How to wind a Rolex, and how to set the time and date

To wind a Rolex, unscrew the crown, turn it clockwise at least 25 times, then screw it back down. Do this before you first wear the watch, or when it has stopped. Wearing it every day keeps it wound after that. To set a Rolex, you use other crown positions, so the steps below go model by model. Bizak & Co. is a sourcing desk, not an authorized Rolex dealer: every watch here is found to order, not held in stock.

Last updated on November 2, 2026. Sources: Rolex user guides, Rolex care page, Rolex FAQ, Rolex Perpetual rotor, Rolex Datejust 36 and WatchBase.

How do you wind a Rolex by hand?

Unscrew the crown, turn it clockwise at least 25 times, and screw it back down. Rolex gives this same winding rule in its Datejust, Day-Date, Oyster Perpetual and GMT-Master II guides. The Perpetual 1908 and Perpetual Padellone differ. Their crowns do not screw down, so you wind them with the crown pushed in.

1. Find the crown on the side of the case.
2. Unscrew it by turning it counterclockwise until it comes loose. This is position 1.
3. Turn the crown clockwise. With the dial up, the top of the crown rolls toward the 12. Turning it the other way has no effect.
4. Count at least 25 turns. Rolex calls this partial winding, and wearing the watch does the rest.
5. Set the time and date now if they are wrong.
6. Push the crown in, press with light pressure, and turn it clockwise until it stops.

Rolex's care page and user guides say a minimum of 25 turns. Its FAQ says about 20. Use 25 to be safe.

How do you set the time on a Rolex?

Unscrew the crown, pull it out until the seconds hand stops, then turn it either way to move the hands.

1. Unscrew the crown to position 1.
2. On most date models, pull it out to the second notch. On a model with no date, pull it out to the first notch.
3. The seconds hand stops, so you can set the exact second.
4. Turn the crown either way to move the hour and minute hands.
5. On a date model, move the hands forward until the hour hand passes 12, and watch the date window. If the date flips, that 12 was midnight. If it does not, that 12 was noon.
6. Push the crown in and screw it down.

How do you set the date on a Rolex?

On most models, unscrew the crown, pull it out to the first notch, and turn it until the right date shows. The watch keeps running while you do this. The Datejust 36 ref. 126200 works this way, with caliber 3235 inside. Rolex says the right direction depends on the model. Turning the wrong way does nothing or winds the watch, so try the other way.

On a stopped Rolex, wind it first, then set the time, then set the date. Rolex's Datejust guide names no hours to avoid when you set the date. It does ask you to find midnight when you set the time, so the date flips at night and not at noon.

How do you set a Day-Date or a GMT-Master II?

On both watches, the second notch sets the time and the first notch sets the date, plus one extra thing. On the Day-Date 40, the extra is the day of the week. Turn the crown clockwise for the date. Turn it counterclockwise for the day.

On the GMT-Master II 40 mm, the extra is the local hour hand. This watch has a 24-hour hand, and its hour hand can move on its own. Set the reference time first, then the local time. The order matters, because setting the reference time moves the hour hand.

1. Unscrew the crown and pull it out to the second notch.
2. Turn the bezel so its triangle sits at 12.
3. Turn the crown to set the 24-hour hand and the minute hand.
4. Move the crown to the first notch.
5. Turn the crown to jump the hour hand one hour at a time. The date changes when the hour hand passes midnight.
6. Push the crown in and screw it down.

When you travel, use only the first notch. It changes the local hour hand and leaves the 24-hour hand on home time.

What does each crown position do?

Position 0 is the crown down against the case, position 1 is for winding, and the next notches set the time and date. The table shows what each one does on each model type. The Oyster Perpetual 36 ref. 126000 has no date, so its first notch sets the time.

Other models, such as the Submariner, Daytona, Sky-Dweller and Padellone, have their own guides. Rolex lists them on its user guides page.

How do you screw the crown back down?

Push the crown in, press it with light pressure, and turn it clockwise until it stops. Do this after every use. Rolex rates a screwed-down Datejust waterproof to 100 meters. The Submariner Date ref. 126610LN has a Triplock crown and a 300-meter rating. Neither rating holds with the crown open. Never unscrew the crown underwater.

Rolex suggests a service about every 10 years, depending on the model and use. A service tests the waterproofing as well. Read how often to service a Rolex for more.

Do Rolex watches need winding?

Not if you wear them every day, because the motion of your wrist winds them. A half-moon weight inside the case, called the Perpetual rotor, swings as you move and winds the mainspring. Rolex introduced the Perpetual rotor in 1931. Rolex says a watch worn daily needs no winding. Wind it by hand after it stops.

Can you overwind a Rolex?

No. Self-winding watches have a slipping clutch on the mainspring, such as a bridle. When the spring is full, the clutch slips instead of winding it tighter. Rolex's own guides give a minimum of 25 turns and name no maximum. So 25 turns is the goal, and a few more cannot hurt the spring. Turn the crown clockwise, because the other way has no effect.

How long does a Rolex run when you take it off?

Rolex's current 32xx calibers run about 70 hours off the wrist, which is close to three days. The table lists the main calibers.

Rolex gives these figures on its model pages, except the older 3135, which comes from WatchBase. The Cosmograph Daytona ref. 126500LN runs about 72 hours. An older Rolex with a 3135 stops sooner. If a pre-owned watch has stopped, wind it and set it. That is normal.

Do you need a watch winder for a Rolex?

No. Rolex says you do not need to wind a watch you wear daily. If it stops, Rolex says to wind it by hand. Then you set the time and date. A winder turns a watch you are not wearing, so it stays running and keeps the time and date. It is a convenience, not a need.

One habit that protects your Rolex

Use a simple routine: wind if it has stopped, set, then screw the crown down. Do those steps in that order each time you open the crown. Screw the crown down before you clean the watch or get it wet. If it will not screw down, stop and ask a watchmaker to look at it.

Related reading: What a Rolex service costs, how to spot a fake Rolex and Rolex GMT-Master II colors.

Quick answers

How many times do you wind a Rolex?

Rolex's user guides ask for a minimum of 25 turns on a watch that has stopped. Turn the crown clockwise, then screw it back down.

Can you overwind a Rolex?

No. Self-winding watches have a slipping clutch on the mainspring, so the crown cannot wind the spring too tight. Rolex's guides give a minimum number of turns and no maximum.

Do Rolex watches need winding?

Not if you wear them every day. Rolex says a watch worn daily needs no winding, because the Perpetual rotor winds it as you move. Wind it by hand only after it stops.

How long does a Rolex run when you do not wear it?

Models with the 32xx calibers run about 70 hours. Current models smaller than 36 mm run about 55 hours, and the older caliber 3135 runs about 48 hours.

Do you need a watch winder for a Rolex?

No. If the watch stops, wind it by hand and set the time and date. A winder is a convenience, not a need.

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