# tank solo xl winding question



## boypaulkim (Aug 6, 2016)

Hi guys,

sorry for asking such a noob question.
i was told to stop winding my tank xl once i feel STRONG resistance from the crown.
however, i've also read all automatic watches have a mechanism that prevents a watch from being over-wound. (clutch? disengage when fully wound)

i do feel resistance from the crown when i wind mine for some time, but the crown still turns if i try. 

is this normal?

also, is it harmful to turn crown anti-clockwise?

thank you!


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

Curious. Why didnt you ask the AD a couple of days ago?


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## boypaulkim (Aug 6, 2016)

stuffler said:


> Curious. Why didnt you ask the AD a couple of days ago?


well, thats what the sales staff from the boutique told me actually.
so i just thought thats how it was supposed to be until i realized that all automatic watches have a mechanism which disengages the main spring
when fully wound hence preventing it from being overwound.

assuming that said sales person wasn't expert at watches, thought i'd ask here.

so.... any tank auto wearers here that can answer?


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## 94rsa (Dec 5, 2016)

Don't know the answer myself, but I do own a tank solo XL and would love to hear an answer as well.


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## boypaulkim (Aug 6, 2016)

hi nice to see someone who has the same question as me. anyhow, how do you wind it? do you wind until you feel the resistance and just wear it daily?
also, i've noticed that crown has to be turned counter clockwise when setting date and time. unlike how Cartier's onlin user manual states. am i the only one? lol


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## rileynp (Mar 16, 2009)

I think I can answer some of these questions:You are correct,_ Automatic_ mechanical watches have a slipping bridle on the end of their mainspring, so you won't reach a point where you can no longer turn the crown- the mainspring once fully coiled will just slip around inside the barrel as you continue to wind it. _Manual-wind_ mechanical watches (with no automatic winding capabilities) almost all have a definite end to their winding- a point where the mainspring is fully wound and can be wound no further. At this point you can no longer turn the crown clockwise.

It is normal, whether for automatic or manual-wind watches, to feel increased resistance as the mainspring is wound more tightly, i.e. the closer you get to a full wind. Since feel is subjective, you may want to visit a watchmaker in person who could show you how to differentiate what is normal for resistance when hand-winding and what may be cause for concern. The feel will vary based on structure and condition of the caliber inside, the size and shape of the crown, how accessible the crown is, and how well-lubricated the crown/tube gasket is. Plus how strong your fingers are 

It is not harmful to turn the crown CCW when hand-winding, in fact it makes it a little easier on your fingers as you don't need to re-position them after every turn. But noting is happening when turning CCW, the hand-winding system is being bypassed by a clutch mechanism.

For best results, any automatic watch should be given an initial winding before being put on the wrist after a period of non-use. A few shakes might get the second hand moving, but it won't give the mainspring very much wind, which is necessary for the best time-keeping the first day of wear and to ensure running over the first night of wear, particularly if one doesn't have a very active first day of wearing and thus would not reach a full wind just from the motions of their arm. So to initially wind an automatic watch, give the crown about 40 complete CW revolutions (the number will vary based on the caliber, but this amount is a more than a full wind for some, about a full wind for others, and a little less than a full wind for the rest). After this initial winding for the first day of wear, it should wind itself from the motion of your arm throughout each ensuing day, so you shouldn't have to hand-wind it again unless you've taken it off for a day or more. I'm sure there are exceptions or tweaks to this policy based on certain niche calibers (such as those with very long power reserves, for example), but it's a good rule of thumb that will only provide better service from your watch, not worse.

Concerning the date quickset crown direction- I believe the Tank Solo XL has had both the caliber 049 and 1847MC inside during its production run. From memory the former date-quicksets with CCW turning, while the latter corrects with CW rotation. This could be why the manual states differently from your example (or the manual is just a little too general on this point- it can happen).


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## DocScotter (Dec 15, 2016)

rileynp said:


> Concerning the date quickset crown direction- I believe the Tank Solo XL has had both the caliber 049 and 1847MC inside during its production run. From memory the former date-quicksets with CCW turning, while the latter corrects with CW rotation. This could be why the manual states differently from your example (or the manual is just a little too general on this point- it can happen).


Might this be a way to differentiate the Caliber 049 from the 1947MC without removing the case back of the Tank Solo XL?


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## rileynp (Mar 16, 2009)

DocScotter said:


> Might this be a way to differentiate the Caliber 049 from the 1947MC without removing the case back of the Tank Solo XL?


I believe so, but let me confirm when I get a chance next week. I know the 049 corrects CCW, but want to double check on the 1847MC's direction.


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## mshafran86 (Jul 3, 2016)

I just purchased the Solo XL (new old stock from what I think is 2014) and I did notice that the quickset date function operates by winding the watch towards the wearer (which I presume is what you guys mean by counter clockwise).

On another note, have any of you had to service the watch yet? if so, did you have Cartier complete the service or a local watchmaker? what cost can I expect from either and how long? Since the watch MAY BE from 2014, I may need to have it serviced depending on how long the power reserve lasts. 

Thanks!


