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GNTwatch Frequently Asked Questions



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Your visit to our site indicates that you have an interest in fine mechanical watches. The watches we sell represent the pinnacle of over 400 years of horological research and development dedicated to the pursuit of accurate timekeeping. Its design is inspired by the art of the great timepieces of yesteryear that is both practical and useful today, with the goal of becoming tomorrow's heirloom.

It is a fact that a mechanical timepiece, with the proper care, is very reliable and should something go amiss is completely repairable. The longevity of mechanical timepieces is legendary, it is common to find examples 100 plus years old that are still serving their owners faithfully as an accurate timekeeper.

Here are the answers to most frequently asked questions regarding self-winding mechanical watches.

Q. How frequently do I need to wind my watch manually?

A. An automatic mechanism on a movement assures the owner that once it is worn daily that it will never need additional winding. However, if the watch has been left unworn long enough for the mainspring power to "wind down" then it is recommended that the watch be wound at least 15-20 turns of the crown which will wind the mainspring up to the point that it can be maintained by the motion of one's arm. If you own or purchase a manual or hand wind watch (not automatic), it needs to be wound every day at about the same time of day. Wind the watch in one direction until you feel a noticeable resistance.

Q. Will manual winding do any harm to my watch?

A. The manual winding of an automatic watch will not harm it in any way. If this procedure is not followed and the watch is simply worn after becoming unwound, the activity level of the wearer may not be enough to wind it fully during the course of a day which could result in poor timekeeping or stoppage of the watch.

Q.The crown has distinct stops when I pull it out. What is the purpose of that?

A. Your watch may have a three-position crown. In that case, you can adjust different functions of your watch at each detent postion.

  • The first position will be the winding position.
  • Pulling the crown out slightly from the body of the watch will bring it to position number two, the quick date setting mode, which allows the date to be advanced by turning the crown (this process should not be attempted between 11 pm and l am when the date is changing over on it's own).
  • Pulling the crown out from the body of the watch to the fullest extent is the position for setting the hands to the correct time, it also "hacks" or stops the movement from running so that the time can be synchronized to the exact time of another time source.

Q. What does "water resistant" mean?

A. If your watch is marked "water resistant", this indicates the watch will withstand a degree of water exposure but does not make the watch suitable for swimming or diving use. Only a watch marketed as a diver's watch should be considered for total immersion in water. A general rule is that a screw down crown and back will make a watch more resistant to the invasion of water than one that does not have a screw down crown and has a snap-on back.

Q. I cannot easily visualize the sizes of the watches. How big are the faces?

A. The sizes at our site are given in milimeters (mm) in accordance with international conventions. There are 25.4 mm in one inch and the US quarter is just under one inch at 24 mm. Use the following graph to visualize the sizes of the watches. Since there are differences in the way monitors display graphics, this is a rough approximation.
Watch size estimator

We at GNT Inc. thank you for your business and wish you years of pleasure from your new watch.

GNT Incorporated
PO Box 6724
Providence, RI 02940
1-800-689-2225
rrbartley@cox.net

We ship via USPS or How GNT watches whip $15 for Priority, $25 for Overnight.