« Stylish, Proper Storage for Your Masterpieces »
As the saying goes, use it or lose it. That holds true, to a degree, for any machine or device with moving parts – and therefore for mechanical watches as well. Even so, extended periods of inactivity often take their toll, though the result isn't rust. Instead, contaminants can build up, mechanical parts can wear unevenly, and similar issues can arise. This can become a real problem, especially for watch enthusiasts and collectors who own a larger number of automatic watches. While the owner of a hand-wound mechanical watch has no choice but to wind it regularly to avoid long periods of standstill, automatic watches that aren't being worn can be kept running with a watch winder.
What Exactly Is a Watch Winder?
Today, the vast majority of high-quality mechanical wristwatches are fitted with automatic winding. They don't need to be wound by hand; instead, they are wound continuously, in small increments, by the arm movements of the person wearing them.
If automatic watches go unworn for an extended period, this continuous winding stops, and they come to a halt once their power reserve runs out.
To prevent this, automatic watches can be stored in a watch winder. This is a device with one or more movable holders for wristwatches that rotate slowly to simulate the movements of the arm, thereby keeping the watch wound.
What Are the Pros and Cons of a Watch Winder?
The key advantage of a watch winder is that it prevents unworn automatic pieces in a collection from stopping unintentionally. On the downside, there is the mechanical wear that every running watch is subject to. However, this also occurs when a watch is simply worn on the wrist, so it isn't really a drawback specific to winders.
For masterpieces with elaborate complications, keeping them running on a watch winder has another important benefit. Complications such as a moon phase display or a perpetual calendar are prized as ingenious feats of watchmaking, but setting a watch with such complications can be fairly involved when it has to be restarted after a period of standstill.
Storing the watch in a winder means you won't have to reset it after it hasn't been worn for a while.
Features
A wide variety of winders is available on the market. There are simple models for one or two watches that focus purely on function. Other versions, by contrast, are elaborately crafted from precious materials – fine woods, for example – to provide a particularly attractive and stylish way to display valuable masterpieces. These are especially popular with collectors of high-end automatic watches.
There are technical differences as well, since some watch winders offer several winding programs. The direction of rotation and the number of turns per day depend on the type of automatic winding the stored watch uses. Automatic movements are typically wound bidirectionally, at roughly 650 to 900 turns per day (TPD). In German, you'll sometimes also see the abbreviation UPT for "Umdrehungen pro Tag".
Watch winder manufacturers usually provide lists showing various movements and their respective winding direction.
Current Watch Winder Models – A Selection
Chronovision
A model popular with many collectors and enthusiasts for storing a single automatic watch is the Chronovision One. Its cube-shaped, clean and modern case comes in several material options, including carbon, brushed aluminum, high-gloss black lacquer and chrome. It can be programmed wirelessly via Bluetooth; the corresponding software and a dedicated app are freely available.
The Chronovision One is modular and expandable, and the start time and rotation speed can be coordinated across multiple modules. The Chronovision One can run on batteries or on a power adapter, which can supply up to six modules when they are connected in series.
Swiss Kubik
Very similar in shape to the Chronovision One is the Swiss Kubik, which has a plastic case and is also available in colors such as red, yellow and blue.
Its standout advantage, however, is its consistently low power consumption. Two alkaline batteries are enough to run the Swiss Kubik for up to five years. This also makes it especially well suited for properly storing automatic watches in a safe, for example.
Designhütte
The manufacturer Designhütte offers watch winder models designed like small display cabinets, each also featuring drawers for storing additional watches, parts or accessories. Another hallmark of Designhütte models is their LCD control.
Heisse & Söhne
If you own a collection of particularly valuable automatic masterpieces and are willing to invest a bit more, you may find what you're looking for among the safes from Heisse & Söhne. They combine a high level of protection and security for their contents with especially stylish appointments that are sure to set collectors' hearts racing.
For example, there are Heisse & Söhne safes with a leather-covered wood interior, twelve watch winder modules, five drawers on telescopic slides and LED interior lighting.
Modalo
Modalo also offers a wide-ranging selection of watch winders. It includes various models that hold anywhere from a single watch up to eight, available in a range of case designs.
Besides classic black, Modalo also offers a version of the Saturn MV3 with a camouflage design, for example.
Beco
Some Beco watch winders, on the other hand, are almost reminiscent of nautical instruments on a ship's bridge or gauges in an aircraft cockpit. They're likely to appeal above all to fans of automatic dive and marine-inspired watches.
Beco watch winders are also available as small display cabinets, which are ideal for showcasing a watch collection or individual timepieces in a living room or office cabinet.
All in all, the range of watch winders is so diverse that you can find suitable storage for nearly every price range, size and style of watch collection.
