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If you are a proud owner of an automatic or mechanical watch, chances are that you have felt the need for something that could make your watch work non-stop. Have you heard of a watch winder? That tiny box meant for keeping your watch going when you are not wearing them? You may think it to be a jewelry box when you take the first glance, but they are for your watch. The work of a watch winder is to rotate your mechanical watch at a gradual pace within a device to rule out the need to manually wind it. These are coveted instruments if you have a number of watches that you have to rotate through to save them from completely drying. Automatic watch winders do not inflict any harm on the watches. This is because the watches come with a mechanism in their movement for disengaging the winding gears from their mainspring once the winding process is completed. However, it's healthy for the watch to have occasional bouts of resting time so that the internal rotor can pause and relax. How To Set An Automatic Watch Winder? Once you understand how an automatic watch winder works, the next step is setting up an automatic watch winder. After purchasing a watch winder, the next concern is how to set it up for your watch. There are a few simple steps that you need to follow before you start using it. In the first place, you cannot put your dysfunctional watch on the winder. You must wind it manually by locating the crown and unscrewing it till it gets back to its initial position. After you are done winding, you should press the crown back to its place. Remember that you cannot overwind an automatic timepiece. Let's delve deeper into how you can set up the watch winder for your pricey timepieces: How to set watch winder for Rolex? In your Rolex watch, the crown comes with 4 positions numbered from 0 to 3. The first position, called the Zero, is when the crown is screwed down completely. Unless you are winding your Rolex watch, the crown should be in this position only for ensuring complete waterproofing. Next comes position one where you can manually wind the watch. Since Rolex watches can be wound in both directions, you will have to simply place your watch on the winder. Lastly, set your winder to the bi-directional mechanism winding at 1000 TPD. How to set watch winder for Omega? Omega watches have very specialized movements within them that allow them to wound naturally while being worn. Before you set your Omega timepiece in the watch winder, make sure that the setting is at 650 TPD or 800 TPD, bi-directionally depending on the specs of the movement. Once you are done with the programming part, you can simply leave your timepiece on the winder till you wear it next. How to set watch winder for Seiko? For Seiko watches, you can choose between an automatic winder and a kinetic watch winder. For most people, the automatic winder seems to be most useful. They ate rightly calibrated to keep them wound so that they are ready to wear anytime you require. Like all other high-end watches, your Seiko watch also needs about 650 TPD so that it remains 100 percent wound through the day. You will have to select the suitable winding mode depending on your watch model along with a minimum number of turns per day. Lastly, set your watch into the wonder and check after two days to make sure that it's working optimally. How to set watch winder for other high-tech automatic watches? The initial process of synchronizing your timepiece with your newly purchased watch winder can be a bit tedious. As you know you cannot place a dead watch on the winder, you will have to set it up manually, and finding the right setting for your watch winder will involve some level of trial and error. If you notice that your watch is keeping better time on your wrist than it is doing on the winder, check the TPD along with the directional settings. So basically, you will have you determine the direction of the watch winder along with the right movement. Once you have finished, you can place the watch on the winder and voila, you are done. What To Know About Automatic Watch Winder? The first thing you should know about watch winders is that whether or not you need one. And depending on the person you are asking this to, the answer might vary to a great extent. It can be an indispensable tool for some while other timepiece collectors may tell you that it's a pointless splurging. But watch winders do a lot in keeping your timepiece in a top-notch condition. It is employed for reducing friction across different parts and offers lubrication to prevent metal-to-metal contact. This, in turn, helps in extend the life of the various inner parts. When you leave your timepiece dormant for a long time, these oils may dry up, migrate, or coagulate and hinder performance significantly. Further, there are other components like the mainspring designed for flexing. If you leave them in a stagnant position for too long, the lifespan of your timepiece will be diminished. And there is no denying that watch winders are great for those that involve several complications. In case the moon phase stops working or the perpetual calendar doesn't move, it will take a lot of time and critical understanding of the timepiece to reset it. And it can become an implacable pain to get things done, especially if you have a number of watches in this condition. When you consider the history of horology that has passed down from one generation to the other, you will notice that a watch winder is rather a recent invention. It is a direct consequence of the self-winding movements prevalent in modern watches. Today, you can get a myriad range of watch winders and they come in various shapes, sizes, and price ranges. While they are primarily defined by their incredible functionality, it's also a great tool for displaying your outlandish timepiece. It won't be an exaggeration to say that when you don't have the watch on your wrist, having it placed on a watch winder on the desk is a great way of enjoying its true beauty. Why Use An Automatic Watch Winder? With the watch collecting community growing in the last few decades, the opinions surrounding the usefulness of watch winders have also grown. They offer a vigorous mechanical functionality with adequate aesthetic appeal to grab your attention just as your priceless timepiece did. But this alone is not enough reason why you should use an automatic watch winder. Let's take a look at why you should get these functional pieces. Winding keeps the lubricants in place: A mechanical watch comes with a complex mechanism requiring the oils and lubricants to flow relentlessly. When the watch stops, the flow of lubricants halts as well. Over time, they can congeal and pave the way for an expensive trip to the watch mechanic. A watch winder can stave off this problem by keeping the watch running at all times. Keeping the timepiece running: Owing to the detailed mainspring mechanism, a mechanical watch is devised to be completely wound while you are wearing it. The natural movements and turns of your wounds help in keeping your