Reply With QuoteI’ll be watching this with interest. Some people say that winders aren’t always such a good idea
Hi
Your views please on the best watch winders
Ive had a rapport quad winder lovely looking mahogany case etc
But it keeps breaking its i think 8 years old and keeps going back to rapport to be fixed free of charge i might add then they offer a two year warranty on the repairs but it tends to fail within the year this time three months
Is there something better out there for 4-6 watches
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I’ll be watching this with interest. Some people say that winders aren’t always such a good idea
Given the frequency that this question pops up you may be surprised at how many just ignore the whole thread,
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
The watchmakers amongst us (not me, I’m not a watchmaker) generally point out that keeping a watch on a watch winder generally leads to increased wear (beyond the normal wearing of the watch) which isn’t a good idea.Originally Posted by The_Perfect_Sandwich
Some watch winders are more controllable than others to allow for this, Rapport aren’t one of them. As you’ve probably realised by now, they are beautiful boxes with cheap mechanicals.
I use mine as a two watch box rather than a winder these days.
My Son and Daughter bought me the Rapport watch winder a few years ago,didn't last very long before it stopped!.It now lives in the loft.My concern when I did use it briefly,was the fact it was sitting on the dressing table with several expensive watches in it,yes exactly for purpose,but also if you were unlucky to be burgled a very nice and easy access to your watches being on display!!.
Nah don't need one.
I use Wolf.
Always been reliable.
+1 for the Wolf. Quiet and reliable.
This is exactly my experience too, I bought the Rapport Perpetua Solo years ago and it went back twice before I just decided to use it as a display box (it’s got a magnifying lens so is great for this).
It does still work but has become prohibitively noisy for the bedroom.
The collective wisdom of this parish (drawn together from the many disparate threads on this topic) is as follows: If you have a highly complicated watch that is a bugger to set and you want to put it on a winder, go for it. But buy a decent one. For most modern movements, a winder may stress the movement slightly more than letting it run down and winding it regularly, but it's not a huge deal. Putting vintage watches on a winder is probably not the best idea.
SGR
He might be a bit of a tool, but sometimes he makes sense...
https://youtu.be/at_Yrm0iDn8
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I`ve made my views known several times re watch winders, so I won`t bother repeating it.
Disregarding the technical argument against them, I think there's a security issue too. I keep all my watches locked away safely, a burgler wouldn't find them unless he ripped the house apart and most opportunist thieves wouldn't do that. However, the sight of a nice mahogany watch winder displayed in a prominent position containing 4 or 6 watches would be a bit tempting to say the least!
Maybe some folks get a warm feeling from seeing all their prized watches running 24/7 in a fancy winder, I don`t. A daft way to spend money in my view. If you must have one get the C.W Sellors single winder, put one watch on it, and keep it well hidden. It can be run off two AA batteries so it lends itself to fitting in a safe etc. I use mine for testing, otherwise I wouldn't dream of owning one.
Ditto that. I'm surprised it hasn't come up before as a major consideration. Watches are very easily hidden but a lovely big winder, not so much.
I have a watch winder from eBay, unknown brand but it does the job well. A few different settings for it so the watches aren’t always winding up.
I do have a small collection and like being able to pick one up and wear it right away without having to adjust it.
I’m in support for them but do agree it’s best to try and not have them on display on a dresser etc, i plan on hiding mine somewhere, otherwise the watches will end up in my safety deposit box and wear them on rotation
I have a Wolf three winder and never use it.
I’ve been interested in watches since 1994 and I don’t recall ever seeing watchwinders until early 2000s. Have to laugh when I see the mahogany box things, they’re designed to be a boys toy and appeal to the folks who have 2 or 3 (usually expensive ) watches.
Unless the winder is tuned exactly to a specific movement it’ll either cause the watch to end up fully wound or eventually the watch will stop. If the speed is variable, and the right data’s available, I guess it could be set to run very slightly faster than it would need to run to maintain the state of wind at exactly the same level. That would minimise the potential wear to the mainspring barrel.
Apart from barrel wear, does anyone consider the increased wear to the rotor bush/bearing, or the reversers? For those with deep pockets this won’t matter, they don’t mind shelling more money out at service time. But what about vintage watches, where the parts are hard to source....and getting harder? Putting it bluntly, it’s madness to risk increasing the wear rate on the auto winding components on an old watch. The majority of the wear problems I see on old watches are related to the auto- winding parts, often due to lack of maintenance. Provided they’re lubricated, and the watch is worn sensibly, parts will last a long time, but running an old watch on a winder will shorten the life needlessly.
How about timekeeping? Unless the watch is one of the very best, in excellent condition, the rate on the winder will not be consistent with the overall rate seen in normal wear (16hrs on the wrist, 8hrs dial up)), it’ll either gain or lose steadily, thus negating the ‘advantages’. This is fact, I sometimes use a winder when I test a watch after service, I’m checking the rate and usually it differs from normal wear.
I’ll start leaving the engine on my 1970 MGB running 24/7, that means it’ll be fully warmed up when I take it out, the heater will work, and I won’t gave to faff around with that tiresome choke control..............Makes about as much sense as running watches on winders to me!
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 30th April 2019 at 13:05.
Thats a +2 nice having AA batteries in it so it can be placed anywhere.
Runs fairly quiet as well.
I've had a Rapport Dual Winder for about 9 years and it has been sent back for replacement motors more times than I've had hot dinners. Looks lovely and was handy when I had 3 watches as I used to swap every couple of days so liked being able to grab/go but now I have a few more watches and I'm fed up sending it back for repair it's just an expensive paper weight.
I don't agree with the leaving a car engine running analogy, some people have 1 watch which they never take off and it runs constantly. That is what it was designed to do. Yes it will require more frequent servicing but if you're happy with that then so be it.
Not withstanding the potential security issues; why not just ask the manufacturer for advice? They make them, so surely they must know the best way to look after them. Having said that, I can see the attraction of keeping a complication in sync. by putting it on a winder.
Yes, they're happy running 24/7, but not with the mainspring slipping inside the barrel all the time. That's what your watch winder can do. You may be happy to pay service costs till you get quoted a silly amount for a vintage watch because the parts are scarce. Makes sense to look after them carefully, run them when you're wearing them, let them sit at rest when they're not required. Trust me, I don`t make this up.
Totally agree! I've had a Wolf winder for years, and I never had any issues with it.
And they do make winders for 6 watches, one of them is the WOLF 459256.
(I have the WOLF 270402 dual winder btw)
Good luck!
Well i bought a barrington 6 watch winder so far so good
Rapport will go back for another repair then on to e bay
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This is exactly my story, was a birthday present from wife and kids, and it looks great - but for security I need to leave the watches in a safe, not a display box.
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Mine is multi adjustable both speed and directions of travel,battery or mains,compact and easy hidden.
I don’t use it anymore as I’ve realised I quite like getting hands on and setting them
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