A watch is more than a timepiece. It is the product of skilled hands, history and practical benefits. And it looks so good on a wrist. So, for a proud watch collector, it makes sense to want to showcase and store precious timepieces. And when it’s an automatic watch it makes sense to have them displayed in and moving in rotating display cases known as watch winders. But how do you pick the best watch winder? As with watches, there’s a watch winder for every budget.
The number of watches one has can play a part in making the best selection. If you have a small collection of watches you can find watch winders that can store and wind two at a time even up to a dozen at a time and more. And even if you don’t need to have them winding all at the same time some of these watch winders come with storage allows a number of them to wind while the rest are stored away in an included draw or door.
Some watch owners look for a winding case that is made for travel. This should also be considered when deciding on a watch winding case. Some have an included case and lock that makes them best for bringing with you on trips where having compact storage comes in very handy and where security is an issue.
What Is A Watch Winder?
Normally, automatic watches can wind themselves using an oscillating weight inside their systems. When the watch is worn, the oscillation of the weight occurs and turns on the winding mechanism. Therefore, when the automatic watch is not worn, oscillating of the weight does not happen and enough power is not received for winding. The end result is that the automatic watch runs down. It is true that at such times, the automatic watch can just be manually wound. However, manually winding the watches is not usually convenient. This is where the automatic watch winders come in.
A watch winder refers to a device that is designed for keeping the automated watches running, even when they are not worn. Watch winders have the advantage in that they can never overwind the watches. This is because they are designed with timers, such that they work for a few minutes then take a break before starting their movement again. Therefore, with a watch winder, a watch wearer does not have to keep the automatic watch in the movement at all times.
Watch winders help to keep automatic watches precise about time, and always ready to wear. The specific day and date will also be kept functioning properly at all times. Automatic watch winders eliminate the need to regularly reset and wind watches, when not wearing them.
How Does An Automatic Winder Work?
Watch winders are designed as boxes or containers for holding automatic watches. They can hold one or even more automatic watches. When the automatic watch is not being worn, it is placed in the box or container. The watch winder makes movements similar to those of a wearer’s arm. The automatic watch, therefore, constantly stores energy when inside the watch winder box.
A person can set the direction of the watch winder movement as well as the frequency of winding. More so, automatic watches are built with unique mainsprings that can’t be over-wound. Due to this, the automatic watches can even be placed and left in the watch winder for many days, weeks, even months, without causing any harm to the winding mechanism.
10 Popular Features Of Watch Winders
There are many designs of watch winders in the market today. They come in all basic and functional styles, as well as in different luxury model designs. Each type of watch winder has it’s unique qualities and specifications that make it different from other watch winders. However, there are some common features that are included in the top-rated watch winders. The following points highlight 10 features found in the best watch winders:
1.) Rotation and Directional Settings
Generally, winding of automatic watches in watch winders happens due to the rotations and motions triggered by the watch winders. There are some models of automatic watches that allow the watch wearer to control the directional settings, as well as the rotation settings of the watch winder. Control of such aspects is very important. After all, aspects of such settings are what determine how precisely each automatic watch is wound. Such aspects include the total number of turns made by the watch winder in a day and the directions of motion, whether clock-wise, bidirectional or anti-clockwise directions. Therefore, the best watch winders consist of customizable and adjustable settings of both rotation and direction. Furthermore, they include timers in the watch winders, to ensure that the watches are not over-wound.
2.) Warranty
Having your watch winder warranted is a very crucial thing, to ensure the long-lasting nature of the device. The best watch winders have at least warranties of 2 years. A watch wearer should ensure that they’ve got properly warranted watch winders, as depended on the overall costs of the device.
3.) Displays and Power Options
The best watch winders consist of a backlit LCD display that is designed for every single watch. For better and enhanced displays, they also include LED lighting and indicators. Such lighting provides attractive displays of automatic watches. More so, these high-quality watch winders operate in a relatively quiet manner and can either use batteries or AC power. When using AC power, a universal adapter should be used with the watch winders. Such features provide a luxurious and convenient watch winders.
