In 2024, to build a collection of fine mechanical watches is to know that it involves some commitment. It’s no different from having a passion for luxury sports cars; you don’t stop at buying your first one. Furthermore, irrespective of whether it is contemporary or an old fashioned timepiece from any brand’s classic line-up, your hoard of high-end watches requires more attention and care than just an average quartz model.
watch winders are always going to be part of the debate when people are new to these things. Therefore here we will outline all the pros and cons as well as make recommendations for those who would like to buy watch winders.
When worn on the wrist, automatic mechanical timepieces remain wound and running through natural arm movement. The internal mechanism has a small oscillating weight which moves back and forth with each movement of the wrist thus putting strain on the mainspring. If left stationary for too long, a watch will eventually lose all its energy stored in the mainspring causing it to stop functioning. Time taken before this happens is referred to as power reserve which varies among models and manufacturers such that others could last up to eight days (e.g., Panerai Luminor series’ latest release) before winding down completely.
A plug-in or battery operated device meant to keep a timepiece in motion so that it mimics being worn is commonly known as a watch winder. This maintains pressure in the mainspring coil. Preferably, one should choose a good quality winder with silent motor and adjustment options for TPD [turns per day]. This way you can adapt it specifically to your special kind of watch.
Thus if you only wear your timepiece occasionally then during this period when you are not using it could ‘wind’ gently keeping it moving showing correct time and date always. Then you set up how your watch winder should go around by either direction of motion or number of rotations per day, and put it in a soft cushioned holder where it starts moving; rotating gently clockwise or anticlockwise depending on what you choose as its setting until it is time for you to wear it again.
As far as watch winders are concerned, collectors are split into those who consider them mandatory tools and people who think they’re useless luxury.
The case for the latter is typically based on the use of different oils and lubricants that are necessary for a smooth functioning of the movement of a watch. They are employed to reduce friction between numerous parts of the timepiece, thus preventing metal-to-metal contact, which prolongs their life. Drying, coagulation or migration of those oils may occur when a watch remains idle for long, thereby reducing performance by great margin. Also other components like the mainspring that flex when wound will eventually lose their overall lifespan if kept in one position.
Those who argue against winders often cite advances in synthetic oil technology which means that these substances are minimally affected by age or temperature versus whether they were being rotated constantly or not. This lack of necessity to wind your watch continuously is what makes it harmful instead. If you don’t wear your favorite piece except on special occasions, having it sitting idle means there is less of a chance for the gears to accumulate wear.
However both sides see some sense why people should buy one but only if they own multiple watches with many complications. It takes just few seconds to get going again after stopping for relatively simple time-only watch. In fact, manually setting and winding a mechanical watch is one of the greatest joys known to most horology geeks.
However, this can be very tedious because sometimes when it comes back on it may take forever (if you can even recall how) and become an ongoing hassle – especially if you have other watches with similar characteristics like this such as having multiple watches with perpetual calendars or moon phases stopping before resetting them back. Thus, keeping such models running all day long has its merits.
If you happen to own several automatic mechanical watches and tend to change them at times without necessarily putting them on immediately - making sure that they are already wound up and set properly becomes quite convenient. In such cases, you might consider a watch winder as an option but then what should one look for in a watch winder and how much should it cost?
On this next point, as with everything else related to horology there is always a higher end version available, but you certainly don’t have to break the bank just to get something that will work. Winders can range all the way from fifty dollars or less to absolutely exorbitant prices with so many zeros attached. Buy the best one you can afford has been said before but still holds true.
The more expensive ones tend to come with lots of features, some of them valuable while others are just ‘nice-to-haves’. For any hooker on this planet, a winder needs to be able rotate in different directions including clockwise, anti-clockwise as well as bi-directional rotation feature and also have some sort of timer or rotations setting that will allow watches rest intermittently.
