Should I buy a watch winder ?

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Yesyesnono
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Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by Yesyesnono »

Hello all

I have a few automatics now and started to find I need to wind the watches quite often I do fancy a watch winder they seem to have a bit of bad press but any comments be gratefully received
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by scooter »

There have been many threads on this topic both here and on just about every watch Forum.

The final result usually ends up a draw.

Personally, I used one for many years but when it broke I didn't buy another.

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Yesyesnono
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by Yesyesnono »

Super thanks
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by Lawrence »

I've reached a compromise with myself.

I have several watch winder but leave them unplugged.
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Amor Vincit Omnia
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Yes.
No.
Yes.
No.

Depends.

If you have an automatic with a date that you wear, say, two or three times a week they can be useful. My Cartier Tank lives on one quite a lot of the time.
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by Thegreyman »

I currently have 12 autos and have never bothered with a winder. I personally don’t see the need unless maybe you had only 3 or 4 watches you wore regularly in which case say a 2 watch winder might be more justified. With the number I have (and plenty of folk on here have more watches than me) I’d need a bank of them.
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by downer »

I had 12 running at one time, but these days I only have a single winder running.

Overall, I think they are a good thing, but a nice-to-have rather than a necessity.
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by Lavaine »

I don't own one, and personally only two good use cases for having one.
1. You only wear 2-3 watches in a daily rotation. In this case having one might make sense rather than winding and setting each of your watches multiple times per week.
2. You own a very complicated watch, such as a perpetual calendar. Having to set a perpetual calendar each time you wear it defeats the purpose.

So my answer is maybe, but not likely.
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by H0rati0 »

Lavaine wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 4:38 am I don't own one, and personally only two good use cases for having one.
1. You only wear 2-3 watches in a daily rotation. In this case having one might make sense rather than winding and setting each of your watches multiple times per week.
2. You own a very complicated watch, such as a perpetual calendar. Having to set a perpetual calendar each time you wear it defeats the purpose.

So my answer is maybe, but not likely.
Wot he said - my reasons in a nutshell for running a 4 hole winder and I do find it worthwhile (just) as a nice to have.

NB, watches that run slow need to be reset once in a while (I keep a radio controlled Casio on the bedside table for reference) while watches that run fast are more convenient, just require a few seconds interruption once out of the winder.

Moonphase/calenders etc. are a real pain unless on a winder and so end up not being worn as often as they should.
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by stefs »

I have a 4 watch winder which is now one too few! Personally I think they are handy as long as they do what your watches need in terms of direction and numbers of turns. My watches all maintain time really well using it. I like them but from what I have read some watchmakers do not!
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by Viognier »

I have a dual winder, it's convenient to grab and go on those automatic movement watches.
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by DavecUK »

I have one dual; winder. I have only a need to ever keep 2 automatics wound, the others I am happy to let run down and rest when I'm not planning on wearing them for a while..usually the winders only got 1 watch in it at most as the one I am wearing doesn't need to go into the winder at night. I simply take it off and leave it on the night stand.

I also tend to switch the winder off for a day or two once an SH21 is fully wound. My winder is a cheapie only cost about £25 rotates both ways periodically, but I can't set it for number of turns every day or anything like that.
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by MiniMpi »

I have a nice one that I won from the forum for a competition a few years ago but to be honest it gets no use at all.
However I may put two watches I use for work into it purely because I am running out of space in my watch boxes and as I get up at 04:15 twice a week it's handy to have the two automatics set and ready to go.
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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by nbg »

I have a couple of winders. Haven’t used them for a few years.

I tend to pick three main watches to wear over a week or so, before switching to another three. Always found it easy enough to keep all three running without the need for winders.

I probably wear another three or four at some point during the week, which I just pick from the box and set for the few hours that they are likely to be worn. A couple of winders wouldn’t really help, as I have no idea what other watches I am likely to pick before I choose them.

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Re: Should I buy a watch winder ?

Post by 0uatiOW »

I use winders. The conclusion when this topic has been discussed before tends to be that it’s a matter of choice and convenience. I like the convenience of a watch being more or less correct when I put it on.

I recently took a trip with 3 watches and I rotated religiously each day, but the constant need to correct and wind every day reminded me why I like a winder. OK, a first world problem, but still....

If you have several watches and tend to wear a different one each day, then a winder is very convenient, but the ‘need’ in terms of mechanical benefit hasn’t been confirmed. Indeed, some folks says the additional wear is a bad thing.
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