Whether you are the proud owner of one automatic watch or twenty, you have probably experienced this issue: You take your watch off your wrist, store it in a jewelry box or a drawer, make the resolution to come back tomorrow and wind it, and then promptly forget to do so. At some point in the future when you decide to don your automatic watch, you discover, much to your dismay that it has stopped running. Of course it has; you know all too well that it should be wound daily, or at minimum once every other day, in order to keep functioning. You then go through the time-consuming process of re-setting its time and date features.
Thanks to the technology inside a watch winder box, you never need to relive this situation. Whether you want to spend $200 or $20,000, there is a beautiful and functional watch winder for you. Here are some of the features you should consider before purchasing a watch winder box:
- Turntable rotation. A basic winder has one turntable on which you place your watch inside the watch box. It rotates at five turns per minute. Some turntables go both clockwise and counterclockwise. More complicated models allow you to program turns per day settings according to your watch manufacturer’s specifications. If you own more than one automatic watch, you can purchase a watch winder with two or more independently functioning turntables.
- Storage for other watches. Your watch winder box maintains your watches, but many models have extra space where you can store other quartz timepieces and jewelry as well. You can display your watch winder with pride because most are beautifully crafted out of glossy, highly polished wood, glossy metal or rich leather. Soft interior fabric lines the box and protects your watches from scratches and dents. Felt or other fabric on the box’s bottom enables you to place the box on a table or bureau without any worries of scratching its surface.
- Motor. Even the most beautiful watch winder would be a disappointment if its motor was only substandard. For that reason, it is generally suggested that you avoid the most inexpensive Chinese-made motors, which have a tendency to stop unexpectedly and are often noisy. A mid-range Japanese motor is preferable, and if you have the money, you are best off if you can purchase a German-made model. Highly precise and whisper quiet, these premium motors can be counted on to keep your watches perfectly wound for years to come.
- Battery capabilities. Finally, you need to ask yourself where you want to use your watch winder box. If you expect to take it with you when you travel, consider purchasing a winder that can work on batteries as well as AC power. This saves you from worrying about whether your winder can work in a foreign country and gives you more flexibility when you’re on the road.
There’s nothing like being the owner of one or several automatic watches. Make the most of their beauty and precision by ensuring that they are always perfectly wound and ready to wear. Once you buy the watch winder box that’s right for you, you’ll never need to worry about daily maintenance of your timepiece again.