12 of the BEST Watch Winders Every Watch Collector NEEDS to Get for their collection in 2024
What are the 12 best watch winders every watch collector needs, you ask? Without a doubt when it comes to being a watch collector it can be troublesome to maintain the variety of watches you’ve collected over the years, while making sure you’re not wearing the same watch everyday. The issue at hand and what many will inevitably face is keeping their watches running, setting the proper time and date when they’re not on your wrist. Some may commit to a schedule of re-winding and re-setting their automatic watches when their power reserve runs down – a ritual that many traditionalist collectors take enjoyment in, appreciating the novelty of handling the upkeep themselves. Some may rather choose to invest in something a little less traditional and more high-tech to lend a hand, as some say, “Time is money”, and rather than spending needless time on recalibrating a watch, one can rely on a watch winder.
These marvels of timepiece engineering handle the job, a luxury piece of equipment that stores your collection of coveted self-winding timepieces while keeping them charged via electronic, motorized rotations. Customization is the name of the game with many winders offering options to pre-set the timing, direction, duration and offer security features which can be monitored and adjusted accordingly, these devices also mimic the natural movement of a wearer’s wrist.
Looking forward to diving into the wonderous world of timepiece engineering, specs and all those other details we all so much enjoy learning about?
Then buckle your straps and let’s take a look at 12 top branded models well suited to every collector’s watch needs and wallets.
Let’s go over some quick frequently asked questions before we get into the brands to clear up our understanding of winders.
Watch Winder FAQs
- How much are watch winders?
- Watch winders can vary on price depending on the quality of materials used, brand where some of the more affordable units will start under the $100 range you may find others can exceed $500, this is evident in their design and materials selected. There is a handful of brands that are capable of breaking the bank, usually old name brands in the business or limited edition units.
- How long should a watch be on a winder?
- As a general rule, most automatic watches get the most benefit from between 8 – 12 hours each day; this is to ensure the watch remains wound while evenly distributing maintenance and promoting accuracy.
- How often should you use a watch winder?
- Automatic watches that are worn on a daily basis are able to maintain their power reserves, while watches that are less frequently worn will require the use of a winder, as a general rule of thumb. Please also consider manufacturer guidelines for winder frequency.
- Which watches need a winder?
- Automatic watches and multifunction timepieces such as perpetual calendars or grand compilation watches that are not manual-wind or quartz find convenience in a winder. Please follow manufacturer specification to check for movement type.
- Is it worth getting a watch winder?
- Watch winders are not essential but beneficial equipment for your timepieces that protect your pieces from damage, keep them running and extend the life of a timepiece. It’s possible to maintain your timepieces by yourself, but may not prove as efficient.
- Is it good to have a watch winder?
- Winders influence the longevity of a watch using systematic settings in a controlled environment, continuously dispersing oils evenly which prevent clogging and settling. The added bonus is less hands-on maintenance as well.
- How often does a watch winder rotate?
- Rotations are dependant on the pre-set or controlled TPD (turns per day), depending on the unit, where an average would be 30 seconds to a minute, however following manufacturer guidelines on winder use will provide better insight.
- Should I keep my watch on a winder?
- There is no need to turn off a winder manually at all for watches that aren’t frequently used, you cannot overwind an automatic watch by any means, most watch winders will have a “sleep” period that will account for your timepiece.
- What is a watch winder?
- Watch winders are simulations of natural wrist movements when not being worn, ensuring proper distribution of oil and prevent clogging and settling. Winders may also provide additional features such as protective cushions for your often worn timepieces that you may rotate on a daily/weekly basis. Security features may include biometrics or key locks.
- How to use a watch winder?
- A starting point for any new winder would be check manufacturer recommendations but selecting the lowest TPD (turn per day) setting and setting directions to bi-directional, while checking watch accuracy over extended periods, is a good rule of thumb.
Now, are you ready to explore 12 top branded models that cater to the needs and budgets of every watch collector??
Here is a list of the top watch winder brands and models:
Enigwatch – IMPRESARIO™ Series 2 (2PC).
