Power reserve
Power reserve is how long a fully wound mechanical watch will run before it stops, set by the design of its mainspring and movement.
A watch with a longer reserve can be left off the wrist for longer without stopping. Manufacturers state a figure for each caliber, and some watches display the remaining reserve on the dial.
A watch that stops well short of its stated reserve after a full wind may have a mainspring or lubrication problem and need servicing, which is worth knowing before you set a price.
Related terms
Where this comes up
Pages on this site that use the term.
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