User Manual

If you are on this page, you must have purchased a VPC watch. Congratulations and a big thank you! You have enabled us to keep on developing watches aimed at aficionados. At the same time, you have hopefully gained a watch you might wear for the rest of your life, perhaps even pass on at some point. We hope you deeply enjoy it and wear it in great health. To ensure that you can, here is how to use your VPC Type 37HW:

1. Winding your VPC

This is a hand-wound, mechanical watch. This means you have to wind the watch every morning in order to keep it running. We hope you will develop a liking for this attentive daily moment with your watch, as we did. Your watch will run for a little longer than one full day, but by making this a daily habit, you ensure there is always enough tension in the mainspring (your watch is more accurate when fully wound as compared to almost unwound).

Important: never operate the crown of your watch while it is on your wrist. Hold the watch in your left hand and operate the crown with your right to avoid lateral forces on the stem that can cause damage.

To wind the watch, first you have to unscrew the crown. You do this by gently turning the crown towards you. You will feel the crown slowly coming away from the case until it “pops” free from the screw thread. You are now in the neutral position, which is where you can wind the mainspring.

Wind the watch by rolling the crown backwards and forwards between your thumb and index finger. Although the spring winds in only one direction, this controlled back-and-forth is easiest on the mechanism. You should hear and feel a very soft rattle on the up-rolls. Keep doing this until you can go no further. You will feel a resistance that lets you know the spring is fully wound. It may take forty or fifty rolls, that’s fine. Just keep going until you cannot go any further. Don’t force it after that, full is full.

You may have spotted that it took quite a few winds before your watch started running. It takes a little force for the movement to get going. Now that your watch is fully wound, the seconds hand in the little sub-dial at six o’clock should be rotating. If not, please contact us.

Important: Wind until you cannot go any further. A partially-wound movement is less accurate and has a lower power reserve. If your watch doesn’t keep running until the next morning, you likely haven’t wound far enough.

Next, push the crown into the watch case while rotating forward (away from you). You will feel the winding mechanism uncoupling. While before, you could no longer rotate forward because your spring was fully wound, once you push the crown towards the watch case, it uncouples and allows you to screw it back in place. It may take a little practice, but the “pushing-towards-the-case-while-rotating-away-from-you” movement should see the crown grab is threaded tube and screw down against the case. Screw it in until the crown sits flush with the case and you cannot rotate it further. Your watch is now ready to tell you the time for another day.

Important: Always ensure the crown is fully screwed-on before wearing your watch. Don’t force it, once it sits flush, you are good. No need to tighten it like the cap of the water bottle you put in your laptop bag.

2. Setting the time

Unscrew the crown as you do when winding the watch. Now, however, you pull the crown out. The neutral position when unscrewed is for winding, the first position when pulling it one click outward is for setting the time.

Important: Make sure to fully wind the watch before setting the time.

You will see the little seconds hand stop, allowing you to precisely set the time to a reference. Rotating the crown allows you to set the hour and minute hand. On the VPC Type 37HW, you can do so both backward (counter-clockwise) and forward. This is not the case for all watches. Turn the crown until you have set the watch to the desired time.

Push the crown towards the watch case, into the neutral position. Next, screw the crown back in as described above. Remember: always screw-in the crown before wearing your VPC Type 37HW.

3. Sizing the bracelet

We have intentionally made it easy to size our bracelet. We use large flathead screws and a small screwdriver is included with your watch. Importantly, we don’t glue our screws like 99% of watch brands do. That only results in frustrated resizing sessions, badly scratched bracelets, and twisted screwdrivers.

First, make sure that the toolless micro-adjust in the clasp is set to its middle position. Lifting the bracelet segment that is connected to the twelve o’clock side of your watch up from the clasp (so it points at a straight angle into the clasp, rather than coming out of it in parallel) and pulling out uncouples it. You can now slide bracelet within the clasp for about a link-and-a-half of adjustment. Set it in the middle.

Now put the watch on your desired wrist with the full-length bracelet attached. Fold a segment of the bracelet, pinching it until it fits just right. Now, count how many links you have folded onto each other to get this fit. That is the number of links you will take out.

Important: For a comfortable fit, you want the clasp to sit in the middle of the underside of your wrist. Ensure you have the same number of links on both bracelet segments, either side of the clasp. If you need an uneven number of links, make the segment that connects to the six o’clock side of the watch shorter. This way, the clasp sits slightly towards you, which is more comfortable than the other way round.

Remove the required number of links, split over the two bracelet segments. Do so by unscrewing the flathead screws and pulling the entire screws out of the bracelet. Once a screw is out, the bracelet splits. This can be finicky, but take your time and keep breathing.

