What Are Watch Winders Good For?

Most people either wind up their watches manually or have a battery that keeps their watches ticking away, so why would anyone need a device called a watch winder? If you’re a watch collector who has accumulated a number of automatic luxury watches, or simply someone who likes the novelty of a self-winding watch, you may need a watch winder for those times when you aren’t able to wear your watch.

What Is Self-Winding Watch?

A self-winding watch does exactly what its name implies with a little help from you. Self-winding or automatic watches don’t use batteries to keep them running. Instead, this type of watch continues to run based on the movement of the wrist that is wearing it. How does it do that? Inside the watch there is a weight that also functions as a rotor. When the arm moves, it causes the rotor to move, and when the rotor moves, it winds the mainspring of the watch. This spring is what makes the watch function. A couple other facts about self-winding watches are:

Automatic watches also have manual winders in case you don’t wear it for a while and it needs a little jump start.

Many different companies make self-winding watches, from luxury brands, like Rolex, to the more affordable Seiko.

What Do Watch Winders Do?

If self-winding watches run based on your movement, then it seems to follow that you wouldn’t need anything else to keep one running. However, if you don’t wear your watch every day, or you have a collection of automatic watches, you may need a watch winder to keep those watches running. A watch winder is a case that stores one or more watches and subtly moves them in a pattern that imitates the movement of a wrist. Since an automatic watch does not need constant motion, a watch winder usually runs on a timer to move it occasionally throughout the day.

Types of Watch Winders

There are several different options when it comes to purchasing a watch winder. Some are intended for only one watch and are meant solely as a device to keep that watch running. Others are cases with glass covers that can store an entire collection, while also putting it on display for everyone to admire. These watch winder boxes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from leather to wood, with soft interiors for safekeeping of the collection.

Lisa Becker is an avid jewelry box collector and writes for Jewelry Boxes 123: Shop For Your Perfect Jewelry Box. Her expertise regarding jewelry boxes provides insight into the world of jewelry boxes and armoires.

What Are Watch Winders Good For?