How Automatic Watches Work and How to pick a Winder with this in mind
Automatic Watches use a rotor which rotates inside the watch when you move your arm. Each flick of the wrist causes the rotor to rotate in a circle and this winds a spring inside of the watch. This spring stores energy for the time keeping movement. The Rotor can rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise. (If your watch has a clear back case you can see the rotor in action. see our orbita skeleton watch if this interests you.) Engineers can design the device to wind the spring in both directions or in one direction only. Rolex Style watches wind in both directions; meaning they need a winder that has a Bi-Directional Winding Setting. Then the engineer has to decide how much movement is required for supplying energy for the watch to keep running. These decisions affect the accuracy of the watch. (Automatics are sometimes not very accurate due to the complex effects of intermittent power and gravity; it is amazing to me that they even work at all and that they are usually only off by 5 or 10 minutes a year...) The most accurate automatics are called Turbillon Watches click to learn more about howTurbillon Watches solved this issue in part. Orbita also invented a winder to do the same thing as an expensive Tourbillon watch. The decision is also based on the amount of abuse the watch is expected to get while worn. A sedentary person will wind a watch less than a working yachtsmen. Rolex decided they needed a rotor that would wind with almost any wrist movement and that about 600-800 flicks of the wrist causing a complete rotation of the rotor would do the job. Most of the time your watch rotor does not make a full 360 degree rotation. Any more movement and the slip mechanism will kick in to prevent it from winding the mainspring too tight and snapping it. Again, a Rolex Styled watch movement (which covers the majority of watches) will need a winder with Bi-Directional settings and at least 650 TPD(Turns Per Day) so a winder that winds in both clockwise and counter-clockwise direction will do the job. The next most common winding requirement for automatic watches are those needing at least 800 TPD (80%+ of automatic watches need 800 TPD or less (Meaning that it will not stay wound if it doesn't get at least that many turns). Directional settings vary widely. However, Bi-Directional is the most common setting. If a watch is designed for Desk Work then it usually is of the Rolex type and winds in both directions (Bi-Directional). Why? To ensure sedentary people move enough to wind the watch! If a watch is a Pilots Watch or Divers Watch or any other watch designed for use in "active" work, usually the winding requirement is one direction only. Why? To minimize the time error created by over winding the watch and also to allow for less robust winding springs. If one direction does the job the watch is cheaper to produce. With these watches price points can be important.
That said, pick a winder that winds your watch without undue over winding of the watch to minimize any potential over work issues. The more precise winding you want the more money you will pay. The quieter winder motors will also be more expensive, as will the winders with longer life. Cheap winders will perform poorly but, if you own cheap watches, then you may not need a high quality winder like the ones we sell at WatchCases.com.
We are not the only company selling watch winders. We are, however, the best! Please keep in mind a quote from Economist John Ruskin when you make an Internet buying decision;
"There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey." John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)
WatchCases.com believes in offering the best products available at competitive prices. We are not the cheapest company selling watch winders. That is not our goal. We are the best! Our goal is to sell winders at a reasonable and fair profit margin to ensure excellent customer service and allow us to make a decent living in the process. If you live by the same philosophy, please give us your business. Customer service is our WatchCases.com trademark and customer service is not cheap! When things go right, every company looks good. We strive to look good when things go poorly and this makes all the difference! This, my friend, is called service.
Service is that extra effort that saves the customer time and money in the long run. WatchCases.com strives to save your time, every time! (Pun intended.)
