Have you ever attempted to pull out a crown that didn’t budge? We have received a lot of questions about this, so we decided it was time to offer a guide. Here’s how to use a screwed-down crown.
You may not always be able to tell that a crown is a screwed-down one at first glance but it takes no time at all to physically find out. A screwed-down crown screws into the case tube of your watch and cannot be pulled out to adjust the time. While not strictly necessary for ensuring water resistance, it provides extra protection and keeps the crown from being snagged or pulled by anything while underwater. This robust security feature is the reason why it is so heavily prevalent on diver-style and sport watches.
- To unscrew the crown so you can adjust the time and day/ date (depending on the exact model you have), turn the crown counterclockwise until it is free from the case and in what we call a neutral position.
- From this position, the crown works like a normal crown.
- For watches capable of hand-winding, this neutral position is the one in which you can wind the watch via the crown. Pull it out slightly, just once, and you can change the day/ date. Pull it out all the way, and you can now adjust the time.
- If your watch does not have the hand-winding capability, then you can adjust the day/ date right from that first position and then the time once the crown is pulled out.
Once you’re done adjusting all the important stuff, simply push down on the crown while turning clockwise until it begins to screw into the case. This may take a few attempts since the crown tubes and threading are very precise parts that help boost water resistance. As a reminder, always double-check to make sure the crown is screwed in completely before immersing the watch in water and never attempt to use the crown while it is submerged or being sprayed.