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

2014 is not new old stock.


mshafran86 said:


> I just purchased the Solo XL (new old stock from what I think is 2014) and I did notice that the quickset date function operates by winding the watch towards the wearer (which I presume is what you guys mean by counter clockwise).
> 
> On another note, have any of you had to service the watch yet? if so, did you have Cartier complete the service or a local watchmaker? what cost can I expect from either and how long? Since the watch MAY BE from 2014, I may need to have it serviced depending on how long the power reserve lasts.
> 
> Thanks!


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## rileynp (Mar 16, 2009)

DocScotter said:


> Might this be a way to differentiate the Caliber 049 from the 1947MC without removing the case back of the Tank Solo XL?


Hi Doc,
Yes, I can confirm that this is an easy test to determine which movement is inside- the 049 quicksets by turning the crown counterclockwise, while the 1847MC quicksets by turning the crown clockwise.


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## DocScotter (Dec 15, 2016)

rileynp said:


> Hi Doc,
> Yes, I can confirm that this is an easy test to determine which movement is inside- the 049 quicksets by turning the crown counterclockwise, while the 1847MC quicksets by turning the crown clockwise.


Wow, I'm actually just a little surprised to get a really helpful reply over here on the Cartier forum. Thank you very much! I'll be even more impressed if your post and or this thread doesn't somehow disappear.

P.S. My wife and I lived in the 'Scon for a little over a year in Madtown. I really miss the Spotted Cow and beer battered Walleye. Fish tacos and West Coast IPAs pale in comparison.


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## rileynp (Mar 16, 2009)

DocScotter said:


> P.S. My wife and I lived in the 'Scon for a little over a year in Madtown. I really miss the Spotted Cow and beer battered Walleye. Fish tacos and West Coast IPAs pale in comparison.


The grass is always greener! I'd gladly trade the first two towards the last two!


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## mshafran86 (Jul 3, 2016)

Thanks for adding to the substance of the conversation! Ps it was a never worn piece that was new.


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## jihong (Feb 9, 2014)

rileynp said:


> Hi Doc,
> Yes, I can confirm that this is an easy test to determine which movement is inside- the 049 quicksets by turning the crown counterclockwise, while the 1847MC quicksets by turning the crown clockwise.


You...I can't...don't know...how to express my gratitude for this tidbit of information!!! I just recently bought a Cartier Tank Solo XL in gold from watches of Switzerland. I had a hell of a time first convincing them that there was a in-house 1846 MC movement in the watch before they ordered one for me. When I received it, they said again that it actually didn't have the 1846MC and only the 049 Calibre. I insisted newer models had the in-house movement and they spent >1 hour making me sit there while they waited to try and confirm. In the end, the sales rep just said "trust me, it's an in-house movement" and left it at that. I then went NYC's Madison Ave. Cartier Boutique and asked to speak to a watch specialist to help confirm with movement was in the watch. The serial number and ref. number did not help at all (I tried that method with the Cartier phone representative who ALSO had no idea about the difference in movements). They ended up having me leave the watch for a few days to have the watch servicing department OPEN the casebook to confirm the movement inside. ALL I NEEDED WAS YOUR SIMPLE RESPONSE!!! I just checked it myself and if you're information is correct, I can be comfortable knowing I got the watch I wanted. THANK YOU! I wish Cartier made this information more available and more watch "specialists" had this kind of knowledge. Where did you get this information??


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## rileynp (Mar 16, 2009)

Observational experience! It isn’t something broadcast by Cartier, as perhaps they don’t think it pertinent to most of their clients.


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## andrey_ (May 26, 2011)

jihong said:


> You...I can't...don't know...how to express my gratitude for this tidbit of information!!! I just recently bought a Cartier Tank Solo XL in gold from watches of Switzerland. I had a hell of a time first convincing them that there was a in-house 1846 MC movement in the watch before they ordered one for me. When I received it, they said again that it actually didn't have the 1846MC and only the 049 Calibre. I insisted newer models had the in-house movement and they spent >1 hour making me sit there while they waited to try and confirm. In the end, the sales rep just said "trust me, it's an in-house movement" and left it at that. I then went NYC's Madison Ave. Cartier Boutique and asked to speak to a watch specialist to help confirm with movement was in the watch. The serial number and ref. number did not help at all (I tried that method with the Cartier phone representative who ALSO had no idea about the difference in movements). They ended up having me leave the watch for a few days to have the watch servicing department OPEN the casebook to confirm the movement inside. ALL I NEEDED WAS YOUR SIMPLE RESPONSE!!! I just checked it myself and if you're information is correct, I can be comfortable knowing I got the watch I wanted. THANK YOU! I wish Cartier made this information more available and more watch "specialists" had this kind of knowledge. Where did you get this information??


And is it a 1847 inside the golden version?

I had recently sent an email to Cartier asking the same question, before I bought the steel version.

I was very pleased to receive the very next day the following answer:


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## jihong (Feb 9, 2014)

Before I went to watches of Switzerland, the rep at Cartier assured me it was the 1847MC in the pink gold they were showing me. Because Cartier makes this information so difficult to obtain, it appears that many people have no idea what movement is currently placed in this watch. Luckily, Cartier confirmed it for me after leaving my watch with them, and so did @rileynp !


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## andrey_ (May 26, 2011)

Well, judging from Cartier's reply to my email and your own experience, it seems they have much less idea what calibers are inside their watches than we do


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