need for a watch winder

[M.Photog]

As my watch collection proliferates I am beginning to wonder about watch winders. Obviously I don't need one for my speedy but I have two automatics and anticipate getting another one in the next few months.
I don't mind winding by hand but since I got my Accutron I am starting to wonder about my Hamilton. The both have the 7750 movement but the accutron winds much easier, could I be doing damage to the Hamilton by hand winding? It is not hard to turn but it just is not as smooth.
I am considering the 2254.5 omega and as time goes by there will most certainly be others. Is it feasible to get a winder that holds say 6 watches and rotate them if I end up with more automatics or would I be better to just leave the ones I don't expect to wear for a few weeks and let them run down for a while:-s

[crock921]

I am guessing this isn't the best way to do it, but if I am not going to wear a watch for a while, I just let it sit and eventually go dead. I have been thinking about a winder, but they are pricey. You are looking somewhere around $600 for a nice winder.

[bwhitmore]

i am thinking about a winder too...i now have three nice automatic watches...i certainly don't wanna do any damage to them

i just let them go dead, and re-set them as needed

[mrsnak]

i am thinking about a winder too...i now have three nice automatic watches...i certainly don't wanna do any damage to them

i just let them go dead, and re-set them as needed

+1

[crock921]

+1


+1

[Donf]

Let them run down. There is nothing mysterious about autos-they won't explode if left unwound. Would you pay for somebody to sit on your dresser and wind all your hand winders? Of course not!
And I don't wind my autos - I set them and put them on. Even my 55 year old bumper cranks right up. Funny thing about autos- they wind themselves automatically! If you were supposed to wind them sometimes they would be called "Semi-automatics", but they ain't.

Don

[jimmoose]

Let them run down. There is nothing mysterious about autos-they won't explode if left unwound. Would you pay for somebody to sit on your dresser and wind all your hand winders? Of course not!
And I don't wind my autos - I set them and put them on. Even my 55 year old bumper cranks right up. Funny thing about autos- they wind themselves automatically! If you were supposed to wind them sometimes they would be called "Semi-automatics", but they ain't.

Don

Sounds like sage advice from an old timer Don. As I've said before:
If it ain't runnin, it ain't wearin out.
Actually my brother said it, but he's not around and I'm stealing it.
jim

[crock921]

Sounds like sage advice from an old timer Don. As I've said before:
If it ain't runnin, it ain't wearin out.
Actually my brother said it, but he's not around and I'm stealing it.
jim


LOL. That was funny. Way to rip off your brother's line.

Same deal with manuals then too? they can sit for a while without being wound and not have any issues?

[Hippocampus]

Hehehe, well I suppose I'm in the minority here that has a winder.

Not a real nice one mind you, I bought it off ebay a couple years ago for a little over $100, it's got a black finish (like a piano) and a glass lid, can wind 4 watches at once, and has a little storage drawer in it. No idea of what brand or anything it is.

It works for me. I know it sounds like laziness but really I like to keep the watches wound and set to the right time, even when I'm not wearing them. I wear the ones I have in there in regular rotation and having them all set to go when I put them on is just easier.

And having them running all the time also keeps me aware of how accurate they are, I'll begin to notice if one starts running slow or whatever.

I never really understood though why they're so expensive though... Aside from being made from highly finished wood and everything, it just seems like a simple little machine to me. Have little rotation motors you could buy for a science fair project, hook them up to a little timer or whatever, and have them turn watch pillows. Not saying I could go out and build one but that doesn't seem like a $1000 machine to me. I'd rather spend the money on another Omega! Of course I could be totally wrong and they could be much more complex, but... :think:

So yeah, I've got a cheap one and I like it, really depends on the person though I guess.

[teeritz]

I just can't justify the cost of a winder. I could get one (or two) nice vintage omegas for the price of a single-watch winder. Besides, I like to take my watches out every week or so, wind 'em up, and remind myself why I've spent so much money on these watches over the years. If I had a winder, I probably wouldn't handle my watches as often as I do.

teeritz

[crock921]

I thought I was the only one who thought a $1k-2k wooden vibrating box was over the top. Good to hear I am not. :-!

[Cruzn]

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z302/cruzn2/watch%20pics/ac8e8309.jpg

Well i am also in the Minority.
I like them and they serve a purpose, also the extra storage is a plus.
With the individual winders they can run off batteries for travel or if you keep it in a safe..
And they only all cost me less than 1k

[Hewybaby]

Winders are an unnecessary expense -- for most watches
I own several

Winder prices are ridiculously expensive
Buy a good one and pay the money

Now let me explain:

If you have a watch with a quickset date and no complications, just set it and put it on. It won't kill you and is kind of fun.

On the other hand, I keep moonphases, perpetual calendars and vintage watches without quickset dates on winders, as well as a couple of day-dates I can't remember how to set.

I have thrown away four or five cheap winders, that all lasted less than a year. It sounds ridiculous, but continuous operation of the weight of a watch wears out a cheap motor quickly.

The winders I paid nearly obscene amounts of money for are still going after 2 and 3 years. (Nearly obscene because they are in a safe with no fancy finish and I bought on sale.) I fully expect them to fail about 3 weeks after the warranty period.

But, I could be wrong . . .

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k268/hewybaby/Watch%20Misc/Watch%20room/794040ab.jpg

Sam aka Hewybaby

[SlaveToTheTimePiece]

If you call Tourneau outlet in Orlando they have Wolf watch winders that list at 900 bucks for under 300. Wolf is no Orbital but they are quality winders. Stay away from the low priced Ebay winders, they last 6 months and half the time they don't work.

[cdub]

why do they cost so much money, you ask? Well, from a seasoned marketing professional, let me cynically say that winders cost so much because the people buying them are capable of spending much, much more on the watches they wind. The winder manufacturers are saying, I want in on this pie! Think of expensive Riedel wine glasses, and how much money their purchasers are capable of spending on the liquid each glass will hold.

I haven't decided on a winder yet. But there is some entertainment in reseting a watch each time I wear it. We'll see how long that lasts.

[crock921]

I am counting at least 30 watches in that bad boy. And I thought my 4 was a decent collection.

[M.Photog]

Lots of great thoughts guys. I think for right now I will just let the two automatics I have run down from time to time. Seeing some of your set ups I think I might build something into my closet with some additional storage and an place for a watch winder. That way I wouldn't need anything quite so finely finished since it would be out of sight.

[Texcowboy9]

I have a couple of cheapie winders, a two place and a one place. I am currently using only the 2 place and have no complaints. I keep the Rolex and the SMP on the 2 place winder. When I put the Speedy reduced on a winder it doesent seem to keep as accurate a time therefore I wind it every morning when I am not wearing it.

[tomee]

i have a really stupid idea..

looking on ebay i see watch winders, which are the cheap made in china ones that fail after a couple of months.

so instead of investing my money into one of those. i thought about making like a foam pouch that attaches to my door handle and leaving my watches in there, so everytime i move my door the watches get movement :D

[bradleyb]

If it ain't runnin, it ain't wearin out.

Yeah, that's the ticket!

(Sometimes a bleeding-heart lib and a moose will agree)

[crock921]

hang them from the blades of a ceiling fan!b-)