Are watch winders recommend?

[teddyp415]

Still new to the forum. Just wanted everyone's impute if I should invest in a watch winder for my 2 rolexs. My GMT and datejust 2 just don't get enough of wrist time besides weekends and days off because of the work I'm in. It stresses me out when I set the date just 2. Seems like I might be stripping it when I press the crown in after setting it. If you do recommend a watch winder which one would you prefer and own? I shopped on amazon but just can't make up my mind. Would be nice to have a watch winder with room for growth because my collection is always expanding. Also wouldn't mind having a spot to hold my manuel 2 panerai's that are both 47MM.
Thanks for the help!
-Ted

[roaddog359]

I am in the same boat. Get a winder or reset it every time I want to wear it. I also have been looking on amazon. Half on here dont use them and the other half do like and use them. You just got to figure out what is best for you. Get some ideas from members as to which winders are good and which are not.

[keylargotime]

You'll probably get mixed responses on this one- but IMO, watch winders are not necessary for the overall health of the timepiece. It has more to do with the number of complications and convenience.

But, if a watch winder will give you peace of mind- go for it.

Wolf has some pretty swanky watch winders: https://www.wolf1834.com

[captain_NEMO]

Welcome to TRF! I'm fairly new here as well, and have asked the question you did. Do a quick thread search for winders and you will quickly notice that there are a lot of them around, and that TRF'ers are staunchly divided between the use/non-use.

Here's the CliffNotes:

PROS:
-winders are great for watches with complications (date/dates, etc) and will save you time
-keeps your watches at the ready, especially if you like to rotate

CONS:
-winders may magnetize your watch, causing erratic timekeeping
-unnecessary wear on the internals

Good luck on your search! Oh, and post pics!! We need our daily, gratuitous wrist porn!

[Maiden]

I have a Wolf 3 slot winder, been working for about 18 months now flawlessly. Quiet as a mouse, got a great deal on Amazon back then.

[Tony64]

Originally Posted by captain_NEMO

Welcome to TRF! I'm fairly new here as well, and have asked the question you did. Do a quick thread search for winders and you will quickly notice that there are a lot of them around, and that TRF'ers are staunchly divided between the use/non-use.

Here's the CliffNotes:

PROS:
-winders are great for watches with complications (date/dates, etc) and will save you time
-keeps your watches at the ready, especially if you like to rotate

CONS:
-winders may magnetize your watch, causing erratic timekeeping
-unnecessary wear on the internals

Good luck on your search! Oh, and post pics!! We need our daily, gratuitous wrist porn!

I was one of those who was staunchly opposed to winders but I've since converted. A quality winder (available for less than $200) will NOT magnetize your watch and I am no longer convinced that it causes any significant premature aging to the timepiece.

Wolf makes some great ones and many have built in storage. Make sure it's programmable.

[PRH]

I have 3 watches so I have two winders. A Rolex one that runs for 12 months on a set of batteries so that sits in the wall safe. And a wolf one. Both work really well and save having to reset those watches when not worn.

[Urosfan]

Have a wolf winder works pretty good used it twice and now it sits there collecting dust

[roaddog359]

Originally Posted by Urosfan

Have a wolf winder works pretty good used it twice and now it sits there collecting dust

you want to rid yourself of some dust?

[KarlS]

Lots of threads on this. It's none sense about wearing out your watch and a decent one won't magnetise your watch

[77T]

Wolf is having a sale this weekend 20% off + free watch roll.
I have a couple of Wolf winders to keep the hard to set models going.
But simple movements prolly get more wear and tear than if you let it run down, then wind + reset it.

[RVB61616]

Wolf 2.7 is the best winder I feel for my watches. Quiet, has a time delay, more program settings and excellent customer service. The standard cuffs that came with the 2.7 I bought was too big for my watch having small wrists. So I wrote Wolf and they replaced it for free with smaller cuffs.

Why not try a single winder (Wolf 2.7) and see if it works for you.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by teddyp415

Still new to the forum. Just wanted everyone's impute if I should invest in a watch winder for my 2 rolexs. My GMT and datejust 2 just don't get enough of wrist time besides weekends and days off because of the work I'm in. It stresses me out when I set the date just 2. Seems like I might be stripping it when I press the crown in after setting it. If you do recommend a watch winder which one would you prefer and own? I shopped on amazon but just can't make up my mind. Would be nice to have a watch winder with room for growth because my collection is always expanding. Also wouldn't mind having a spot to hold my manuel 2 panerai's that are both 47MM.
Thanks for the help!
-Ted

Watch-winders are not needed with any Rolex and IMHO are little more than big boys toys.

