I'm in the market for a mid-range two watch winder unit for my Omega Seamaster and Ball Night Train. I'm budgeting $200-$300 but am having a difficult time finding anything that isn't super cheap, thus suspect, or high end, like Orbita, which is WAY out of my price range.

Watch Winder Smith on Amazon has some interesting units, reviews are positive to mixed.

I guess winders are like holsters, and should be budgeted for as part of the purchase price of the watch.

Any advice from the collective? I've perused my usual watch forums, but the signal to noise ratio is unacceptable.

I have a couple from Orbita that I like.

https://www.orbita.com/

Unless you have serious issues winding a watch and setting the time and date, don't do this. All you are doing is wearing the movement out while you gain no benefit from it. You wouldn't leave you car idling to avoid having to start it would you?

Save your money for another cool watch.

RMD

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:
Unless you have serious issues winding a watch and setting the time and date, don't do this. All you are doing is wearing the movement out while you gain no benefit from it. You wouldn't leave you car idling to avoid having to start it would you?

Save your money for another cool watch.

RMD

I've heard the exact opposite on this.

As I understand, keeping an automatic watch on a winder that is matched to the spring use/wind rate is better than letting the reserve wind down and sit idle.
From what I was told, the oils in the jewels are better to stay moving, and that sitting idle can cause them to possibly thicken or settle causing premature wear.

I'm not an expert, so very curious on the forum's take on this.

quote:

Originally posted by kidcop:
I guess winders are like holsters, and should be budgeted for as part of the purchase price of the watch.

Any advice from the collective? I've perused my usual watch forums, but the signal to noise ratio is unacceptable.

Not necessarily. There are two schools of thought with watch winders. First school is that you should use them so your watches are always ready to put on and go. The other. School of thought is that most of them are so easy to manually get “caught up” that there is no reason to have constant wear on them if not in use. A thought I read that kinda stuck with me is so you leave your car running overnight so it’s nice and cool and ready to go as soon as you get into it in the morning.

I don’t use them but if I just had a couple that I used often I would. Some of my watches I only use a couple times a year so I don’t see the need to have a years worth of running just so it’s ready on those couple days that I use it.

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:
Unless you have serious issues winding a watch and setting the time and date, don't do this. All you are doing is wearing the movement out while you gain no benefit from it. You wouldn't leave you car idling to avoid having to start it would you?

Save your money for another cool watch.

RMD

I've heard the exact opposite on this.

As I understand, keeping an automatic watch on a winder that is matched to the spring use/wind rate is better than letting the reserve wind down and sit idle.
From what I was told, the oils in the jewels are better to stay moving, and that sitting idle can cause them to possibly thicken or settle causing premature wear.

I'm not an expert, so very curious on the forum's take on this.

I had to have an automatic watch serviced because it wasn't wound in over a year. The watch shop (Watchman) told me to alternately wear automatic watches to keep the movements lubricated.

So now I do a rotation of my automatic watches, every 2 weeks.

I've heard both sides of the winder issue, and don't believe they put enough wear on a watch to cause any harm. Or at least less harm than I put them through on a daily basis.

When I first got my Seamaster I wouldn't were it to the freakin' beach. Know I have to remind myself to take it off it I'm going to run a chain saw. Which, when you think about it, would probably give it a really good winding.

I've got a couple of single-watch Versa brand winders (they also make dual winders) I picked up from Amazon. The oldest is 5 years old and haven't had any issues with them.

I alternate my Rolex Sub, Omega Seamaster, and Hamilton Khaki Field on them - 2 on winders and one on my wrist. (I usually wear them in rotation a week at a time.)

Actually need to get another one with the addition of Seiko Turtle - or just relegate the Hamilton to being wound each time.

My Citizens are powered by the light- does that make them automatic?

I use WOLF brand winders. Dealer price around $190. On line prices are much less, around $130.
Wolf winders require size D batteries.

Leaving a watch on a winder MAY cause wear to the movement as it is always running.

Letting a watch wind down all the way and not run for an extended period of time MAY cause the lubricant to dry out and lead to problems.

It's totally up to you which of those (if either) you see as the more likely and valid concern. My Seamaster (or any of my automatics) runs down and lives in one of my safes between wearings. I might wear it every day for a month and then not wear it for two weeks. What you DO need to figure into the cost of the watch is the price of a service every 5 years or so. I sent my 20 year old (and probably never serviced) Seamaster back to Omega and it came back looking and running like a brand new watch. It's a healthy chunk of money, but if you divide it by 5 years and put it back accordingly its not that bad, especially given the cost of the watch itself. Regular servicing will render either of the above concerns moot.

I wonder what Dave Truong recommends.

quote:

Originally posted by rsbolo:
I wonder what Dave Truong recommends.

Me, too.

My opinion on the matter is worthless, since I am not knowledgeable about automatic watch movements. "Common Sense" is also worthless, as it is often leads to false conclusions (I mean, it makes sense that a running watch wears out faster than an idle one if not worn for long periods of time, but it also makes sense that an idle watch can cause lubricants to dry out - they BOTH can't be true, can they? And if both are true, which is the greater danger?).

I have a Rolex Submariner my father left me, and I don't wear it often. I bought a beautiful watch winder for it (I believe a Mikasa), but there is no way for me to know if it's better to use it than to not to. . .

I have more than a week's worth of autos. I don't keep any on winders. I just wind one a little when I want to wear it.

Winders are expensive. I think keeping the watches running all the time, even when not worn, puts excessive wear on them. I don't let any of them sit for more than a week or maybe two.

^^^^^ this is what I do as well.

I've only bought watch boxes from this place, but they have a number of winders.

https://www.buywatchwinders.co...tch-winders-c-6.html