This indicates that if the winder changes its direction of rotation, then it means that its internal weight is wearing evenly on all sides rather than one side. Moreover, some watches can only be wound in one direction and therefore a function to set rotational direction is necessary. In relation to timers for automatic watches, there is usually what is referred as slip-gear disconnecting (mentioned last week) the winding mechanism from the spring when it becomes fully charged thus preventing over winding.
In fact this protective mechanism prevents your watch from overwinding itself, but also just like any other part of movement it experiences wear and tear due to overuse. As such, having a higher rotating setting or worse still a winder that just keeps spinning non-stop will simply cause more strain on various parts of the winding mechanism and do nothing more than good for even if it’s slightly harmful. Therefore, many winders allow you to input a certain number of turns per day as a means to help safeguard the caliber from excess wear.
The appropriate winder set up will depend completely on the type of watch owned. Many self-winding luxury timepieces including any Rolex watch would come with bidirectional windings enabling them to self wind while moving clockwise or anticlockwise. However some others like certain models offered by Jaeger-LeCoultre and Breitling will only rotate in one direction hence you have to first ascertain the sort of movement in your watch so that you may program its winding accordingly.
Also this varies depending with what kind of watch you have got with yourself. This implies most of these types require around 600-800 TPD (turns per day) but there are those which use either much less than or more turns daily than this figure . Try putting about 650 TPD setting for Rolex watches using bidirectional motion . Nevertheless , considering there are many watches in the market that can wind Rolex wristwatches at 650 TPD, you do not require an extremely sophisticated winder to properly configure it for your watch.
Likewise modern Omega timepieces should be set at a range of 600-800 TPD with bidirectional winding. Different self-winding vintage Omega models will need different settings and any hand-wind movement like the classic Speedmaster Moonwatch simply cannot work because watch winders are only applicable to automatic winding movements. However, the majority of watches need between 650 and 700 turns per day, which means that most winders for sale would be suitable for the specific type of watch.
Watch Winders Do You Need One?
Here are some examples of winder designs that we think are worth looking into:
The Men's Leather Watch Box is an opulent and smart manner to stash away your watches. The Watch Box is made of great quality leather material and it has a soft, velvety inside. There are four divisions in the box for each one fit for keeping a watch. The sections are covered with gentle velvet material which will prevent scratch on your watches. Moreover, this box also has a viewing window which allows you to see what’s inside without opening it.
| Exterior: | Piano Lacquer Finish Of Wood , Silver Or Gold,Plating Metal Pieces, Which Is No Rusty For Long Time. |
| Colour: | Mahogany/Ebony/Carbon Fiber/Walnut/Black And Any Color That You Can Customize. |
| Interior: | Black Carbon Fiber/PU Leather/ Cream Velvet/Gray Velvet |
| Finish: | High Gloss Piano Finish |
| Hardware: | High Electroplating Technology, Rustproof Within 5 Years |
| Program: | Select From 9x Preprogrammed TPD (turns Per Day) Settings: 360, 670, 860, 960, 1080, 1200, 1440, 1800, 2180. |
| Dualuse: | Battery And AC/DC Adapter |
Introducing our 8 watch box with storage – a premium solution for watch enthusiasts who value both functionality and elegance. This meticulously crafted watch accessory combines the convenience of automatic watch winding with a sleek organizer for six additional timepieces.
Automatic Watch Winders: These eight automatic watches winders remove the manual requirement to keep your wristwatch running .
Organized Storage: Six other watches can be accommodated in addition to the winder, so that all your watches are organized in one place.
Quality Craftsmanship: The crafting of this storage solution is done using quality material that enhances the efficiency of your watches as well as adding style to your space.
Transparent Cover: Show off your entire collection through this transparent cover which allows you to see and know exactly which ones are rotating among others not being used at any given point in time.
Versatile Power Options : AC adapter or battery powers the watch winders, giving flexibility on where they can be placed and how they can be used.
Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting your watch journey, this combination of watch winders and storage is designed to enhance the presentation and maintenance of your valued timepieces.
Previous: What is the shipping method?