I hear this question a fair amount – obviously enough to push me to write an article. It’s a fair question, no doubt. Just take a moment to Google “watch winder”, and you’ll find nothing short of a plethora of winders to consider. You could say the market is big enough to make the layperson think they need one for their automatic watch rotation. However, what’s the real answer? Does one need a watch winder? Like most things, there’s no “right” answer, but I’ll do my best to provide one.
I’ll start with why you don’t want to use a watch winder. You may hear someone tell you that keeping the movement running stops the lubricants from gunking up. For movements lubricated with modern-day synthetic oils, that’s not going to be the case. So long as the movement is properly oiled, synthetics will stay put and not gunk up via capillary action. Eventually, the synthetic oils will dissipate, and leave the parts dry, but this happens regardless of whether the movement is running – it’s really just a matter of time.
With a watch winder, you are putting unnecessary wear on the movement, especially with prolonged and continuous use. What’s more, if the movement is in need of re-lubrication, constant running could get to the point of metal-on-metal contact. Am I telling you to let your automatics sit there for weeks and months without use? Of course not, you should be wearing your watches! However, if you let a watch sit for long periods of time without use, I firmly believe it’ll be okay when you start it up again, so long as it’s not in need of regular service.
Maybe you want a winder for one of these bad boys.
Some collectors have multiple automatic perpetual calendars, which makes the desire for a watch winder understandable. So, in that case, go crazy. To me, minor convenience is the only reason I see for a winder. I don’t mind setting and winding my watches when they’ve stopped; interacting with my watches in that manner is enjoyable.
If you want a winder for the convenience, my best recommendation is to keep the power reserve somewhere below it’s max power reserve. Automatic watches have what’s called a mainspring bridle, which keeps the movement from overwinding. Constant engaging and disengaging of the mainspring bridle causes unnecessary wear and tear on that part, and it’s probably best to avoid that if possible. With that in mind, look for a winder that allows you to control the amount of turns per day. My guess is, more expensive winders will have this functionality, but paying a little more now is better than paying a lot more down the road on additional movement repairs.
My opinion of watch winders is they’re a convenience at best, and at worst, a long term negative for your automatic movement. Modern lubrications make winders almost completely irrelevant. Some of them look pretty cool, no doubt, but for the average person, you’re better off putting your hard-earned dollars towards a new watch. Besides, who wouldn’t want to add another watch to their collection?
Let us know what you all think of watch winders in the comments.
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Teeritz
I sold wristwatches at an AD for almost eleven years and I would regularly get customers asking about winders. My store did sell them, but my views on them are pretty much on par with yours. Great for convenience, if one can’t be bothered resetting their watches, but not really a necessary item. Besides, I can snag a nice vintage wristwatch for the cost of a winder.
Michel lemay
One thing I do not like about winders is that my watches would spend a little too much time in a position that it has not been adjusted for (45degrees). I’ve heard, but not confirmed myself, that watches in that position could deviate more than when flat on the desk.
On the flip side, some of my diver watches has screw in crowns. When they stop, I may have to adjust time and date more often than would be otherwise needed and that put an additional stress on brittle screw threads. I already had an expensive maintenance on a Tag watch because I stripped crown threads.. That, in my opinion is worse by a mile compared to winding stress..
Unaiz
Michel, the point you discuss in regards to divers is exactly the reason I don’t mind using a winder. As someone with, essentially, strictly dive watches in the collection, to use a winder or not is slightly more even double-edged sword.
Tino, nice to see you about! I’ve not been on either of the community sites recently, but it’s great to see you’re in the same good spirits. I fully expect to see a short as a prequel to Spectre sometime 😉
Teeritz
Unaiz, I’ve been spending a fraction less time on the forums lately. They’re feeling a little samey at the moment and I have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment.
As for a Spectre prequel, my head seems elsewhere these days, but I have to get back to that story at some point. Even I want to know how it ends.
Darrin Todd
I have been collecting watches almost my entire adult life and I currently have about 65 watches in my collection, which ranges from Rolex to Armitron. I currently have about a dozen automatic watches and eight of them have remained in a watch winder for four or more years, give or take. However, I have recently changed my opinion of watch winder usage to match that of your and have moved my automatics to a regular watch box. I find that the expense of running a watch winder (including the large expense of buying one and the miniscule expense of powering one) is not worth the small effort of simply winding a watch when I want to wear it. Further, because I have so many watches, the time interval between usage for any one automatic is such that I am required to correct the time when I choose to wear it anyway. It is for these reasons that I made the choice to disconnect and store my winder.
Martin
As the owner of a busy watch repair shop, we only recommend auto winders for our elderly and sedentary clients who are not active enough during the day to keep their treasured automatic watches powered up to be still running the next morning after taking off at night.