User Manual

If you're new to watches, there are certain things you need to know. This page is a guide to the general use and care of automatic watches but sections for water resistance and standard operation applies to other types of watches as well.

NOTE: Make sure to check the watch for defects before removing protective films. This includes functional defects like winding and operating the crown.

Automatics / Mechanical

Unlike common quartz or battery-powered watches, these watches run using a coiled spring that gradually unwinds. A moving part called a rotor spins at the back that winds this spring for you while wearing the watch. You can also manually wind this spring by turning the crown clockwise.

The Nereid has an exhibition caseback that displays the rotor which is usually a half-circle metal part. It's weighted so it will always rest downward.

Running time. The watch will run for as long as the spring can unwind. The standard duration is 40+ hours if the spring is fully wound. You can turn the crown as many times as you want without over-winding.

Some vintage watches, especially those that have to be manually wound, do not have this safety feature and over-winding can damage it unlike modern automatic movements we use for our models. 

To fully wind your automatic watch, turn the crown at least 30 times. Subsequent motion it receives while in use (like shaking your wrist) will keep it wound.

Accuracy. Mechanical watches are not as accurate as quartz or the time displayed in your smart phone and deviates at a certain range within a day. For example, if your watch has the Miyota cal.9015 movement, the accuracy can range from -10 to +30s a day. If your watch is within this range, then it is within expectations. However, if it exceeds that range then it needs to be regulated by a watchmaker.

We don't recommend regulating the watch yourself while the watch is still under warranty. Doing so can void your warranty. If you have the experience, do contact us first.

The accuracy of a watch is affected by the state of the spring so there are variations from when its fully wound and when it is about to expend its stored energy.  It is also affected by the ambient temperature, the position it is resting, and various external forces.

Rotor noise. The sound your watch make when you apply movement is normal behaviour. All automatic watches produce a slightly audible noise when the rotor spins.

 

General

Push/pull crown.  This is the basic type of crown. Its default position is when it's pushed all the way to the case. This is when you can manually wind the watch by turning it clockwise. You can adjust the time and date by pulling it at different positions and turning in a specific direction.

Helpful tip: Can't pull the crown? Instead of directly pulling it with your fingers, try 'lifting' it by wedging your finger between the crown and the case from underneath. You can do this even with your thumb alone.

Screw-down crown. This feature are for watches that has higher water resistance to prevent the intrusion of water into the movement.

If your watch has this type of crown, you need to unscrew it first before any kind of operation. When fully unscrewed, the crown will disengage and then it can function like a push/pull type. You can then screw it back after you are done. You may need to slightly press it while turning to be able to have it engage the screw treads.

Water use. Make sure the crown is in its base position before doing so or if it's a screw-down crown, make sure it's screwed back in tightly.

Here's a guide on how much water resistance your watch has and the depth it can withstand. Remember, water resistance does not mean water proof. A highly water resistant watch can still succumb to leaks with sufficient duration underwater.

Water resistance rating	Maximum Safe Activity
5ATM / 50m / 165ft	Splashes of water (rain / dishwashing)
10ATM / 100m / 330ft	Casual swimming and water sports
20ATM / 200m / 660ft	Recreational diving
30ATM / 300m / 1000ft and above	Saturation diving

 
Technically speaking, 30m is the recreational diving depth for PADI divers which is way shallow for the indicated water resistance of even a 5ATM watch. This is because other factors may come into play and the indicated maximum safe activity is to make sure your watch is not put at risk unnecessarily. 

Care and maintenance. Mechanical watches generally need inspection and re-oiling every five years to make sure it's in top condition. If you use your watch near water or high humidity environments, a yearly visit to your watchmaker would be good to inspect its water resistance.

Other useful tips:

• Cautionary use. Even though watches are resistant to water, they are not water proof. Make sure to take it off when it doesn't have to be exposed to water like taking a shower or swimming.
• Chemical exposure. Chemicals can eat through the gaskets which help seal the watch. Gaskets are located around the crown stem, top crystal, and caseback. Common chemicals that may affect the integrity of gaskets are chlorine in swimming pools and even soap. They may not affect the gaskets right away, but extended exposure can make them brittle and less functional.
• Inaccuracy (slow) - If your watch is running late, try winding it to full power every day. If it still does this, you may need to have it regulated.
• Magnetism. Keep the watch away from magnetic sources. These can affect the accuracy of your watch and make it run fast (sometimes slower or stop it altogether). Such items are common like refrigerator magnets and speakers. If you suspect that your watch is going too fast or too slow, have it tested by a watchmaker to see if it's magnetized. If it is, fixing this is quite easy and can be done with a demagnetizer.

Additional care. As part of caring for your watch, each has a warranty to help you should there be other issues. See our terms for warranty here.