# Problem/dilemma Frederique Constant FC-W303MC4P5



## jkoplen (May 10, 2016)

I have the FC-W303MC4P5, automatic winding watch. Due to my sedentary lifestyle, I cannot keep it automatically wound, and my old fingers cannot accomplish stem winding. I sent it back to Jomashop, and they said they overhauled it. That didn't solve my problem, so I sent it to the U.S.A. authorized service center (Stoll). They wound it manually and tested it several times, finding nothing wrong with it. They said it had a 42-hour reserve (if I remember correctly). I love the watch, but I can't deal with the winding problem. Suggestions?

Thanks for any advice.

Julian


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## marks55 (Apr 11, 2012)

Buy one of those watch winders and put it in there at night.


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## jkoplen (May 10, 2016)

I did buy a winder. Chiyoda. I set it for its maximum bidirectional 5760 turns per day. I left the watch on it for many days, and the watch ran perfectly while on the winder, but it could not survive overnight after being removed from the winder. The instructions said that once the watch stops, it should be manually wound to its maximum. I cannot get my fingers to grasp the stem sufficiently to wind it manually. Too much resistance. The authorized service center said they actually did that several times for their testing purposes.


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## Bleedingblue (Jun 24, 2015)

This may come off as a flippant answer but not intended to be. Get someone who can grip the crown properly to wind it fully then put in in the winder. Maybe that will keep it powered up. Another idea is to use something like those rubber jar lid grippers over the crown to get better grasp. A final thought is to try putting the watch to wind in one direction on the winder, may help.


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## Dryfly (Feb 17, 2020)

Buy a watch winding tool. I got one for around $10 from Esslingers. Much easier and better on the watch.


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## heb (Feb 24, 2006)

The Solution is to trade it in for a roughly equivalent quartz model.

heb


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