What is a Watch Winder & How Does It Work?
An automatic watch does not contain a battery or electric motor. Instead, it contains a rotor that spins with the wearer’s movement, and that spin keeps the watch wound at all times. Regular movement creates enough spin in the rotor to keep your watch running between 35 and 45 hours but, if the watch is not worn for a longer period of time, you might need a watch winder.
A watch winder is an electronic device designed to keep automatic watches wound when they aren't being worn. If you plan to remove your watch for longer than 24 hours, a watch winder can help keep your watch on time. Much like a car left in a garage, an automatic watch that is inactive for long enough can cause damage.
How Does a Watch Winder Work?
A watch winder rotates your watch within a case or device to remove the process of having to wind your watch. This is useful if you plan not to wear your automatic watch, and therefore take it out of standard wear rotation, for a few days or weeks.
Watch winders don’t constantly spin. Instead, there will be a pre-programmed routine to turn the watch, that doesn't cause wear and damage.
Some watch winders let you set how many times they turn, and what direction (or directions!) you'd like your watch to turn.
Do You Need a Watch Winder?
The short answer is no, if you wear your watch on a regular basis. However, if you don't wear it often or alternate between a few watches, a watch winder is a good idea. They keep your watch functional, protect it against damage and extend its life. Learn more here.
If you have multiple watches that need to be wound, you can get double, triple, quadruple, sextuple and even octuple (eight watches!) watch winders.
In even better news, a watch winder can also double up as a case, with a protective cover that protects your timepiece from dust and direct sunlight.
How To Use a Watch Winder
To use a watch winder, you need to ensure that the timepiece is first secured on the cuff.
Once this is done, flip the cuff over, compress the foam and clasp the timepiece on.
Next, place the cuff inside of the winder and turn it on.*
*You'll need to look up the specific movement in your watch to find out what the best settings are when placed on a watch winder.
And voila! Your automatic watch should be wound. You can repeat these steps each time your watch needs to be wound.
Note that you cannot place a stopped watch in a watch winder. So, if your watch has stopped, you’ll need to wind it yourself.
What Watch Winder?
Sound good? At WatchObsession, we stock a wide range of watch winders from industry-leading WOLF.
A WOLF watch winder counts the precise number of rotations (whereas other winders estimate), and has a number of rotation options and directional settings for you to work with. Wolf winders also accommodate watches with a power reserve, giving the watch time to release stored energy before the winding program begins.
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