Automatic watches are perhaps the most interesting watches because of their technology, appearance and the well-known watch brands that produce them. Well-known brands known for their beautiful automatic watches are IWC, Rolex, Breitling, Oris, Tag Heuer and many more. An automatic watch has always had a great appeal for the watch enthusiast. The automatic technology is of course very special and is based on years of history. An automatic watch has charm, many watch enthusiasts and collectors will say. We agree with them. It is very nice to have such a watch and to admire the technology, for example by looking at the movement inside the watch case if the watch has a glass back.
Despite all the charm and beautiful watch brands, automatic watches also have one major disadvantage compared to quartz watches. Namely, if they are not worn, they come to a standstill. The watch has no energy source other than movement by wearing the watch or manually winding it via the crown. What should you do if an automatic watch came to a standstill? When the automatic watch stops, the time, date and other functions are no longer properly set. You will have to reset the watch before manual winding or gently shaking it before it starts running again. So this is not really practical.
Watch winder for winding automatic watches
Fortunately, there is a good solution to this problem: the use of a watch winder. A watch winder is a device in which you place one or more automatic watches that then start rotating, so that the automatic watches receive energy. This keeps the automatic watches running and keeps the time, date and other functions accurate. The automatic watches no longer come to a standstill unnecessarily. If you want to wear a watch, you simply remove it from the watch winder, after which you can wear it immediately.
However, using a watch winder for winding automatic watches is not only convenient and easy. It is also highly recommended for the preservation of automatic watches. After all, with an empty automatic watch, the oil that keeps the parts of the movement smooth is no longer properly distributed. If you then want to wind or wear the automatic watch again, certain parts may function less smoothly than normal. Also in the field of automatic watches, standstill is decline. You can compare it with a car that is not driven enough. We therefore recommend using a watch winder if you have one or more automatic watches that are regularly not worn.
Using a watch winder is convenient and safe
A good watch winder is completely safe for winding automatic watches. The watch winder simulates the wrist movement, as it were. The rotors of this watch accessory rotate at a leisurely pace. In addition, a watch winder does not rotate continuously, it rotates and pauses and then resumes rotating again. It is a program of turning and rest that mimics normal wrist movement. When you wear an automatic watch you are not always on the move. Through this program of turning and rest, the automatic watch gets energy and then also rest so that the spring of the movement can relax and is not continuously tensioned. In addition to this protection against winding, every modern automatic watch is also provided with an overwinding protection so that the spring inside the movement is never continuously tensioned. This allows you to safely use a watch winder to wind your automatic watches.
Which watch winder is the best?
There are all kinds of different watch winder brands and models. Which watch winder is the best to choose? This depends entirely on your watch collection, budget and wishes in terms of functions and design. In our collection of watch winders we have tried to offer the best possible mix of brands and models so that you can always find a suitable watch winder.
To help you a little better, we have a few tips to determine which watch winder best suits your automatic watches. When you want to buy a watch winder, it is best to first determine how many watches you want to wind in a watch winder. For example, if you have one or two automatic watches, it is best to buy a smaller model that is suitable for winding one or two watches. It makes no sense to buy a model that is suitable for, for example, 4 or 6 watches. Do you have several automatic watches and do you expect that you will regularly expand your collection? Then buy a watch winder with a larger capacity and make sure that the capacity is slightly larger than the collection you have now. Then you always have enough capacity in your watch winder when you purchase a new automatic watch. It is a shame if you have too little space in the watch winder and you have to purchase a new watch winder to provide all automatic watches with energy.
In addition to the suitable capacity, the type of motor used in the watch winder is. Ignore Chinese motors and always choose a model with good quality motors. For example, you can choose Japanese, German or Swiss motor. The motor forms the basis of every watch winder and is therefore one of the most important parts. Japanese motor have the best price/quality ratio. The Dutch brand Benson watch winders is a good example of a good watch winder brand that uses Japanese motors in its watch winders. German and Swiss motors are considerably more expensive but offer a lower noise level. If you want to wind your watches in the bedroom, motors with a low noise level are of course very useful. Bernard Favre and Swiss Kubik are brands that use Swiss motors and Chronovision uses German motors. You can see that these brands are priced higher than other brands.
