What is a watch winder? How does a watch winder work?

I wanted to give you some information on what a watch winder is and how it works with your automatic watch. Ive had the chance to review a few different models using my collection of watches. I hope this will help you in your decision making on purchasing a watch winder.

Q. What is an automatic watch? 
A. An automatic or self winding watch is one that does not require batteries but maintains time by wearing the watch as you swing your arm or manually turning the crown of the watch which winds the main spring in the watch.

Here is a picture of some automatic watches.

There are many different brands and models of automatic. Most popular of all automatic watches seem to be Rolex watches. I personally own 2 Rolex watches and I know my friends and family members who also own Rolex watches as well.

There seems to be hundreds if not thousands of brands and models of automatic watches such as Breitling, Panerai, Tag Heuer, and more. It seems like every brand from the lower end Fossil watches to very expensive brands all have a line of automatic watches. I personally think they are classy and look much nicer than the battery operated quartz watches.

So Ive had the chance to use a few different watch winders and will give you some pointers on how to properly use your watch winder.

Step 1: Manually turn the crown of your watch 20-30 times. 

A watch winder will not wind a dead watch but will only maintain it. So if your watch is not running and you just simply shake it a few times in your hand, this will not be enough to keep your watch running while placed in the watch winder. If you are not sure where the crown is on your watch, please see the picture below. Its the middle knob that is usually at the side of the watch. You will have to either unscrew the crown or just pull it out. When manually turning the crown, you will be able to feel as if you are turning gears inside your watch.

Step 2: Place the watch around the watch pillow.

If you have a steel, leather or rubber watch band, make sure to open it up and then wrap it around the pillow. Sometimes a watch pillow may be too large in size and will not work for your watches because you have small wrists. What I would suggest is getting balled up piece of cloth or foam and use it in place of the watch pillow. Just make sure that the watch sits securely inside the watch winder and does not jiggle inside.

Step 3: Place the watch inside the watch winder.

You want to make sure when you place the watch and pillow into the watch winder, is the face of the watch is placed at the center of the holder and at the similar angle. If the watch face is placed too high or low, then your watch winder, may have problems properly winding your watch and may possible damage the motor. Most watch winders have single center metal tip that attaches the holder to the actual motor, so its best you do your best to place the watch in the center as possible.

Step 4: Setting your watch winder.

Depending on your watch winder, you should have multiple settings which you will be able to control the direction of the winder. The directions would be Clockwise, Counter-Clockwise and Bi-Directional. Most good quality watch winders will allow you to set the TPD (turns per day) and direction. Depending on your watch and mechanism inside your watch, you will require to set it to a certain direction. Most automatic watches such as Rolex watches require a bi-directional setting. Most watch manufacturers require the watch to be wound at least at a 850 - 1200 TPD. Most watch winder will have these settings but sometimes you will see some watch winder that have up to over 2000+ TPD's. I dont think you should be too worried about this and think that your watch would over wind and get damaged. Nowadays automatic watches are built with a clutch mechanism that prevents over winding so there is no need to worry.

Most automatic watches will stop running after 1-2 days, so test each setting and direction to find the right setting for you. Don't worry, you will not harm your watch by setting it to the wrong setting. Just make sure you start with Step 1 and follow the step to find the best setting for your automatic watches.

Here are some pictures of various models of watch winders and their switch designs. They may all look different but all pretty much have the same function.

My Thoughts on Some Watch Winders:

Generic Made in China Watch Winder

Pros: 

• Nice low cost. Prices vary but you can find a cheap winder from $50-100.00
• Quiet motor
• Nice wood veneer finish
  

Cons:

• Cheap quality motor. Will die out on you within 1-3 months. Maybe 6 months if you are lucky
• No warranty. Once your winder dies, you will have to buy a new one
• No way to get it serviced or repaired.

Overall:
Stay away from these watch winders that have no brand name or warranty. Most watch winders are made in China but its the quality of the case and motor that is important. Good quality watch winders will use Japanese motors or even swiss made motors.

Belocia Watch Winders

Pros:

• Very low cost. This model costs around $60 and you can find single watch winders for around $40
• Compact in size

 Cons:

• Cheap quality plastic watch winder. If I own a $5-10K automatic watch, I dont want to use a plastic watch winder.
• No soft cloth lining. You are putting your watch into a plastic winder which may scratch your finish on your band.
• No warranty is offered. Once its dead, you will have to buy a new one. But since the cost is so cheap, I guess some people may not care.
• Since its plastic, the sound of the motors seem to be louder than other models

Overall:
This winder will do the job to wind your automatic watches but I personally wouldn't want to put my expensive watches into a piece of plastic. If it were lined with cloth or felt, then I think it would be okay. But without a warranty, you will be forced to buy a new watch winder eventually.

 Steinhausen Watch Winder

Pros:

• Price is not bad. This model is about $70 for a dual winder. Models usually range from $70 to $400 for quad winders.
• One year warranty offered

Cons:

• Not real wood as they say in the description but its just plastic.
• Watch winders will constantly break down within the year period
• Very difficult to reach a customer service person to assist you in warranty service
• China made motor so it won't last long

Overall:
This brand use to be very popular several years back but in recent years, the brand has suffered due to poor workmanship and customer service. I think you can find a better quality watch winder somewhere else.


Heiden Watch Winder

Pros:

• Nice Designs
• One year warranty. If you send it in, they will usually repair or replace with a new model
• Japanese motor used.
• Good Prices. Usually you can get a single watch winder for $79 to $199 for a quad winder

Cons:

• Battery operated models last 1-3 months. Wish they lasted longer but not a big deal if you plug it into an outlet
• Certain watch winder models go out of stock pretty quickly so sometimes you have to wait months

Overall:
A good quality watch winder brand that has been around a few years. Nice quality winders and motors.

Eilux Watch Winder

Pros:

• Nice design. They use genuine leather.
• Nice and quiet motor. They use Japanese motors
• Good quality materials used to make the winder
• Battery life is about 8 - 12 months

Cons:

• Slightly more expensive in cost but you are getting real leather
• Not many designs to choose from.
• Service is pretty good, you can send it in to a US distributor to get it serviced

Overall:
Eilux watch winders has been around several years and they have built a nice reputation for good quality winders. These watch winders may cost more, but definitely worth it in the long run.


Orbita Sparta Watch Winder

Pros:

• Well made watch winder with 5 yr warranty
• Nice simple design

Cons:

• High price. This model costs around $370.00 for single watch winder
• Prices keep climbing if you decide to buy double, quad, etc.

Overall:
Nice watch winder, but I think with all the models now available at a lower cost, save your money and get a cheaper winder and add a new automatic watch to your collection!