Watch Winders: Do We Need Them?

It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish what’s actually necessary in the world of luxury goods. Watch winders are just one of the items that buyers come across but might find difficult to justify. Sure, they offer convenience but sometimes, at considerable expense. Nevertheless, it’s worth exploring watch winders because you may find that they add a degree of convenience to your collecting.

Functions

Watch winders keep the movements of your automatic timepieces wound and running perpetually. This works by storing the watches on motorized modules that spin gently to keep the movement wound. It’s also possible to adjust the motorized “spin” intervals to your liking. Furthermore, watch winders come packed with additional features and sometimes have exotic woods and space-age materials built in. There are also watch winder options that incorporate additional storage and even advanced security features for your convenience. These are obviously in a different price bracket but may be worth considering depending on your needs and budget.

Advantages

Necessity is always debatable when it comes to luxury goods. However, a good watch winder will help if you rotate between large collections of watches. Also, they should work well for watches that can be hard to set like annual or perpetual calendars. This allows them to function continually without interrupting their precisely set calendar features. However, you should be aware that timing variations will still occur and this happens with all mechanical watches.

Recently, some watchmakers have begun to question whether or not winders can have a negative effect on movements. The idea behind this poses a very specific question – are watches really meant to run continually without stopping? Like any well-oiled machine, a watch will still experience a certain degree of friction throughout its lifetime of operation. Keeping it running continuously could theoretically reduce the lifetime of its components. In some ways, this could be similar to leaving a car running indefinitely, which is simply absurd when you think about it.

If you’re interested in purchasing a watch winder for your collection, consider what Gray & Sons has in stock. We have a variety of watch winders ranging from simple to incredibly feature-packed. Be sure to pick the right size and set of features that work for you as a collector and as always, feel free to consult with our experts in person or over the phone. Don’t forget, visit grayandsons.com to browse our inventory or connect with a member of our team.