In addition to the capacity and the type of motors, functionality is important. Automatic watches from different brands have different types of movements. Each type of movement is wound in a different way. This has to do with the direction of rotation and the number of revolutions per day (TPD: turns per day). For example, there are movements that are wound clockwise at 600 TPD and other movements that are wound counterclockwise at 900 TPD. This differs per automatic watch. That is why it is important that the watch winder you choose can rotate both clockwise and counter-clockwise and is adjustable in terms of number of revolutions per day. This allows you to set each rotor (winder on which one watch is placed) individually according to the needs of the automatic watch. If you want to wind multiple automatic watches in a watch winder, you can have each watch turn in a different direction and also make a different number of revolutions per day. A watch winder that has these functions is therefore suitable for winding any automatic watch, regardless of brand or model. A watch winder that only rotates in one direction at a fixed number of revolutions per day does not offer this flexibility and you should not choose it as an accessory for winding your watches.
If you have thoroughly studied a good watch winder, then it is also nice to choose a beautiful model that appeals to you in terms of design and color. After all, it is also a place where you store your watches together. Fortunately, there is a lot to choose in terms of design and color. Each brand has its own design, appearance and use of color. For example, you can opt for a more traditional watch winder from Orbita or a very modern one from Chronovision. There are also many brands that are in between in terms of design. You can think of the watch winders from Paul Design and Benson. The design and the exact color depend of course on your taste and preferences. But the price is also regularly determined by the design, the materials and the exact color. If you opt for a very luxurious watch winder, the price will be higher than for a fairly standard model that is mainly functionally designed.
What does a watch winder cost?
As indicated, there are all kinds of brands and types of watch winders. The prices are therefore quite different. The price depends on various factors such as brand, type of motor, design, capacity and use of materials. You can make it as expensive as you want. The type of motor plays a big role in the price. Japanese motors are very good and durable, but if you want whisper-quiet motors, you will end up with watch winders with German and Swiss motors. However, these also cost more. In general, a model with Japanese motors is certainly sufficient and that has the advantage that the price remains relatively low. We apply the rule that you can already buy a good watch winder for one automatic watch with various functions (adjustable direction of rotation and TPD) from 169 euros (incl. TAX). A good watch winder for winding two watches is available from 249 euros (incl. TAX). If you want a watch winder with a special design, large capacity or all kinds of special functions (for example, battery function, power winding, sleep mode and fingerprint lock), the price will quickly go up.
If you are looking for a watch winder with an excellent price/quality ratio, we recommend brands such as Benson, Paul Design and Heisse & Söhne. Do you want a watch winder that can function on batteries for up to three years? Then you end up with Swiss Kubik watch winders. If budget is not an issue and you want the very best for your automatic watches, take a look at the Orbita watch winders that are produced in the US. If you really want an original watch winder that winds watches in a special way, then the Swiss brand Bernard Favre is recommended. These models revolve around their own axis like a planet.
Which watch winder is best depends on your watch collection, taste and budget. On our website you will find various brands with different designs and in different price ranges.
Where can I buy a good watch winder?
Automatic watches are often not cheap. If you have several automatic watches, you know for yourself what the approximate value is. It is therefore important that you also buy a good watch winder to wind your precious and special watches. A watch winder is not necessarily expensive, but of course costs a considerable amount. That is why the purchase is not just a purchase. You want to choose a good brand and model that you can enjoy for years and that provides your automatic watches with energy properly and safely. You want quality and certainty. But you certainly don't want to pay too much. Our advice is therefore to always buy a watch winder from a specialist. A specialist in the field of watch winders has experience, is an official dealer of good brands and can advise and assist you.
It is also preferable to buy a watch winder from an official dealer of the relevant watch winder brand. Then you are assured of an original unit and clear service and warranty. After the warranty period has expired, you can also go to an official dealer for repair or to obtain certain parts. This allows you to enjoy the watch winder that you buy for much longer.
Conclusion
A watch winder is a very handy accessory for winding automatic watches. The real watch enthusiast and collector cannot do without a watch winder. Because you don't stop your watches, do you? When you place your automatic watches in a watch winder, it simulates the wrist movement so that the watches are always supplied with sufficient energy and are immediately ready to wear. This makes resetting the time and date unnecessary and protects your automatic watches against opening the crown too much. The crown is one of the most vulnerable parts of a watch.
A watch winder is now also a status symbol. You want your automatic watches in one place and immediately ready to wear. When you have beautiful watches, you can place them in a beautiful watch winder so that you have a beautiful combination.
If you want to buy a watch winder, we advise you to pay attention to the capacity, type of motors, functionality and price. If you take the above aspects into account and be well informed, you will certainly make a good choice. A good watch winder is not cheap, but you will enjoy it a lot. As a watch enthusiast, you do not make any concessions and do you choose the best for your collection of automatic watches?
Take a look at our online store and compare different brands and models. Do you have a question or comment? Please do not hesitate to contact us. We are official dealer of all our brands and have more than 15 years of experience in the field of watch winders. We are happy to help you!