IMHO, you normally get what you pay for in winders. The cheap stuff, i.e., Amazon is usually very poor quality and lacks any durability.

That is why Wolf and other brands are more expensive, because they take the time to use quality parts, and do extensive testing to make sure their winders last trouble free for a very long time.

You don't have to break the bank to find a nice winder, but don't skimp too much and get something that sounds too good of a price to be true, because 9 times out of 10 it usually is.......

Also there are lots of threads here in this sub forum on this topic if you use the search engine.

Good luck

 

IMHO, you normally get what you pay for in winders. The cheap stuff, i.e., Amazon is usually very poor quality and lacks any durability.

That is why Wolf and other brands are more expensive, because they take the time to use quality parts, and do extensive testing to make sure their winders last trouble free for a very long time.

You don't have to break the bank to find a nice winder, but don't skimp too much and get something that sounds too good of a price to be true, because 9 times out of 10 it usually is.......

Also there are lots of threads here in this sub forum on this topic if you use the search engine.

Good luck

Thanks. I've done a lot of searching on here, first the threads on pros and cons of winders, then on buying them. But the only thing I ever see on the difference between the $500+ ones and the $100 ones is the more expensive ones are :"better." Quieter (though I listened to a $100 one and it was very quiet.) Lasts longer. If the less expensive one only last 6 months I get that. I just fundamentally don't understand for something that has as simple a function as turn a gear and rotate a part what the big differences can be.

EDIT: I'm not saying that there aren't big differences, just that I don't understand what they are.

 

I have a couple of basic winders I bought for 15 € each iirc. They just work. As you say winders only perform a very simple function, they don't have to be expensive to do it well and durably.

 

I’ve owned both mid-level and cheap winders. My oldest winder was given to me and it is more than 15 years old. Aside from the interior falling apart, it’s still going strong and doing what it should.

 

You have a wonderful wife!

 

I do indeed. She's put up with me for 40 years of a wild adventure of life.

 

I would suggest spending a little more and getting a nice winder that will last a long time. E.g., pick up a Wolf 2.7 at their next big sale. Last year they had forty percent off on Black Friday.

 

That's a good suggestion sir... was the sale on their official site or Amazon if I may know?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

The least expensive is your wrist and at least in my experience has been working flawlessly for decades.

 

😅 😅 😅 😅

 

Am I the only one who doesn't use winders? If I were, I'd get a cheap one. I looked at the wolf 32 pieces once and saw it was like $25, that's insane. I have plenty of nice watches and they just run out of reserve until I wear them again.

 

Well, I'm not using one at the moment! I just thought it might be convenient since I don't wear my watch every day and perhaps save a bit of wear and tear on the crown. A nice to have not a much have for me, which is why I can't justify in my mind spending $300 to $500 on one.

 

I don't have a winder but have wanted one. My understanding is the Wolf winders have different programs that will turn the watch a set number of times or minutes then rest and repeat. This is to make sure the watch isn't being over wound by just turning it non-stop. Hopefully I'm giving correct info here. 🙂

 

True but winders like the Chiyoda have specific turns-per-day (TPD) settings you can set for manufacturer's recommendations (e.g. mine is 650.)

 

Like Nokie says, you get what you pay for. I've read countless stories around the board about cheap winders failing after a year or two. I set my sights on a Wolf 2.7 at a minimum. I'm sure Oribita has similar models.

With a Wolf 2.7, you get programmable TPD from around 300 to 1200, mono and bi-directional winding, reserve setting. It also measures actual turns instead of guessing as a DC motor will slow with higher loading. The mechanics are top-of-the-line and they look great.

Yup, they are expensive and with a single watch, I'd question the need for one. I personally have a Heritage (no TPD setting) that I use to swap between my beater and work watch.

My wife has traditionally worn quartz as she would be put out with the trouble of starting, hacking and getting the date set correct. I bought her a Lady Datejust and her own Wolf Module 4.1, problem solved; I've had to hack it maybe four times in the last year and an half.

Those are a couple good reasons for a winder.

 

I have two “boxy” winders and like them.

 

@Docdaddy

I have a Chiyoda single winder with adjustable controls for direction as well as turns/day for sale on this forum. You can give it a try for $20, basically the cost of shipping. It's an even cheaper way to see if a "value brand" meets your needs. If not, you can try a Wolf.

 

Wish I had seen this earlier, I have a Chiyoda being delivered today. Its inexpensive enough it's no great loss if I find I need to upgrade to something more expensive later.

 

Your wife is definitely a keeper! I'm with you on the winders.... I just don't see how they justify asking those prices. Just crazy.

 

So an update.

The Chiyoda arrived, it was very pretty. passed the wife "yeah this can be where people can see it" test. Very quite, nice settings options.

However, it would not keep my Seiko Presage SPB085 wound. I changed the TPD settings from the recommended (650) to the highest it had (I think around double that.) Still would not keep it wound. When I wore it, it never lost reserve power at all, and I am at my desk a lot. I contacted the seller from Amazon, and they said it might just be that the 45 degree angle of the winder didn't work for my watch. They actually refunded my money and let me keep the winder for my trouble even though there was nothing really wrong with it.

So I took that money and added a little and purchased a Heiden Monoco winder that has the watch at a 90 degree angle (i.e. it faces you fully when it's in the winder.) It was about $150 but very nicely made, very quiet, just a level up from the Chiyoda in a lot of ways. And it works perfectly, set at the 650 TPD recommended for the watch.

I'd be interested to see if a different watch, say, the Oris I have my eye on, will work in the Chiyoda. Most watches must, as they have good reviews and I know people with them who are happy with them. But there is probably a reason that the most expensive winders like the Wolfs have the 90 degree holder vs. the 45 degree one.

 

if you're smart enough, you would definitely see the difference between high end and low cost watches