FAQ

FAQ

About Mechanical Watches

All wristwatches created in our workshop are mechanical watches.
Mechanical watches are timepieces powered by a mainspring-driven movement – they do not require batteries or electronics. The energy comes from a mainspring (either hand-wound or wound automatically), which gradually releases power. A complex system of gears transforms this energy into the movement of the hands, indicating the passage of time.

There is two types of mechanical timepieces:

– Manual (hand-wound) – require winding by hand.
– Automatic – wind themselves through the natural motion of the wrist, thanks to a rotor that spins inside the movement.

A mechanical watch that is removed from the wrist and left at rest will stop after a while. To continue using it, the time must be set and the movement wound again.

How long will it take for a movement left at rest to stop working?

It depends on how tightly the mainspring was stretched before the watch was left at rest. The ability of the movement to work for a long time without winding is indicated by its characteristic called power reserve. This information tells us how much energy the mainspring can store at most. This stored energy, gradually transferred to the needs of the mechanism, allows it to constantly measure time. The movement that power our watches usually have a power reserve of 40-42 hours – this is how long a fully wound mechanism will work if left at rest.

In summary: Our watches do not need batteries, but they do need to be wound (manually or automatically – when worn on the wrist).

Servicing Mechanical Watches

The heart of a watch – its movement (like any mechanical device)—requires periodic maintenance and servicing. The manufacturers of the movements used in GRIOTH watches recommend a service interval of 2 to 5 years.

 However, this interval often depends on several factors and the conditions in which the watch is used. Long-term, trouble-free exploatation of the movement can be affected by factors such as temperature, humidity, and dust exposure. Periodic servicing of watches typically involves cleaning and lubricating the movement.

When using mechanical watches, it’s also important to be cautious of impacts and magnetic fields – the movement is more sensitive than in electronic watches.

Yes, our workshop also services GRIOTH watches, but there is nothing preventing our watches from being serviced by any other professional watchmaker.

Warranty

  • We provide a 12-month warranty on the reliable performance of the movements used in our watches.
  • The warranty does not cover mechanical damage to the watch or natural wear of the strap during use.
(photo 1.3)

How to Measure Your Wrist Circumference?

In the descriptions of the key features of each of our models, we provide the strap length, the adjustment range, and the approximate wrist circumference the watch will fit.

– Strap length – we provide the length of each strap part, measured without the buckle

(photo 1.1)

 

  • – Adjustment range – we provide the total length of the watch including the strap. We measure it from the buckle clasp to the nearest and furthest hole.

    (photo 1.2)

     


  • – Wrist circumference – we use a wrist-shaped model to simulate the fit and check which wrist sizes the watch fits when fastened on the first and last hole.

    (photo 1.3)

With this information, it’s easy to check whether the watch will fit your wrist or, in the case of a gift, the wrist of the recipient. A good idea is measure a watch you currently wear, from the buckle to the most commonly used hole, and compare that length with the adjustment range of the watch we offer.

Water resistance

The topic of watch water resistance is often unclear to users. There are several ways of expressing this feature in the context of watches, such as 5atm – 5bar – 50m.
 The last notation, indicating the number of meters, can be particularly misleading.

Below, we present a table that visually illustrates what these indications actually mean in practice.
(Table WR)

The difference between mineral glass and sapphire crystal

Mineral glass

  • Material: Made from hardened silica-based glass.
  • Scratch resistance: Moderate. Can be scratched by hard objects (e.g., keys, metal).
  • Impact resistance: Good. A little better at absorbing shocks and less likely to shatter than sapphire – may crack or crumble if hit hard.

Sapphire crystal

  • Material: Synthetic sapphire (crystalline aluminum oxide, extremely hard).
  • Scratch resistance: Very high – almost impossible to scratch during normal use. Hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale (for comparison: diamond – 10).
  • Impact resistance: Slightly lower than mineral glass – more prone to cracking or chipping upon hard impact.
  • The way the glass is installed in most of our watches also protects it from impact, so the risk of breakage from impact is reduced