, and keeping it running does not preserve it. The mainspring is not damaged by being unwound, and the oils are not restored by the movement turning.
The reason to keep a watch running is convenience. A running watch is ready to wear, with the date already correct. That is worth something if the watch has a calendar that is tedious to set, and worth very little if it is a three-hand watch you can set in fifteen seconds. That trade-off is the whole subject of whether you actually need a watch winder.
How should a watch be positioned in storage?
Dial up is the usual advice, and it is reasonable. It puts the balance in a stable position, it keeps the weight of the watch off the crown, and it is how a cushion in a box naturally holds it. Crown up is the other common choice and is equally sensible.
What matters more than the position is that the watch is supported and cannot move. A watch lying loose in a drawer slides, knocks against other objects and gets marked on the case back and the bracelet. A cushion in a lined box removes all of that. Position is a refinement; support is the actual requirement.
Where should I not store a watch?
- Bathrooms and anywhere damp. Humidity is the main enemy of a stored watch. It reaches the movement through gaskets that harden with age, and it marks leather straps long before it reaches the movement.
- Near radiators, in airing cupboards, on sunny windowsills. Heat degrades gaskets and lubricants, and sunlight fades dials and straps.
- Next to magnets. Speakers, tablet covers, handbag clasps and induction hobs all contain them. A magnetised watch runs fast and needs demagnetising, which is a quick job for a watchmaker but an avoidable one.
- Loose in a drawer with other watches. Bracelets scratch cases. This is how most watches acquire their marks at home.
- In the original cardboard packaging long-term. Card holds moisture and offers no protection from knocks.
What is the best way to store a watch for a few weeks?
A lined box with removable cushions is the whole answer. Clean the watch first with a dry cloth, because skin salts left on a case back are mildly corrosive over time. Fasten the strap or bracelet loosely round the cushion so it holds its shape rather than being folded flat. Close the lid.
We do not sell boxes, so take this as a specification rather than a pitch: a lining that will not shed, cushions you can remove, and a lid that closes positively. Removable cushions matter more than capacity, because they let you leave a gap for an oversized watch rather than forcing it into a space that does not suit it. What to look for is set out at more length in watch winder or watch box.
How do I store an automatic watch for months or years?
Everything above applies, plus four things:
- Let it wind down before it goes away. There is no benefit to storing a watch under full tension for years.
- Deal with the service first if it is due. Old lubricant continues to age whether the watch runs or not, and a watch that goes away needing a service comes back needing a bigger one.
- Take leather straps off. Leather dries, cracks and can mark a case over years. Store the strap separately and flat.
- Wind it and run it occasionally. Once or twice a year, wind the watch by hand and let it run for a day. This is not essential, but it tells you the watch still works, which is worth knowing before you need it to.
Do I need a safe, or is a box enough?
A box is a storage solution, not a security one. If the collection is valuable enough to worry about, the answer is a safe, and a watch box can go inside it. A winder can go inside a safe too, provided you can power it: most of ours run from a USB lead rather than a fixed mains plug (the Belgrave cabinets come with a mains adapter), so a power bank inside the safe will drive one where there is no socket.
Check your insurance before assuming either is sufficient. Insurers often specify a safe rating for items above a certain value, and a lined box, however well made, is not one.
Should I put a stored watch on a winder instead?
Only if you want it ready to wear. A winder is a convenience device, not a preservation device, and running a watch for years to store it means accumulating running hours on a movement that could simply have sat still. If the watch has a complication that is a chore to reset, a single-rotor winder such as the Whitmore makes sense for that one watch while everything else stays in a box. The reasoning behind that split is in watch winder or watch box, and the question of whether continuous running does any harm is answered in can a watch winder overwind or damage an automatic.
What about water resistance while in storage?
Water resistance is not a permanent property. The gaskets that provide it are rubber, and rubber hardens with age and heat whether the watch is worn or not. A watch stored for several years should not be assumed to be water resistant when it comes back out, even if it never left the box. If it matters to you, have the seals tested rather than trusting the figure on the dial.
Frequently asked questions
Is it bad to let an automatic watch stop?
No. A stopped automatic is not being damaged. The mainspring is designed to be unwound and the movement is not harmed by sitting still. Keeping a watch running is about convenience, not preservation.
How should I store an automatic watch overnight?
Dial up on a cushion in a box, or crown up, away from anything magnetic. A watch worn that day still has most of its power reserve, so it will be running in the morning without any help.
Do I need to wind a stored automatic watch occasionally?
It is not required, but winding and running it once or twice a year is a sensible habit for long storage. It confirms the watch still runs, which is better discovered at your convenience than on the day you want to wear it.
How long does delivery take?
Orders are dispatched within 48 hours and delivered within 5 to 8 business days.