Below is a direct quote from Vanessa a Rolex watch service watchmaker.

Okay I'm here to give my 2 cents since I was asked to give an opinion.
I haven't read the responses given, since it's late and I plan on going to bed soon!

I don't like winders.
I don't like them for several reasons:
1) Most people assume they actually wind the watch... No, they keep the watch wound, which means it should still have a good amount of power reserve in order to maintain the power. I get plenty of customers complaining that their power reserve is too short "even though the watch was on the winder all day 3 days prior".
2) Cheap winders MAGNETIZE watches! The motors aren't insulated and cause the watches to start running erratically! I just had one two weeks ago, with a 2 y.o. DJII. A complete service of the movement was required.
3) Unless you're too old, or have some kind of medical condition that prevents you from having the feeling in your fingertips to wind the crown, I don't see a reason to need a winder.
4) I don't like the unnecessary wear it causes the movement. Unnecessary because you're putting wear on the watch while you're not even enjoying it.

In the end, it's all up to you and I'm pretty sure all you TRF'ers know what to expect. I'm mostly having a hard time explaining to people who have absolutely no clue about the inner workings of a watch.

Member# 5731
Instagram: @vanessa.cw21

Watch my Rolex repair video: https://youtu.be/jDnaotCTpTA

American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute
Certified Watchmaker of the 21st Century

[KarlS]

And we have seen this post countless times and I have queried countless times why do Lange, Patek and a number of high end manufacturers provide a complimentary watchwinder for their perpetual calendars. Is it a ploy to make sure they get damaged and returned got service???

[Gaijin]

I've owned three. Big collection that you rotate daily sure. Other than that a waste of money and maybe hard on your watches.

[Sublover2166]

Originally Posted by padi56

Watch-winders are not needed with any Rolex and IMHO are little more than big boys toys.

Below is a direct quote from Vanessa a Rolex watch service watchmaker.

Okay I'm here to give my 2 cents since I was asked to give an opinion.
I haven't read the responses given, since it's late and I plan on going to bed soon!

I don't like winders.
I don't like them for several reasons:
1) Most people assume they actually wind the watch... No, they keep the watch wound, which means it should still have a good amount of power reserve in order to maintain the power. I get plenty of customers complaining that their power reserve is too short "even though the watch was on the winder all day 3 days prior".
2) Cheap winders MAGNETIZE watches! The motors aren't insulated and cause the watches to start running erratically! I just had one two weeks ago, with a 2 y.o. DJII. A complete service of the movement was required.
3) Unless you're too old, or have some kind of medical condition that prevents you from having the feeling in your fingertips to wind the crown, I don't see a reason to need a winder.
4) I don't like the unnecessary wear it causes the movement. Unnecessary because you're putting wear on the watch while you're not even enjoying it.

In the end, it's all up to you and I'm pretty sure all you TRF'ers know what to expect. I'm mostly having a hard time explaining to people who have absolutely no clue about the inner workings of a watch.

Member# 5731
Instagram: @vanessa.cw21

Watch my Rolex repair video: https://youtu.be/jDnaotCTpTA

American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute
Certified Watchmaker of the 21st Century

Let's put things in perspective. Watch winders may be "big boy toys", but this can also be said about Rolex watches themselves. After all, nobody NEEDS a 10 thousand dollar watch to tell the time when we have our smart phones, computers etc. I have a winder and like it. To each his own, live and let live

[Bluside]

I have a Wolf 3 slot. One slot for the wife (she is real bad about winding her's) and 2 for the ones that have a date function. My other watches just get set wound and set when needed. I like it.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by teddyp415

Still new to the forum. Just wanted everyone's impute if I should invest in a watch winder for my 2 rolexs. My GMT and datejust 2 just don't get enough of wrist time besides weekends and days off because of the work I'm in. It stresses me out when I set the date just 2. Seems like I might be stripping it when I press the crown in after setting it. If you do recommend a watch winder which one would you prefer and own? I shopped on amazon but just can't make up my mind. Would be nice to have a watch winder with room for growth because my collection is always expanding. Also wouldn't mind having a spot to hold my manuel 2 panerai's that are both 47MM.
Thanks for the help!
-Ted

You seem pretty tightly wound yourself if it stresses you out to set your watch, lol!

