Recommendations for a watch winder?

954Ink

954Ink

Joined
Feb 22, 2020
Messages
457
I switched from battery to automatic watch. I was hoping someone could reccomend a good watch winder. Thanks everyone.
 
How many auto watches, do you have?

Having been bitten by the watch bug a long time ago and having bought (and sold) a bunch of watches, Ill never put a watch on a winder nor will I buy a used watch advertized as having been on a winder. No need to put undue wear on a watch. Just start the thing, when you want to wear the watch.
 
I considered it for my autos and decided against it for the wear concerns, the fact that even if they're a few seconds off a day I'd have to adjust time anyway, and I have some manuals that obviously require hand winding.

So like BladeScout, I simply wind a watch up, set the time, and wear it when it comes up for its turn in the lineup.
 
I think they make sense if you have a small number of watches that you are swapping out on a regular basis. I have had good luck with the Orbita brand.
 
My favorite watch has a gold screw. The salesman said that I should exercise caution adjusting regularly with my "neanderthal hands". That if I strip the screw it will lose its water resistance. I used to wear it often enough to negate the constant setting of it. Now when I finally get a chance to wear it and have to set it, the sales dude words ring in my ear. For the record the sales guy is a good dude and offered to give me free coffee along with setting it for free whenever.
 
954Ink said:
My favorite watch has a gold screw. The salesman said that I should exercise caution adjusting regularly with my "neanderthal hands". That if I strip the screw it will lose its water resistance. I used to wear it often enough to negate the constant setting of it. Now when I finally get a chance to wear it and have to set it, the sales dude words ring in my ear. For the record the sales guy is a good dude and offered to give me free coffee along with setting it for free whenever.
Click to expand...

I've owned a lot of different watches and screw-down crowns can be hit or miss. Some of them have good threads and inspire confidence when you screw down the crown, others act like you'll never get it on there, it's on the verge of stripping out, it never screws down smoothly, etc. I resolved to rotate my watches and once I put one on I will set it then wear it for a week. That way I minimize the wear on the crowns vs. the wear on the watch itself.

I've often wanted a winder, but not for why most people use one. Most of my watches require a full day of wear to maintain mainspring reserve. I have to put the watch on when I get up, then wear it until I'm ready to sleep at night. Anything less and the watch may not be running the next day, and even wearing all day depending on my activity level I've had a few models of movement that didn't get wound enough and would not be running the next day. If I had a winder I would put a watch on the winder to fully wind it or give it a good start the day before I was going to wear it. This would also help if I was working in the garage or doing something where I wouldn't be wearing the watch all day. For this reason I would typically wear an automatic watch to the office during the week and wear only quartz watches on weekends.

But I'm cheap and I've never gotten to the point of actually buying a winder.

If a person had enough money where they weren't concerned with wear on the watch, keeping it on a winder would be very convenient because if you want to just grab the watch for part of the day it would be set and running.
 
Automatic watches contain motors with several parts and lubricant that keeps the moving parts lubes and protected. If you are not going to be wearing an automatic watch regularly, it is smart to keep them on a winder because the winder keeps the interior parts moving and prevents the lubricant from drying out, which can damage the watch over time. Your other option is to manually wind the watch every few days to keep it moving.

I have three autos and use a double winder to keep two of them moving while I wear the third. The winder is a relatively inexpensive Versa that has worked fine for over a year. The only issue I gave with it is that it’s kind of a pain putting the watch on it but I feel much better using the winder than not using it. My watches are worth several thousand dollars (Panerai, Rolex) and I feel it’s a very worthwhile investment to get a winder. When this winder dies, I’ll be buying another to replace it. If you get your watch serviced every four years as you are supposed to, then it should be fine. Just my opinion.
 
I have a Rolex GMT master I’ve worn everyday since 1985, never put on a winder. It had it’s first full service in twenty five years last year.
 
Last edited:
My understanding is if you have a lot of auto's. If you keep them stalled for a long period. They can seize. If you are talking say, Patek. The service can result in thousands.
 
trakker45 said:
Automatic watches contain motors with several parts and lubricant that keeps the moving parts lubes and protected. If you are not going to be wearing an automatic watch regularly, it is smart to keep them on a winder because the winder keeps the interior parts moving and prevents the lubricant from drying out, which can damage the watch over time. Your other option is to manually wind the watch every few days to keep it moving.