The Impresario™ Series 2 is a Enigwatch masterpiece budget winder well suited to newer collectors looking for a quality product that offers luxurious classical finishes in top-quality Macassar wood with a piano black gloss finish, boasting exceptional wear and tear resistance and hardness, exhibiting refinement in luxury and elegance. Secure your timepieces with the Enigwatch FingerPrint™ Unlock System, boasting state-of-the-art security, storing up to 5 fingerprints at a time and a 98.99% recognition accuracy. The Impresario™ Series 2 also offers a handy remote control or touchscreen panels to tailor the rotations per hour and direction for you timepiece, whether it’s clockwise, anti-clockwise or bi-directional.
A lock-in dynamic cuff secures a watch into the rotator drum offering a three-layered superfiber leather telescopic pillow, protecting watches while allowing sizing for a wide variety of watch brands. The rotor itself is powered be a silent Japanese Mabuchi winding rotor which winds watches at a reasonably low 10dB. With the touchscreen panel you can set the ambient lighting and turn per days (TPD) from 480 to 1920 turns, allowing you to adjust for sleep periods to not over-exert the tension in the watches’ mainsprings. As for price this winder will cost you a modest $500, not especially budget friendly but as a luxury piece and brand, it’s expected.
Alternatively you can opt for a VIRTUOSO™ Series 2 or Series 6, for a two piece or six piece winder, respectively, both offering a reasonable price tag (depending on seasonal discounts for the Series 6), whereas the Series 2 is roughly the same price as the Impresario™ Series, while lacking the high-tech security features, opting for a key lock instead.
Dukwin – Travel Sized Watch Winder (1 Pc).
Dukwin is a well established brand and a top choice in winders if you’re looking for elegance and simplicity in design; utilizing metal, acrylic and vegan leather in this travel sized winder. The price tag for one of these models is a mere $75, a considerate price to maintain a secondary timepiece on the go. The device utilizes a Mabuchi motor for quiet run-time, an AC adapter (100-240v) or open slot for two AA batteries, which are not included with a purchase. This handheld unit offers all three directional settings as well as five turn settings; 650, 750, 850, 1000 or 1950, working on an hourly cycle.
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Dukwin – (3 Pc) Watch Winder with 4 Watch Holders.
For a home solution from the Dukwin series this model is by far the most cost effective, secure unit any aspiring collector would need to maintain their collection, and you’ll only have to pay $399,99. With three colour options of Black, Green and Red, with black piano lacquered finishes; acrylic, wood and PU leather make up the foundation for this elegant unit. Not to mention it also has place for four watches when cycling through watches is a necessity, while security is an absolute must, this piece comes with a Fingerprint unlock feature as well. Up to 20 users can be added to the fingerprint system, with 2 administrators and 18 user accounts.
Get all the information you need with an LCD screen showing all information on watch winder modes and a remote control for ease of access, you can setup rotations or turns per day from 300 up to 2300, and all this is powered by a Japanese Mabuchi motor, running as low as 5dB’s. This unit offers 3 varying cycles to choose from, being a 24-hour cycle, 12-hour cycle and an 8-hour cycle, see manufacturer instructions for cycle/TPD calculations.
Barrington – Single Winder Series.
Having first been established with Jura Watches, Barrington watch winders became a separate company to develop their vision of robust, aesthetically pleasing and reasonably priced single watch winders and larger units for house or office. They have an impressive sales and after-sales service for their clientele. These units comes in quite the variety and colour, from metallic finishes to lacquered wooden finishes you’ll be sure to find what you’re looking for, however the price is perhaps a little steep at £225 per unit. These single winders offer a unique ‘Jump’ feature, allowing multiple units to charge on one adapter, 3 directional modes, five turn per day settings ranging from 650 to 1950 and two options in cushions: Standard for 19-24cm straps/bracelets or Flex for 14 to 20cm’s.
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Barrington – (2 Pc) Watch Winder.
This two piece watch winder certainly won’t break the bank if you’re looking at buying from an established brand that has so far seen a lot of success selling their winders online with tons of five star reviews, it’s a certainty that it’s a brand worth paying attention to. The two piece unit differs from it’s single winder counterparts in only a few ways, namely; for security you’ll have access to a fingerprint scanner, 2 individually programmable rotors, LED downlights, a digital display including a clock and a remote control for ease of access. As with most quality winders, they make use of a Japanese motor to ensure it runs as quietly and smoothly as possible.
