Why buy a watch winder ? If like many watch enthusiasts today you own more than 1 automatic watch then a watch winder is probably something you already own or are considering purchasing. Watch winders come in many different shapes and forms and can be purchased for around £50 to £100k!! So what do they do and why buy one? Automatic watches primarily work by the natural motions of the wrist winding the movement. If an automatic watch is left unworn eventually the movement looses its charge and the watch will stop. This is called the power reserve and depending on the type of movement some watches will have a longer power reserve than others meaning they will work for longer periods once fully wound . Most automatic watches have a power reserve of between 36-48 hours. A watch movement is a finely tuned instrument and like a muscle needs to be exercised regularly to preserve optimum performance. If a watch is left unworn for long periods of time the oils in the movement which help to lubricate the movement parts can collect or `clump` in certain areas of the movement meaning that when the watch is worn and wound again certain areas of the movement can be dry of lubrication and this in turn can lead to excessive wear on the movement parts. Over a period of time this will mean that movement parts will wear down and premature service costs will become a certainty!Also automatic watches with complications can be a bind to re-set when left unworn and manufacturers guidelines for these types of movements state regular re-setting can also cause a detrimental effect on time keeping and performance of a quality timepiece. Watch winders mimic the actions of a wrist in that over a period of time a watch in a winder will be rotated on a regular basis ensuring the watch’s movement will be kept fully wound and the movement parts lubricated and healthy. A good watch winder will wind the watch for a given period of time, often settable and then stop for a given period of time and then repeat this sequence over and over again. Cheap winders can over wind a watch and negate the reason for the winder in the first place meaning excessive wear leads to faster service costs!! And now the technical bit!! Most fine automatic watches require around 800 TPD (turns per day) to remain in optimum performance. Also certain movements need to be wound ideally in either one direction or another or both so just winding a watch in just one direction say clockwise can also have a detrimental effect on the watches parts. Good watch winders like Orbita can be individually set to achieve the correct TDP and correct rotation direction for most fine watch brands.

BRAND
TURNS/DAY
ROTATION DIRECTION
ROLEX
650
BOTH (ALL MODELS)
PATEK-PHILLIPE
600
COUNTER CLOCKWISE (SOME MODELS)
IWC
700
CLOCKWISE ONLY (MOST MODELS)
BREITLING
650
BOTH (MOST MODELS)
JAEGER-LECOULTRE
800
BOTH (MOST MODELS)
Figures provided by Orbita Copyright 2010 A fine watch can be a good investment that requires responsible maintenance. . A Watch winder can help to give you peace of mind and years of trouble free enjoyment of your treasured timepiece .