I have three autos and use a double winder to keep two of them moving while I wear the third. The winder is a relatively inexpensive Versa that has worked fine for over a year. The only issue I gave with it is that it’s kind of a pain putting the watch on it but I feel much better using the winder than not using it. My watches are worth several thousand dollars (Panerai, Rolex) and I feel it’s a very worthwhile investment to get a winder. When this winder dies, I’ll be buying another to replace it. If you get your watch serviced every four years as you are supposed to, then it should be fine. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Modern watch lubricants stay put. They are held in place by capillary action...nothing like automotive oil. A winder is useful for highly complicated movements (perpetual calendar & moon phase) as they take a fair amount of finagling to reset once stopped. Most other timepieces will just exhibit early wear if they're subjected to winders. Do you think collectors of vintage Speedys (or other hand crankers) wind them all up every day? No, they set and wind 'em up when they want to wear them.
 
954Ink said:
My favorite watch has a gold screw. The salesman said that I should exercise caution adjusting regularly with my "neanderthal hands". That if I strip the screw it will lose its water resistance. I used to wear it often enough to negate the constant setting of it. Now when I finally get a chance to wear it and have to set it, the sales dude words ring in my ear. For the record the sales guy is a good dude and offered to give me free coffee along with setting it for free whenever.
Click to expand...
Assuming you refer to the crown.
Here is how to work a (/any) screw-down crown in the future; carefully push down crown, slowly turn crown counter-clockwise, listen as much as feel for a slight 'click,' as the threads engage, then gently turn crown clockwise and close/screw down the crown. This way you wont strip the thread. This will quickly become second nature when setting your watch.
Im surprised, your 'sales dude' didnt tell you (but then again maybe not).


Grouch said:
Modern watch lubricants stay put. They are held in place by capillary action...nothing like automotive oil. A winder is useful for highly complicated movements (perpetual calendar & moon phase) as they take a fair amount of finagling to reset once stopped. Most other timepieces will just exhibit early wear if they're subjected to winders. Do you think collectors of vintage Speedys (or other hand crankers) wind them all up every day? No, they set and wind 'em up when they want to wear them.
Click to expand...
What he said.
 
It’s a debated topic and had been for some time. I’m not here to argue with you or anyone else. I don’t know what collectors of manual watches do because I prefer Rolex oyster perpetuals. I take care of my watches and I use a double winder, like I said. The OP wanted to know what winders people use, so I told him.

Lots of collectors use winders, so if they were terrible for your watch I would think those collectors would avoid them. It gives me peace of mind so I use one. You do whatever you please, it’s your money.
 
Once a watch's power reserve is depleted, the only deterioration is in the lubricants. When they go around & around on a winder, there's plenty of wear. I use a Wolf for one watch that I like to wear every few days and I like to keep it ready to go at the expense of an increase in wear. My other pieces (including a Speedy) I let run down until I want to wear them.
 
I will never know if I understood wrong or right. The debate goes both ways. I actually do not use winders but I do service every so often. I only use a winder if I need to keep one I am going to wear wound.
 
Probably if you list the watch brand and model you'll get much better advice about what to do.

I have a few inexpensive mechanical watches that are Seiko or Miyota movements and don't use a winder. The Seiko ones are easy since they have no date. I will wear one and let the other run down and just wind it. The Miyota takes a bit more effort to start since it has a day date complication.
 
They are all different brands/models. They are good Swiss watches. Ebel/Breitling/Omega ETC. I have left them sitting for years. I get one serviced 5-7 years. I keep one I plan to wear in a few day's on a winder. I could not afford to get as many winders as I would need. I know you ask then how do I have the watches. I have seen money come and go. It has been some time since I saw a good amount. I just try not to let the watches go down the drain. Is there anything I am doing really bad to them just keeping them in a case?

I think Miyota is much more robust than Swiss? My watches are not ETA but in house.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top