Of all the tools in your watchmaking toolkit, a mainspring winder may be one of the most expensive but can also be one of the most important. Most commonly and conveniently coming as part of a set but also available to buy parts individually, there is a mainspring winder to suit every budget. While they may be an investment, they are an invaluable asset to your watchmaking journey. Mainspring winders make the process of both winding and fitting a mainspring quicker and easier and minimize the potential risk of damaging this extremely fragile watch movement part. However, with such a high price tag, many aspiring watchmakers question whether mainspring winders are worthwhile splashing out on when building their initial watchmaking toolkit which is why we have written this beginners guide to mainspring winders.
- What is a Mainspring Winder?
- How to Use a Mainspring Winder
- Orientation
- Mainspring Barrel Lubrication
- Mainspring Lubrication
- Barrel Selection
- Mainspring Winder Assembly
- Placing the Mainspring into the Winding Handle
- Winding the Mainspring
- Remove the Handle from the Barrel
- Insert the Mainspring into the Mainspring Barrel
- Best Mainspring Winding Tools
- Beginners Guide to Mainspring Winders FAQs
What is a Mainspring Winder?
The main purpose for using a mainspring winder is they reduce the risk of damaging or kinking the mainspring during installation as well as reduce the risk of dust, debris, and any other possible contamination. They serve as a practical tool that protects your mainspring and adds ease to this watchmaking task. The alternative to using a mainspring winder is to wind them in by hand. This is not only more time-consuming, it is also an inconvenient method which is more prone to damage risk as mainsprings can be easily snapped or bent if not handled delicately. Winding a mainspring and getting it into the watch barrel by hand can be quite a challenge and adds additional risk of contamination so a mainspring winder is extremely beneficial to the watchmaking process.
When it comes to mainspring winders, there are many varieties available on the market but most fall into two categories. Mainspring winders often come in sets with multiple different barrels, accommodating to a diverse range of timepieces and watch parts, perfect for a watchmaker with a vast collection. Alternatively, you can buy a handle and a universal winder with the option to purchase different-sized winding barrels as you expand your watch collection.
While most sets feature winding barrels suitable for the vast majority of timepieces and movements, of course, some watch manufacturers require specialist barrels rather than the ones that come as part of the set with a universal mainspring winder. These are predominantly Rolex and ETA movements, most other brands of watch movement do not require anything more than a standard, universal mainspring winder and accompanying winding barrels in the set.
tA mainspring winder set is certainly an investment, however, you will find that it is an indispensable piece of kit for any watchmaker. Mainspring winders are highly advantageous to watchmaking and should form a part of any watchmaking toolsets. There are no cutting costs, mainspring winders are expensive, regardless of whether you buy a set or individual parts. You can buy slightly cheaper alternatives, however, these kits are less complete and of a lower quality meaning you will likely need to invest in a more premium product in the future. It is one of the parts of your watchmaking toolkits that truly deserves investing money into.
How to Use a Mainspring Winder
Mainspring winders feature three separate components; the main handle, the winding handle, and the winding barrel. The barrel can be switched in and out with different sizes to accommodate a diverse range of watch barrel sizes.
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Orientation
Firstly, you need to establish which way the mainspring needs to be wound. While the majority of mainsprings are wound clockwise, they can be wound both clockwise or anti-clockwise. Before removing the mainspring from the watch barrel, you can easily identify which way the mainspring is wound in this movement by examining which way the mainspring spirals from the center.
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Mainspring Barrel Lubrication
After removing the mainspring, the first step is to lubricate the walls of your watch barrel with your chosen grease in preparation for fitting the mainspring. I recommend using Moebius Natural Grease 8200 / 8300 for this purpose.
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Mainspring Lubrication
Lubricate the old or replacement mainspring using specialist mainspring oiling tweezers or making your own mainspring oiling tweezers. Make sure you use the same grease as you did in the previous step, ideally Moebius Natural Grease 8200 / 8300.
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Barrel Selection
You need to select a barrel size for your mainspring winder. Within your set, you will have multiple different barrel sizes. Most sets feature seven to twenty different sizes and you simply need to choose the one that is most appropriate for your watch barrel by measuring them against each other. The correct mainspring winder barrel will fit snugly within the walls of the watch barrel.
