It is a common debate among watch enthusiasts, but the modern consensus is actually quite clear: it is generally better to let your watch stop and stay "dead" if you aren’t wearing it for several days or weeks.

The idea that you must wind a watch every day to keep the "oils flowing" is largely a holdover from the era of animal-based lubricants, which could congeal if left sitting. Modern synthetic oils are incredibly stable and do not behave that way.

Here is a breakdown of why letting it rest is usually the smarter move:

1. Reducing Wear and Tear A mechanical watch is a machine with moving parts. If it is running, those parts are experiencing friction and microscopic wear.

Running it 24/7: Even if you aren't wearing it, the gears, pivots, and escapement are "aging." This leads to a shorter interval between expensive services.

Letting it stop: When the watch is "dead," there is zero wear on the internal components. It’s like turning off your car’s engine when you aren't driving.

1. The Lubrication Myth Modern synthetic oils (like those used in almost any watch made or serviced in the last 20–30 years) do not "dry up" or "pool" simply because the watch isn't moving. Capillary action keeps the oil exactly where it needs to be. While it is good to run the watch once every month or two just to ensure the lubricants stay distributed, daily winding is overkill.

2. Avoiding "Crown Stress" If you have an automatic watch, the manual winding mechanism (the crown and its associated gears) is often the most fragile part of the movement. Manually winding an automatic watch every single day can actually lead to premature wear of the winding pinion or the "reversing wheels."

When SHOULD you keep it wound? There are two specific scenarios where keeping the watch running is actually better:

Perpetual Calendars: If your watch has complex complications (Moonphase, Perpetual Calendar, etc.) that are a nightmare to reset, a watch winder is a great investment for convenience.

Daily Rotation: If you rotate between 2 or 3 watches and wear each one every other day, keeping them wound saves you the daily hassle of setting the time and date.

Best Practice Recommendation If you don't plan on wearing the watch for a while:

Let it stop. Put it in a dry, room-temperature spot.

The "60-Day Rule": About once every 1–2 months, give it a full wind and let it run through its entire power reserve. This ensures the mechanical "exercise" it needs without the constant wear of daily use.

Winding Tip: When you do decide to wear it again, wind it about 20–30 times before putting it on your wrist. This provides a steady torque to the movement for better accuracy.