Mechanical Watches and Hand-wound Watches Mechanical Watches and Hand-wound Watches About the Crown

The crown is the protrusion that is fixed to the winding stem. It is called CROWN overseas.

The kanji for crown is "ryuuto" or "ryuuto."

Many people probably think that the kanji used are based on the sound of a foreign word, but 'ryuuto' is actually a genuine Japanese word.

The name comes from a monster in Chinese mythology called "Pulao", one of the "Nine Children of the Dragon". Pu Lao is said to love roaring.

It is said that whales roar when they are attacking whales and when they are being attacked.

Another legend states that the bells like to hear the roar of a whale that has been attacked by a bell. For this reason, they were used as decorations for the strings at the top of bells such as temple bells, helping to make the sound of the bells resonate louder.

In Japan, this knob is called "ryuzu."

In keeping with the bell motif, clocks were decorated with bell-like ornaments, which became decorations on the winding of wristwatches, and this was simplified until the dragon ornament disappeared, leaving only the words.

Now, the crown is an important part of a watch, as it winds the mainspring and, when pulled out, turns the hands to adjust the time and the date on the calendar.

This is especially important for hand-wound watches, where the mainspring must be wound by turning the crown.

The three main parts involved in this switching are the "Tsuzumiguruma," "Mandarin Duck," and "Cannuki."

The winding wheel has a hole in the center through which the winding stem passes. Therefore, when we turn the crown, the winding wheel also turns, allowing us to wind the mainspring and adjust the time.

The mandarin duck moves in response to pushing and pulling the crown.

This movement is transmitted to the bar, which moves the position of the clock wheel. The bar fits into the groove of the clock wheel and, in conjunction with the movement of the mandarin duck, moves the clock wheel to a position where it meshes with the gear wheel (the gear that moves when the mainspring is turned) and the small iron wheel (the gear that moves when the hand is turned).

The mainspring is wound with the crown pushed in as far as possible.

At this time, the gear wheel is engaged with the locking wheel through the action of the mandarin duck and the latch.

When the timing wheel turns, the crown wheel, which is also meshed with the timing wheel, turns, and when the crown wheel turns, the ratchet wheel turns, and when the ratchet wheel turns, the barrel core turns, winding the mainspring, and this force moves the barrel and starts the watch running.

Furthermore, if the mainspring is simply wound, it will rotate in the reverse direction the moment you let go of the crown. To prevent this, a reverse rotation prevention device called a kohaze is attached to engage with the ratchet wheel.

In this way, a mechanical watch is made up of many different parts.

Even with just a brief explanation, you can see how important the crown is, which is why caring for it is so important.

Many people clean the watch case and band by wiping them with chamois leather or a cloth, but I doubt there are many people who clean the crown as well.

When cleaning your watch, be sure to also clean the crown.

Watches are dirtier than you might think.

The same goes for the crown.

It is difficult to reach between the crown and the crown guard with a cloth, making it difficult to remove dirt, so you should scrub the area with a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove the dirt.

And lastly, always tighten the crown. If the crown is not tightened properly, especially in waterproof watches, the waterproof function will be compromised.

When we say "tighten," we mean just turning the crown a little until it can no longer be turned. Just a little, just enough to make a good feeling, is enough. If you apply too much force at this point, you will damage the gasket and it will have to be replaced, resulting in unnecessary and expensive repair costs.

If you don't know how much force to use, don't hesitate to ask the staff at a watch shop to help you master it.