Do you need a watch winder?
Who actually benefits from a watch winder, the turns-per-day and direction settings to use, and why a stopped watch is not a damaged one.
Published
The short answer
Most people do not. A winder keeps an automatic watch running when you are not wearing it. That saves you setting it again, but a modern watch that sits stopped comes to no harm, and running constantly means slightly more wear.
Who it helps
- Perpetual and annual calendars, and other watches that take many presses to reset.
- Moonphase watches, for the same reason.
- Anyone who rotates several automatics and wants each one ready to put on.
Settings
- Turns per day: most automatics need around 650 to 900. Too many will not harm the watch, because the mainspring slips when full, but it adds wear for nothing.
- Direction: some movements wind only one way. The maker or the movement's specification lists the turns and direction.
- Choose a winder that rests between cycles rather than spinning all day.
The alternative
Let the watch stop, then wind it and set it when you want it. With the date-change guide and the sync countdown, it takes about a minute. For storage, a box away from damp, direct sun and magnets is all a watch needs.