A winder is a trade-off between unnecessary wear and tear versus convenience. In my opinion this comes down mainly to wearing habits. For example, if you wear each watch two days in a row and then switch to the other one then there would be very little unnecessary wear so a winder may be more beneficial if you don't like the inconvenience of setting them. Given the power reserve of 40+ hours, then both of your watches will spend most of that down time ticking away in your sock drawer before they stop, and will only have quit running a few hours before you put it back on.

My wear habits are such that my time pieces would incure a lot of useless wear and tear. In addition, I am not really inconvenienced by having to wind and set my watches. I rather enjoy it. And even so, I'm not that particular each day about which watch is on my wrist. So if I was intending to switch watches one morning but am in a hurry I just throw on the one that's already ticking. Or I throw on the one I want and set it a little later when I have the time. No biggie. Therefore a winder is not for me.

[mapalfa]

I'd balance the need to reset the watch, with the inherent wear that causes to the crown and tube (if screw-down) and stem, against the possibility of magnetization. Buying a shielded winder removes that issue.

From Vanessa's comments, IMHO numbers 1 and 3 are laughable. Yes they're factually correct, but the whole point of having a winder is to be able to pick up a watch and know it's ready to wear.

EDIT:
One helpful tip I was given a number of years ago. To avoid unnecessary damage to screw-down crowns and tubes, push the crown back against the tube and turn CCW gently until you feel the threads drop into place, then turn CW to screw down fully. Just going straight to a CW turn and pressure can damage the threads far more easily.

[brookish]

Why don't you just manuelly wind your watches every few days... If you have less than 5 then I think that is a cool option...

[padi56]

Originally Posted by mapalfa

I'd balance the need to reset the watch, with the inherent wear that causes to the crown and tube (if screw-down) and stem, against the possibility of magnetization. Buying a shielded winder removes that issue.

From Vanessa's comments, IMHO numbers 1 and 3 are laughable. Yes they're factually correct, but the whole point of having a winder is to be able to pick up a watch and know it's ready to wear.

EDIT:
One helpful tip I was given a number of years ago. To avoid unnecessary damage to screw-down crowns and tubes, push the crown back against the tube and turn CCW gently until you feel the threads drop into place, then turn CW to screw down fully. Just going straight to a CW turn and pressure can damage the threads far more easily.

And your post is quite laughable in some ways thousands of manual wind watches with screw down crowns Rolex included got wound up daily for decades without any problems.And things like crown tubes, and crowns are just serviceable items that are often replaced at service anyway.And even on a machine you must reset the time and the date,to wind and reset a stopped watch must take all of 30 seconds to do.

[KarlS]

Ok can someone just tell e why Lange and Patek provide a free watchwinder for every perpetual they sell! Is thus a deliberate attempt to force wear and tear? Are they hoping to have some consumer backlash when your $150 000 watch goes to sh$&t over a watch winder they provided. If a plausible explanation can be provided I will be a convert. Until then it's all scare mongering!! A watch in the wrist is almost in continuous motion and if you wear it every day this is no different. If you really want rest periods to emulate sleep patterns lots if winders do that! In fact the fact that you can program a minimum number of turns per day implies less wear and tear than wearing it. The other solution is keep the watch sealed and service every 10 years. It will be immaculate!

[padi56]

Originally Posted by KarlS

Ok can someone just tell e why Lange and Patek provide a free watchwinder for every perpetual they sell! Is thus a deliberate attempt to force wear and tear? Are they hoping to have some consumer backlash when your $150 000 watch goes to sh$&t over a watch winder they provided. If a plausible explanation can be provided I will be a convert. Until then it's all scare mongering!! A watch in the wrist is almost in continuous motion and if you wear it every day this is no different. If you really want rest periods to emulate sleep patterns lots if winders do that! In fact the fact that you can program a minimum number of turns per day implies less wear and tear than wearing it. The other solution is keep the watch sealed and service every 10 years. It will be immaculate!

Now watches with many complications then yes they are a convenience, but with Rolex watches in general have at most a date complication, some even put watches like the Daytona on a machine.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by KarlS

Ok can someone just tell e why Lange and Patek provide a free watchwinder for every perpetual they sell! Is thus a deliberate attempt to force wear and tear? Are they hoping to have some consumer backlash when your $150 000 watch goes to sh$&t over a watch winder they provided. If a plausible explanation can be provided I will be a convert. Until then it's all scare mongering!! A watch in the wrist is almost in continuous motion and if you wear it every day this is no different. If you really want rest periods to emulate sleep patterns lots if winders do that! In fact the fact that you can program a minimum number of turns per day implies less wear and tear than wearing it. The other solution is keep the watch sealed and service every 10 years. It will be immaculate!