watch wound. But as you take your watch off, it will stop running in a day or two. In this case, a watch winder would aid stimulation of the movements of the watch with the help of a battery or AC-powered motor. With a winder, your watch will always be ready to be used as and when you want it. Release the stress off your watch: Many of us think that we don't need any winder when we are not wearing the watch when there is a scope of manually winding it every day. But there is a high chance of you being forgetting it every day. Moreover, the element of unwanted stress must be taken into consideration. Did you know that winding your watch manually puts wear and tear on the watch? But this can be easily eliminated when the same effect can be achieved via a watch winder. Winding perfectly: Manual winding comes with certain limitations when you cannot allow the natural movements of your watch to wind it. On the flip side, watch winders have their motor carefully calibrated for turning your timepiece bidirectionally, clockwise, and anti-clockwise. Moreover, you can program the unit specifically to meet the winding requirements of the manufacturer. Protecting your investment: Some may believe that a watch winder is an unworthy extravagance. But how can something that protects your investment be called a useless thing? Your watch winder will ensure that your timepiece remains in optimal wearing condition at all points of time. This, in turn, will lengthen the duration between visits to the repair shop. And considering most exclusive watches are not repaired by local watchmakers, you will have to send it to the manufacturer and it will surely return with a hefty bill. Watch winders are available in a variety of designs, materials, and styles. No matter whether you choose a piece made of wood, glass, leather, or metal, it will add a touch of beauty and elegance while protecting the life of your automatic watch. How Do I Know If My Automatic Watch Winder Is Compatible With My Watch? Watch winders are instruments that perform a simple yet vital task for your mechanical watch. But that doesn't mean you can trust any watch winder that comes your way. The selection of sizes, models, and functions plays a critical role out here. A Highland watch winder comes with an ultra-quiet motor coupled with a highly programmable TPD along with directional settings. Here are a few considerations to factor in while choosing a watch winder that's compatible with your watch. Dual oscillating rotation: it's obvious that all watch wonders do not work fine with all the watches. While some watches are capable of self-winding with a single rotation, others may need a dual oscillating rotation. Your watch winder should come with the style and direction of the rotation that's compatible with your watch. If you have two automatic watches with single and dual oscillating systems, then you may need two variants of winders as well. Rotations per minute: Rotations per minute or for every 24 hours are extremely important when you are shopping for a watch winder. As most mechanical watches require very little movement for winding, an automatic watch winder with keep your watch wound in a natural way to ensure that it keeps running for many years. Resting spans: The natural wearing of a mechanical watch also comes with resting periods. Check whether the winder you are opting for comes with the smart feature of allowing a period of rest. This can be found with most mid-range and pricey watch winders. The resting period is of utmost importance to ensure that the winder is compatible with your timepiece. Source of power: You will definitely look for a reliable source of power for your watch winder. This is because when the batteries go out without showing any signs, it counters the purpose of having a watch winder in the first place. When you select a watch winder, check whether it comes with a plug or auxiliary power source. You will never want your watch to be stored inside a glamorous coffin. So make sure that you select a home that keeps your timepiece cozy while helping it spin as long as you store the watch. Style and design: As the number of styles and designs of watches is absolutely countless, the same is applicable for watch winders as well. And you can choose between a number of materials as well. You can also get winders that readily complement the design of your mechanical watch. Tandem watch winders are also prevalent these days owing to the benefit of rotating numerous watches at the same time. How Long Should Your Watch Stay On An Automatic Winder? All of us want to prevent our watch from running out of power completely. And that's why we keep them on a top-level winder that we can afford. Some elaborate and highly expensive watch winders can accommodate numerous watches and provide secured storage for them. Many of us wonder the watch winder will constantly feed energy to the timepiece and bring about excessive wearing. But the reality is quite contrary. As long as your winder turns only a predetermined number of times, referred to as TPD, or turns per day, then there is no risk of your timepiece being damaged. Winders do not keep the mainspring fully wound at all times as this can potentially cause damage by feeding energy to it. A watch winder cannot wind a timepiece that has stopped completely. If this is the case with your watch, you should manually wind it but turning the crown for about 20 to 30 times. Then, you should place it carefully on the equipment and secure it completely. Now you have to adjust the TPD to the lowest available setting along with a bi-directional rotation mode. Just turn on the winder and you are done. In essence, automatics come with 40 hours of the reserve from the time of winding. If you see that the watch is still showing the correct time after 2 days, then the setting is right for your watch and you need not do any more experiments. But if you see that the watch is lagging behind, then you will have to boost the TPD setting to the next level. You can leave your watch on the winder as long as you want without worrying that it will damage your watch. There is no hard and fast rule regarding how long you can leave your watch on the winder. Anytime that you are not wearing your watch, you can keep it stored on the winder. The Bottom Line Building your own collection of Exotic Automatic watches needs you to understand that this remarkable passion involves a commitment to some extent. Quite like your love your high-end sports cars, the acquisition of lovely watches is only the preliminary step. No matter whether you go for limited edition pieces or classic vintage or something from a more contemporary collection, you must give more attention to the pieces compared to regular quartz watches. As watch winders can be amazing just added your delicate watch, you should be watchful of the quality. If you choose it simply based on style can bring about unwanted consequences for your watch. They are optional gadgets that need to determine only after assessing your watch-wearing regime and how they will enhance the life of your timepiece.