Can you overwind a watch or clock?

When the day comes that you wind your clock and it stops or breaks, the first thing you think is that it must your fault! “I think I’ve over-wound my clock or watch!” is the most common thing we hear from customers visiting our shop. But how common is it to really over-wind a clock? 

 

What has actually happened to your mainspring? 

Luckily, the truth is that you can’t over-wind your clock or watch. Over-winding is basically a myth! A clock mainspring is made of spring steel and is about the width of a ruler (but not quite as thick). They are on average 7 to 8 feet long! One end of the mainspring hooks on a winding arbor (the thing your key goes onto when you wind it). The other end hooks onto either the inside of a drum or on the corner post of the clock movement. 

 

A mainspring must be fairly clean and have a proper lubricant (typically grease) in order to wind and unwind easily (therefore delivering power). Over the years, the grease will become dry and sticky, and the mainspring may become rusty or corroded. These factors cause friction in the movement of the spring coils. Eventually the spring becomes so dry and gummed up that it can’t release any more, or the spring metal becomes worn out and corroded and may break! 

 

The problem might not lie with the mainspring either, it could be that the lubricants through the rest of the gear train have aged, got contaminated with dust and become thick and sticky. This can increase the friction so that no power can get to the escapement and the clock or watch won't run.