Screw the bracelet back together with the right number of links. Don’t over-tighten. Ruining the thread can render the link unusable. Test-fit the watch on your wrist and make adjustments if required. Preferably, you dial it in as finely as you can with the links. This leaves the micro-adjust clasp for changes in weather conditions and heavy meals.

Optional: Once you have found the perfect fit, you can choose to remove each screw one by one, and applying some Loctite to the thread before re-installing. This ensures no screws will ever come undone unintentionally. This, however, is a matter of personal preference. Alternatively, you can run your finger along the side of the bracelet to feel if everything is still flush every few days. Its up to you!

4. Removing the bracelet and swapping straps

Your VPC Type 37HW comes with a quick-release bracelet. This is intended to allow you to quickly and effortlessly switch from the bracelet to any of your 20mm watch straps, without using any tools.

Turn the watch upside-down so you see the case back. It is easiest to open the clasp, so that the bracelet is a little wider, for more space to work with. Where the bracelet meets the case, you see two little buttons. These are the bayonettes operating the springbars inside the end-links.

Pinch the two buttons towards each other, while gently pulling the watch head and bracelet segment away from each other. The bracelet should come off effortlessly. Repeat on the other side.

To put it back on, again pinch the buttons towards each other. Now slide the end-link in between the lugs, up against the case and the underside of the ledge. Loosen your pinch until you feel the springbar click into its holes. Give it a little tug and a wiggle to ensure the springbar is in the holes on both sides. There shouldn’t be any wiggle room, otherwise your bracelet is not properly connected and the watch could fall off. Again, repeat on the other side.

Important: When the watch is on your wrist, you should “look the clasp in its mouth” when you open it. Otherwise, your bracelet is on the wrong way around.

Important: When in doubt, visit your local watchmaker or jeweler to check it for you. An incorrectly fastened bracelet can see your watch drop on the floor. And that, unfortunately, is not covered by warranty.

You can use most leather, fabric, single-pass, two-piece, and rubber straps with your VPC Type 37HW. As long as they are 20mm wide. You will need a strap with its own springbars, as the ones on your VPC bracelet are fixed to the bracelet.

You will see two sets of lug holes on each side. The closest ones to the case are for thin, flat straps. This way, your strap will tuck under the ledge for a neat, gapless aesthetic, as on the bracelet. The outer holes are for thicker or lined straps, alllowing for a little more space.

5. Operating the clasp

Your VPC Type 37HW comes with a double push-button deployant clasp. To open it, you push the two buttons simultaneously and pull the clasp open. To close it, you don’t need to push the buttons. Simply push the clasp shut until it clicks.

Your clasp is fitted with a toolless micro-adjust mechanism, to allow you to fine-tune the fit on-the-fly. Lift the bracelet segment that is connected to the twelve o’clock side of your watch up from the clasp (so it points at a straight angle into the clasp, rather than coming out of it in parallel) and pulling out uncouples it. You can now slide bracelet within the clasp for about a link-and-a-half of adjustment.

6. Responsible use

Although your VPC Type 37HW is ruggedly executed, mechanical watches are still relatively delicate machines. To make your VPC last, don’t expose it to heavy shocks and magnetism. And commit to never operating the crown while the watch is on your wrist, as well as keeping the crown screwed in at all times, except while winding and setting the time.

7. Cleaning your watch

The easiest and safest way to clean your VPC Type 37HW is by using a microfiber cloth. Alternatively, you can use a soft brush. Just make sure it is not an old, used toothbrush, as remaining paste can damage the watch’s finish.

You can, more thoroughly, clean your watch with warm water and a cloth. Refrain from using detergents and cleaning agents. In the unlikely event of a compromised water resistance, detergents make it far easier for moisture to penetrate.

The one part that can get too dirty to clean this way over time, is the bracelet. If you remove it from the case, you can use detergent on it. Alternatively, bring it to your local jeweler for a professional clean. Just don’t give the watch itself the same treatment.

8. Servicing your watch

Your mechanical watch needs a service by a watchmaker every five to seven years. The watch is taken apart. The movement is disassembled and all parts are cleaned. Any worn out parts are replaced, and the movement is then reassembled, oiled, and recased in the watch.

Be prepared: a professional watch service can cost several hundreds of euros. This is down to it being a very labor-intensive job that requires a lot of skill and experience. This goes for any mechanical watch, including your VPC.

We can take care of your VPC’s regular full service. Alternatively, you are free to use your local preferred watchmaker. Just make sure they have experience with and access to parts for a top-grade Sellita SW216-1 caliber.