4.) Precision
The automatic watch is at most times precise. The same case should apply to watch winders. A watch winder is normally set to make specific winding sessions each day. These winding sessions should have a precise number of turns, also known as turns. If a watch winder is to be ranked among the best, the number of turns should not be changing with each winding session.
5.) Security Systems
Watches are valuables, hence should be kept safely. The best watch winders ensure that their owners have peace of mind when it comes to storing automatic watches. These consist of high-security features, such as the option of locking watches in the self-winding watches. Alternatively, some watch winders are built in particular shapes and constructions, that enable the watch winder to be stored safely in the home safes or wall safes. Such watch winders help to store the watches safely as they undergo wounding.
6.) Size Attachments
If you own more than one automatic watch, it is highly likely that they’re of varying sizes. The best watch winders should be big enough to accommodate every size of an automatic watch. They may include mechanisms that can be removed or added to provide more space for bigger watches.
7.) Room to Grow
The best watch winders are built with large spaces to accommodate more automatic watches. When a watch wearer adds to their watch collection, they are, therefore, not forced to get new watch winders. These best watch winders offer the space and opportunity for growing one’s automatic watch collection.
8.) PU Leather
Some home environments have high magnetization levels. Magnetization can damage a watch’s battery. The best watch winders contain PU leather, which keeps static electricity at bay, ensuring good battery life and functioning of the automatic watches.
9.) Premiere Enclosures
The best watch winders do not only focus on their functionality. They are also beautiful and creative works of art. Watch winders are usually kept on desks or furniture, where they can be easily noticed by others. The best watch winders don’t just design ordinary boxes with no sense of style whatsoever. Rather, they are built-in beautiful designs that add to the elegance and decor of the rooms.
These designs can especially be evident from the cases and enclosures of the watch winders. These enclosures are designed using materials that are of very high quality and unique features. The materials used on the watch winder enclosures include wood, glass, polished chrome, steel, and leather. The watch winders also include gloss finishes and other accents that give them their artistic aspect.
10.) Single or Dual
Most watch winders can hold only one or two watches. The best watch winders allow for more watches that can be held in a single watch winder. They can hold up to 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 and even 16 automatic watches. This makes it convenient for storing watches and easily picking them whenever needed.
Do You Need A Watch Winder?
Many proud watch collectors showcase and store their precious timepieces moving in rotating display cases known as watch winders. As with watches, there’s a watch winder for every budget.
It’s likely that anyone who has their own small collection has at least thought about whether they should buy a watch winder. If the answer is yes, the question then becomes whether you should get the affordable winder that does the job or go straight for the more sophisticated model.
As always, it depends on your motive. If it’s about the convenience of only ever having to set your watch once, then watch winders are a practical investment. This is especially true if you have a complicated watch, such as one with a perpetual calendar. These can be rather time-consuming to correct manually on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, there’s always a catch. If your winder isn’t set to wind your watch the proper amount every day and instead winds it for too long, this can put added strain on the movement. This comes down to the quality of the winder. Any winder worth its weight should at least allow you to program how many times it rotates per day. You may have to use a socket timer to achieve the same result with the simplest models.
Enjoy Your Timepiece
The point of automatic watches is to spare their owners the burden of having to wind them daily. After reading this article, you’d be forgiven for thinking that maintaining an automatic watch comes with its own set of worries. Let me put you at ease: Enjoy your watch in the way that best suits you. If you want to wind it by hand because you like to or put it in a winder because you like the way it looks, go for it!
The potential “pitfalls” of winding your watch manually are just possibilities. No watch will suddenly break down from one day to the next because you didn’t follow all the instructions. It’s more important that you enjoy your automatic watch without any worries, perhaps keeping what you’ve learned in the back of your mind. That is the best way to appreciate your timepiece. At the end of the day, appreciating watches for what they are and what they represent is why we have them in the first place.
To see our list of the best automatic watch winders, click here.