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Mainspring Winder Assembly
After choosing the correct size, you need to assemble the watch winder. This is a simple task by fitting the winding barrel into the handle and twisting it to secure it into place.
I find it very useful to use a vice to hold the mainspring winder barrel to free up one hand for this delicate task. -
Placing the Mainspring into the Winding Handle
Next, you need to fit the winding handle and mainspring. Mainsprings can be wound in either direction making it important to select the right handle. Right-handed winding handles are red whilst left-handed ones are blue and complete kits feature both right and left-hand winding handles. Place the mainspring onto the winding handle, making note of the hook’s direction and pushing down until the mainspring connects with the hook. As the mainspring is very delicate, a pair of tweezers is preferred for this task. The winding handle is then put onto the main tool.
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Winding the Mainspring
Once the winding handle is attached to the main handle, slowly wind in the mainspring. Take care during this process to avoid damage. It is also advised to use finger cots to protect the mainspring from dust, debris, and oil. Once the mainspring is fully wound, wind it in the opposite direction a few times.
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Remove the Handle from the Barrel
At this point, the mainspring is perfectly wound inside the barrel. The winding handle needs to then be removed from the barrel. This is the trickiest part of the process and needs to be tackled carefully to prevent the mainspring from popping out and getting damaged. Pull out the handle slowly and carefully, maybe with the help of some tweezers.
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Insert the Mainspring into the Mainspring Barrel
Place the tool into the mainspring barrel and depress the plunger at the top of the handle to pop the mainspring into place.
Tools:
- Mainspring Winder Tool
The process of using a mainspring winder is a very simple process but requires a little care and delicacy during the task. A mainspring winder is a lot quicker than hand winding and also limits the risk of damage to the mainspring itself.
Best Mainspring Winding Tools
There is no hiding from the fact that mainspring winder sets, of all qualities, come with a high price tag. A mainspring winder set will no doubt be one of the biggest investments when expanding your watchmaking toolkit and it is therefore important that funds are not wasted. Over the years, I have had the privilege of testing out many different mainspring winders. I have found some incredible pieces of kit to recommend, allowing you to invest in a mainspring winder without the worry of eating into your funds.
When considering which mainspring winder to invest in, if your funds allow it, opt for the full set. Not only does the full set supply more barrel sizes, but they also feature both left and right-hand winding handles. A lot of smaller and cheaper sets feature just right-hand winding handles as a standard. However, many Japanese and Chinese watch movements require left-hand winding, along with some other movements, so it is worthwhile investing in a set that has both.
Bergeon mainspring winders have the highest reputation in the industry. However, there are also alternative sets that are equally great.
Bergeon
Mainspring Winder Handle
The
This high-quality handle is a crucial component of the
Crafted by
Bergeon 2729-ETA-07 Mainspring Winder Barrel
Suitable for automatic movements:
- ETA 2892A2
- ETA 2893-1
- ETA 2893-2
- ETA 2893-3
- ETA 2894-2
- ETA 2895-2
- ETA 2896
- ETA 2897
Bergeon Mainspring Barrels
As an addition to the
As a universal watch winder, the winding tool is suitable for the following automatic movements: 2892A2, 2893-1 2893-2 2893-3, 2894-2, 2895-2, 2896 and 2897. This makes it suitable for fitting mainsprings to a wide variety of timepieces and their movements. It is worth noting that this watch winder is a right hand, making it suitable for mainsprings that are wound clockwise only. While the majority of mainsprings are wound this way, a lot of Japanese and Chinese watch movements are wound to the left and it is important to be aware of this.
Luroze
Mainspring Winder Set
For a complete set without the price tag of
The tool is versatile and compatible with a variety of wristwatch mainsprings featuring precision engineering to ensure that mainsprings are wound evenly and securely. It features 20 different winding barrels to accommodate the vast variety of movements on the market. In addition, the innovative winding handle design allows for both clockwise and anti-clockwise winding. This makes it easy to wind your mainspring in either direction without the need to alternate between left and right hand winding handles.
Plus, the entire toolkit is held in an aesthetic wooden storage box. Not only does this ensure each piece has a home where it is safe and secure, it is also an appealing addition to any watchmaker’s workspace.
Beginners Guide to Mainspring Winders FAQs
If you think I’ve missed anything or have anything to add, please comment below.