Because a lot of people are incapable of setting a perpetual calendar watch, doing it incorrectly can also quite severely damage the movement on your 100k+ watch. They provide winders to keep that from happening.

[Rockrolex]

Do a search on "winder" on TRF and you'll find multiple threads on this subject. Some people are adamantly opposed to winders while others wouldn't be without one. For example, Padi56 and I have diametrically opposite views on the value of winders. I have three quad winders and a single. I'm even considering getting a fourth quad. I keep many of my watches on the winders because I hate to have to reset a watch whenever I want to wear it. Some of my watches have multiple complications, so those, by necessity, are kept on winders when I'm not wearing them.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by KarlS

Ok can someone just tell e why Lange and Patek provide a free watchwinder for every perpetual they sell! Is thus a deliberate attempt to force wear and tear? Are they hoping to have some consumer backlash when your $150 000 watch goes to sh$&t over a watch winder they provided. If a plausible explanation can be provided I will be a convert. Until then it's all scare mongering!! A watch in the wrist is almost in continuous motion and if you wear it every day this is no different. If you really want rest periods to emulate sleep patterns lots if winders do that! In fact the fact that you can program a minimum number of turns per day implies less wear and tear than wearing it. The other solution is keep the watch sealed and service every 10 years. It will be immaculate!

You were already given the reason for winders provided with perpetual calendars, so I'll address your statement that it makes no difference than wearing your watch every day.

Of course it doesn't, in either case they are running continuously. But that is an irrelevant comparison. First off, if you wear the watch every day then you definitely don't need a winder at all. Secondly, wear and tear associated with wearing a watch every day is not unnecessary wear. If you have two watches and change off weekly, then on a winder your watches are incurring close to double the wear and tear than without. What that means is more frequent service, and more expensive service (on average) because parts will need to be replaced more frequently.

To each his own, but that's the deal.

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

You were already given the reason for winders provided with perpetual calendars, so I'll address your statement that it makes no difference than wearing your watch every day.

Of course it doesn't, but that is an irrelevant comparison. First off, if you wear the watch every day then you definitely don't need a winder at all. Secondly, wear and tear associated with wearing a watch every day is not unnecessary wear. If you have two watches and change off weekly, then on a winder your watches are incurring double the wear and tear than without. What that means is more frequent service, and more expensive service (on average) because parts will need to be replaced more frequently.

To each his own, but that's the deal.

I've had some of my watches for 15 years or more on winders and have yet to service them. I doubt that the service costs will be more expensive when I finally do have them serviced.

[Beauregard]

I keep mine on Wolf winders, I've got three 4.1 Cubs. My thinking is that these watches were made to be in perpetual motion, not to have their movements stopped then started over and over.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by Rockrolex

I've had some of my watches for 15 years or more on winders and have yet to service them. I doubt that the service costs will be more expensive when I finally do have them serviced.

I understand what you are saying, but if someone chooses to adhere more closely to recommended service intervals then it seems reasonable you can go a little longer if your watch has been ticking less frequently over the interval than if it has been run constantly. Also, I'm not saying specifically that more parts will break between services, though it also seems reasonable that this may occur. But I'm also considering that the service center may require replacing parts still functioning but are worn past an acceptable point to provide a two year service warranty or to avoid a repair before the next service in 5-10 years.

I agree that in either case, run continuously or not, these things are built to last decades. But ultimately it still comes down to convenience versus unnecessary wear and tear. Pick your poison.

[Tony64]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Because a lot of people are incapable of setting a perpetual calendar watch, doing it incorrectly can also quite severely damage the movement on your 100k+ watch. They provide winders to keep that from happening.

Even if set correctly, I believe that with a PC it's better to minimize the use of the pushers to set the complications and allow the watch to work as designed. I think it's actually less wear on the mechanism when the month, day, moonphase, etc change by themselves on a winder or on the wrist, rather than frequent resetting with the stylus.

But to your point, I am 100% in agreement that damage from improperly setting a PC would far eclipse any potential "wear and tear" from the winder.