Why have the minute hands on my mechanical or quartz watch stopped moving?

　　Once the minute hand of a watch stops, one naturally worries about potential issues. In reality, there are many reasons why a watch might stop. What causes the minute hand to stop? Today, we will introduce the reasons for this in mechanical and quartz watches.

　　Reasons why mechanical watch minute hands stop

　　There are many reasons why a mechanical watch may stop working, such as knocks, displaced movement gears, magnetisation, or dried lubricants after being left idle for a long time, all of which can cause a mechanical watch to stop. Automatic mechanical watches indeed rely on the movement of the arm to drive the oscillating weight to wind the mainspring, and insufficient winding often causes the watch to stop: generally speaking, the winding efficiency of good Swiss watches is still very high (such as Rolex), and wearing one normally for a full 6 hours during the day (under normal activity levels, unless you lie flat all day) means it will not stop overnight (a fully wound mainspring can run for at least 36 hours). If your activity level is very low, you will need to hand-wind it to supplement the mainspring's power. We cannot rule out the possibility that your watch movement has low winding efficiency, which is a common flaw found in typical domestic or replica movements. It is not normal for a hand-wound watch to stop when fully wound.

　　Automatic mechanical watches need to be worn frequently. You can give it a gentle shake first, which makes the rotor at the back of the watch spin a few times. If it still does not run, it is recommended to visit a repair shop, as this is usually caused by water vapour ingress. If it is a manual-winding watch, try winding it manually; if that still does not work, the movement may need to be cleaned and re-oiled. It is recommended to have it inspected at a professional watch service centre, where inspections are usually free of charge, giving you peace of mind.

　　Reasons why a quartz watch minute hand stops moving

　　(1) A dead quartz watch battery or insufficient capacity will cause the watch to stop, and a new battery needs to be fitted. Generally, analogue quartz watches will have their second hand tick every four seconds before the battery runs out, whereas digital watches will exhibit a fading digital display.

　　(2) Poor contact, mostly due to dirt on the positive and negative contact springs, leading to poor contact with the battery. Poor contact can also occur between the signal output point on the circuit board and the lead-in point of the coil wire. First, thoroughly clean the contact surfaces, and then reassemble them properly.

　　(3) The quartz watch has no output signal. When all other aspects checked are normal and a multimeter shows the circuit board has no signal output, it is mostly caused by a damaged quartz crystal or an integrated circuit fault. If replacing the quartz crystal does not work, the entire circuit board needs to be replaced.

　　Precautions for watch maintenance

　　1. Please do not use the watch in hot baths, saunas, or environments with drastic temperature changes (including water-resistant watches).

　　2. Please do not operate the watch pushers and adjust the crown while underwater.

　　3. Please regularly clean the bracelet and case; if it is a leather strap, avoid contact with water, moisture, and cosmetics, and also avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

　　4. Please be mindful of magnetisation and avoid keeping the watch close to electrical appliances, mobile phones, and magnets for extended periods.

　　5. Under no circumstances should you dismantle the watch yourself.

　　6. Please avoid subjecting the watch to impacts or drops.

　　7. Please avoid adjusting the watch date between 22 and 2 to prevent damage and inaccurate calendar changes.

　　8. If the watch exhibits any abnormalities, it should be promptly taken to a specialist watch shop for inspection.

　　9. Leather watches should avoid contact with water as much as possible to prevent the strap from stiffening, developing odours, and eventually cracking. Especially for those who sweat easily, it is best not to wear them during exercise or outdoor wear in summer.

　　10. Fully automatic mechanical watches must be used under conditions of sufficient activity, meaning they must be worn for more than 10 hours daily to function normally.