You can be sure that the majority of watches will fit in this unit without worry and with a leather interior Dynamic lock, your watch will be secured and always return to a 12 o’clock position.
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Wolf – Single Watch Winder Series.
Wolf watch winders are well known for their considerable use of leather, wood, glass and steel in a modern, bold style, their units start at £615 up to £769 for a winder with storage for those additional accessories or watches. They boast to have precise rotational counting, instead of the usually elected estimation that many units use. These units have a 10 second start delay and can be set from 300 to 1200 turns per day, or double that amount with bi-directional rotations. They also work on a 24-hour cycle in increments of 6 hours as well as “sleep” periods to allow tension in the watches’ mainsprings to ease. Batteries can be used, however not included as well as an AC adapter.
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Wolf – Double Winder Series.
The double watch winder is perhaps a little steep for some in terms of price, but when it comes to quality it’s hard to be so shy. There are many notable differences between the single winders and the double winders save for individually programmable rotations, classy copper or powder coat finishes and a travel case, also let’s not forget the price tags; each unit sells for £1,235, with a choice in your preferred style offered. Let’s not also forget that you’re sure to get a quiet, smooth running unit regardless of the size or model.
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Rapport – Single Winder Series.
Rapport is indisputably well established, now in it’s fourth generation of family ownership, founded in London in 1898, its a brand that can’t be forgotten in any way. They’ve gone into creating watches cases, rolls, jewellery boxes, wallets, make-up kits, humidors, briefcases and then there is their array of watch winders. Their simplistic, yet well designed single watch winders leave little to be desired, save for a discount sale for those enthusiasts still watching their expenses. Quality is certainly a selling point for this well established brand as they offer robust designs of wood and several coats of lacquer, with high quality black leather and rubber sides clips accommodating the watch carrier, allowing for adjustable sizes to fit and lock in without worry.
Nine directional and turn per day settings and a virtually silent motor, in nine colours are on offer for a unit coming out at a price of £325 per unit. If a collector wanted to grow their collection of winders with their watch collection, Rapport have thought ahead and design duo and quad frames to fit your winders comfortably, choose your colours and organise them however you like.
There are some alternatives to consider as well in terms of design and not purely based on price, the Formula single watch winder is a velvet lined winder with interior lighting, a touchscreen LCD display, chrome fittings and a lockable case (key), for £640, available in carbon fibre and a black finish.
The Perpetua III single watch winder comes in a walnut or ebony finish with chrome or gold plated fitment that compliments this design. The winder also comes with a touchscreen display, silent motors and high quality interiors with adjustable sizing. A traditional design with gold plating, should go for more but that’s not the case here, this model would only set someone back £615 for an aesthetically pleasing, precise winder.
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JQueen – Double Watch Winder Black & Ebony.
JQueen stand out as a popular choice for the more budget-conscious individuals who are looking for elegance without breaking the bank. They offer a variety of winders under $100 that are made of environmentally friendly, corrosive-resistant ebony wood, as well as larger models just under $200 including the six piece boxy winder. JQueen units are accompanied by a Mabuchi motor for nearly silent running rotations. This unit in particular has 4 soft leather cushions suitable for nearly all watch sizes, accompanied by four rotation modes, customized for each cushion. The turn per day can be set between 650 to 900 and the dual power supply can use, either the provided AC adapter or a pair of AA batteries (not included with purchase).
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TripleTree – Single Watch Winder Series.
As an international B2C Synthesis ecommerce platform established in 2009, TripleTree has established itself as a supplier of household and outdoor goods in Europe, America, Australia, and the Middle East, as well as niche luxury items like watch winders. They offer single watch winders in three elegant designs, namely; Black Leather and a brown wooden pattern, each varying slightly in price. I’ll illustrate their respective prices below in the image captions. These models utilize a synthetic leather interior with high-quality memory foam watch cushions, powered by a German-made motor that rotates the cushions that is virtually silent.
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Royce – Double Watch Winder.
