Minute Repeater 5242

I have recently acquired a minute repeater to add to my BP5002 and my Doppel. Amazing time piece, my best so far and possibly the best ever. My only question/concern is winding. It doesn't go much beyond 20 hours. Maybe I am making it chime too often or more likely I am just not winding it up fully. It doesnt have a power indicator so I don't want to over wind it of course. So typically I give it 12/14 winds in the morning at which point the torque gets a little heavier. It lasts most of the day although not if I get it to chime 3/4 times during the day. Should I be winding it to the stop? Is there a recommended number of winds each day? Advice welcome. Thanks.

I can't give you any advice but would love to see some photos of your watch.

2nd time lucky. I posted 4 photos on the 1st attempt but they were blocked. So here is my 2nd attempt with 1 photo. Ciao

Congratulations! I don't have any answers for you either but I wouldn't worry about making it chime 3 or 4 times per day. If it was mine, I'd make it chime so often that those around me would wear ear plugs. Enjoy that beautiful watch.

Thank you Sir. No one in my family is getting bored with the chimes. Shame the watch lever doesn't come with a permanently 'on' setting!!

Cal.95 needs to be wound around 55 times (!) to have its main spring reach its full power, one should not hesitate to wind it to the end. For an excellent review, please refer to Larry Seiden's article that can be found at the following address:

www.watchesarefun.com/repeater_review/repeater.html

Also, from what I know, the energy used to chime the hours, quarters and minutes does not come from the main spring, but from the lever which is pulled to 'call' the repeating function. there are in fact two independent springs, so the power reserve of the watch should not be influenced by the number of times one let the watch chime in a day....

Aha! Very interesting. I will look up the article you suggest. Thanks again.

Great article thanks - 54 jewel movement (up from 17 for a base cal.95.) and 55! turns to wind it fully. Excellent. Thanks.

Big Congrats, that is one of the classiest and most beautiful watches ever - period!

Sensational acquisition

Thank you both. It took a bit of courage spending this kind of money although now I've done it, I am over the moon with my new baby!

A fantastic IWC that many have never seen in the wild and certainly won't own.

Congratulations - outstanding masterpiece from IWC.

Not many Repeaters if any posted on the forum. Congratulations on a remarkable piece and enjoy wearing and listening to that beauty.
Anyone tried leaving a sound track on the forum?

Hi Greg,
There are some repeater sound recordings here:

robertmaron.com/pages.php?pageid=10

Leo

Some great sounding watches on that website. My 5242 sounds just like to IWC Grand Complication sound track on that website - no surprise I suppose given it's the same minute repeating mechanism in both watches I think.