winders

[The Wolf]

Im new to the forum and new to quality watches.  I have a few nice automatics and wanted the groups feedback on winders.  I just purchased two double heiden.   

 

The Wolf

[alt.watch.obsessive]

Unless you need the convenience there is no point. You will not damage your movement by letting the watch sit in a drawer. No need for all the wear and tear. On the other hand, especially if your watch is hard to set, it can be nice to have one around. Keep it cheap...all it needs to do is spin. 

[jigelow]

As long as it has options for rotations per day and direction, you're good. If you want a solid motor, anything with a Mabuchi will suit you.

[The Wolf]

thanks all,

 

right now i have four watches going cw at the second setting for rotation.  do i really have to find out the proper settings for each one.

[kernow]

If you're using 7750s you'll need a winder that sits vertical rather than on the slant. I've quite a few watches with both eta and clone 7750 movements and none will wind on winders unless they're in the vertical plane. 

[jigelow]

I've had this one going for two years. No issues.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Triple-Automatic-WinderEbony-Finish-Polyurethane/dp/B000CB8CCA/ref=pd_srecs_cs_241_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=49ZKAJVZSQWZ7E1F0AS9

 

[The Wolf]

thanks guys.  

[gasebah]

I had one but I never got the point. Since it went dead it has become a rather oversized watch box. A watch winder makes sense if you have a few watches in rotation. But not if you have a collection of 30 watches. If you have a perpetual calendar movement this is probably another story. :-) 

[panerai153]

I have tried winders, at one time had 3, 4 watch winders. Over time they all broke. Usually an individual winder at a time. Eventually they all went out. A couple of years ago, I bought a Steinhaussen 4 watch winder. They were having a 60% off sale on winders that have a lifetime guarantee. It's very nice, however I only have two watches on it, my 1665 which is a non-quickset and my 116710 GMT. The reason for the GMT is it too is not a quickset date, and according to Mike (Misiekped) the Yuki 3135 movements don't do well with a lot of setting, especially turning the hands counterclockwise. Both of these are on the winder for that reason, the rest are in watchboxes, and can be wound and set in a matter of a couple of minutes.

As was said by others above, it doesn't hurt to let your watches run down while not being used.

Learned something from Kernow, didn't realize the 7750's needed to be vertical. Wondered why my AP ROO's wouldn't stay wound when in the winder!! 

[jigelow]

I know there's a lot of smarter people than me that say they don't need to be on there. For some reason I think of it like a car sitting. Oil gums up. I know it's just my own conjecture, but I've come to more issues getting a sitting watch going than one that has been doing nothing but sitting on a winder for 6 months.

[Sogeha]

I've seen some very pretty ones and I like toys, but I always think, well I don't have a rolling road on my drive so my cars accumulate mileage and wear while I sleep, so why would I want to do that to my watches. I guess if you have two or three automatics in rotation and are lacking in patience they have a use. I have a few more than that and when I change watch, setting time and date is part of the ritual. I find it therapeutic.

[Sogeha]

39 minutes ago, jigelow said:

I know there's a lot of smarter people than me that say they don't need to be on there. For some reason I think of it like a car sitting. Oil gums up. I know it's just my own conjecture, but I've come to more issues getting a sitting watch going than one that has been doing nothing but sitting on a winder for 6 months.

Well there you go, the exact opposite view to mine posted while I was writing. Some merit to both views I think.

[gasebah]

I think the gummed up oil was true with vintage watches but is a thing of the past with modern high end synthetic oils used in watches today. Also the case that the oil has to be evenly distributed makes no sense to me as in a watch oil is kept in place by the capillary effect. I don't see a reason why watches should age in a watch box and definitely not more than in a winder. As for hand winding just do not excess it. A few turns until the watch is running is enough if the watch has an effective autowinding mechanism. But I get it that there is no consensus about this in the watch world. The net is full with forum threads about this.  For me it seems logical that any mechanical device will be subject to wear directly proportional to its use.

[automatico]

"Unless you need the convenience there is no point. You will not damage your movement by letting the watch sit in a drawer. No need for all the wear and tear. On the other hand, especially if your watch is hard to set, it can be nice to have one around. Keep it cheap...all it needs to do is spin."

 

True.  They don't wear out when they are parked. 

 

What will cause wear in the long run is allowing them to run down and setting/hand winding them constantly.  Running the hands around to find am or pm when setting calendars causes a lot of wear on canon pinions and before too long the cp will get loose...eventually loose enough that the watch runs but the hour and minute hands do not move.  I have fixed a lot of these problems over the years and slow set models are the worst by far.

Hand winding automatics is usually not very good for them because many (most probably) are designed where the a/w parts are spinning faster than usual when hand winding causing undue wear to reversers etc.  I have seen Eta 28xx that have been hand wound so much that the reversers were shot and the little oval shaped boss cast on the main plate where the crown wheel turns is worn half way off the plate and the Val/Eta 7750 does not like to be hand wound (with all the a/w parts attached).  The rolex 3135 is also famous for wear on a post cast on the main plate that can wear away from constant setting and lax service.  The article below explains it and shows one worn half way off:

 

http://www.chronometrie.com/rolex3135/rolex3135.html

 

If I wear a mechanical watch it is usually a no date model but with date models I note if they stop on am or pm and if it really matters (a 'good' watch), I may shake it a few times now and then while it is parked and keep up with the time it stops and try to have it stop between 8 and 11 in the am.  That way I can set the date and the hour will not be far off if I want to wear it...no cranking the hands around and around hunting am. 

 

Mechanical watches are having a hard time with current lifestyles because they were made to be worn during a point in time when things were much different...life in general was much more relaxed and owners were more aware of the inherent troubles of the mechanical watch through magazine ads, long experience with mechanical watches etc.  There were also repair shops in every town and parts were widely available.  Not so today.

Mechanical watches are basically novelties today...fragile and expensive dinosaurs from the 1930s/1940s/1950s forced into the fast and furious 2000s by fashion.

 

"A Rolex can take anything your arm can take."

Q...If that is true why do they have one of the biggest repair networks in the world? 

A...Because they break a lot and cost too much to throw away.  

 

 

Edited February 27, 2017 by automatico