Royce is a New York based brand with a heavy focus on the details, sourced from some of the finest American leather, Royce watch winder were painstakingly crafted to create a minimalistic design that is unique, refined and most of all functional. The winder comes with a key lock for safety and adjustable cushions that accommodate just about any size of watch and can run off of 3v batteries, however according to some claims, the motor is not as quiet as some other brands. As for added extras, Royce offers to have their winders monogrammed for free for a little touch of personalization. As for the price, you’ll likely find many of them being sold for anywhere between $500 and $600 depending where you buy them from.
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Orbita – Siena 1 Burl – Programmable.
Orbita has become on of the largest premium watch winders providers in the world, while only relatively recently coming on to the scene, founded in 1996 by Chuck Agnoff in Willington, North Carolina. Their products range is quite notable for their high quality materials used in their products, much like the high-grade leather, multi-layered lacquer finishes, modern materials like carbon fibre, and hand applied carvings and patterns. With a sloped-front case, the Siena Burl 1 offers a view of the timepieces with a bevelled glass panel. The interior uses as suede-lined layout with two watch cushions providing a protective environment with a touch of opulence for the overall design. Orbita provides two premium wood options from, cherry to ebony to suit your aesthetic needs. The price tag for this beauty is $695 and an excellent selection for a premium collector looking to match wooden finishes at home.
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Scatola – Rotor One Sport Watch Winder.
The Italian Scatola Del Tempo has been in the watch winder case business for automatic watches since 1989, originally founded in Lake Como by Sandro Colarieti, an avid watch collector. The Rotor One model was revamped thanks to the vision of and design of Colarieti, as now the single-watch rotator is framed in leather-coated ABS polymer and is available in seven leather covers and eight colorful bezel options, including the Rolex’s iconic GMT “Pepsi” style with blue-and-red style, illustrated in the picture above.
The winder is magnetic-resistant, virtually silent with a Swiss-made micromotor that makes 1800 rotations per day or 900 in both directions. To optimally charge the timepiece all you need is two alkaline c-cell batteries giving the motor three full years of autonomy.
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Madalo – Ambiente Single Watch Winder.
Innovation and ingenuity forms the pride of Madalo, Established in Hamburg, Germany in 2003, they dedicate themselves to creating watch winders, boxes and other timepice storage items with an emphasis on “superior materials” and “innovative technologies.” All Madalo winders are hand-made in their German factory, the Ambiente in particular is a quality piece that aims to showcase timepieces in it’s range of exquisite designs and size options. The Ambiente is not a budget-conscious in terms of what have been presented above, instead it offers itself as a premium winder for precision and elegance. The Madalo motor, characterized by gentle and nearly silent winding, are both efficient and durable, while offering customized use for different watches.
The interior of the Ambiente consists of fine synthetic and easy-care leather, while the outside is a glossy, multi-layered piano lacquer, giving the surface a sheen of elegance and sophistication. While it’s possible to run these single watch winder on 4 type C batteries, the 5v power supply is optimal for extended use. The cuff affords a diameter up to 60mm and a bracelet length between 15 and 21cm, will a recommended weight limit of 400g. With all this in mind, the price for this modest unit is $579, certainly set for more of a premium market than alternatives.
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Juvo – Quadruple Automatic Watch Winder.
Juvo is a Austin, Texas based high-end timepiece winder creator, with a design team in Dallas. Their company’s direct-to-consumer business model affords them the opportunity to remain relatively affordable while maintaining quality. The four-tiered Juvo watch winder can hold four timepieces in a hand-made case the utilizes both high-gloss wood panels and patented aluminium extrusions, a safety glass cover and automatic COB lights. Cushioning a timepiece and holding it in place is PU leather with high-quality memory foam and are suitably large enough to maintain adjustability; while the motor is of Japanese origin offering four rotation options, ranging from 650 to 1500 TPD (turns per day). Three directional settings are also offered as is the usual standard amongst luxury brands. For a luxury brand the price isn’t reasonably for someone concerned for their budget and comes out to $999, a reasonable price for those who can afford it.
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Thank you for reading and ever the best for 2024. I hope you find the best winder suited for you!
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