Longines Mechanical Hand-Winding Wristwatches
Based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, with retail outlets in more than 150 countries, the Longines Watch Company has been making timepieces since 1832. Some of its wristwatches can have their time mechanically adjusted by their users. These Longines mechanical hand-winding wristwatches are designed to keep accurate time to within a few seconds a week.
How are mechanical Longines wristwatches wound?Remove the wristwatch to avoid straining the mechanics while winding. Find the stem that is on the side of the display, and carefully pull it out. Hold the watch so you see the display, and with your free hand, pull the dial until you reach the setting adjustments for the time. Some dials have options for adjusting the time, calendar, or alarm. If you have one of these, you will have to adjust it until you reach the time module. Wind the stem. If you feel the resistance of the dial, do not keep on winding. When you have finished, push the stem down to its original position.
How do you maintain a mechanical watch?- A hand-wound timepiece needs to be wound once every day or two. Winding it up in the morning is a good habit to develop.
- If you pick up a watch that has stopped running, pull the stem all the way out and spin the hands until the appropriate date is set. When you get the right date, set the time between 2 a.m. and 9 p.m. This is also the time span in which you should set the time on a replacement watch that is not running
- Keep the mechanical watch away from dust, dirt, and moisture. For fine scratches, use an abrasive polishing cloth to restore the finish of the piece. Clean it once in a while with a toothbrush and rinse it under running water. Consider taking your watch for maintenance once every five years.
Longines watches come in many different designs. The wristbands may be metal or leather in colors ranging from gray to brown to black. The frame of the display is made of metal even if the wristband is leather. The metals used can be stainless steel, silver, or gold.
Rectangular or round watches may measure only time or include other measurements like the date and an alarm. The numbers on the dial can be also made of metal, displayed in different colors, or written out in Roman numerals. Occasionally, a gemstone will be part of the decoration of a Longines timepiece.