Watch winder comparison

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Watch winder comparison

Post by Kip »

Recently I completed a comparison of a couple of watch winders that I thought you might find interesting.

I do have a side side comparison done on Excel that won't transfer well here. If anyone is interested in seeing or having the chart just pm (or email) me with your email and I will send it as an Excel attachment.

Many consider a watch winder an unnecessary and frivolous item. A winder is a handy device to have, especially should you own a watch with a complication such as a moonphase or have several automatics that are in a rotation where they will not maintain their power until the next wear.
I am not addressing here the pros and cons of maintaining a watch on a winder. I am only comparing the ones below to each other to see how the CWL winder stacks up.
I have been generously supplied by Wera at CWL with the CWL WIN4PO1K single watch winder and wanted to do as fair a comparison as I could. I have compared it to a Steinhausen 8 watch winder that has 2 motors that are controlled separately and winds up to 4 watches on each motor at a time. I also compared to a Tourneau single watch winder that is manufactured by Wolf.
The Steinhausen winder is one that I have owned for several years and has held up pretty well. Although the overall cabinet quality is only fair and the motors generate a bit more noise than they used to, it was never quiet, It has served me well. The watches are installed in the unit by first lifting open the very large top with an acrylic lens, then putting the watch strap/bracelet around a soft pillow and placed in the dual holder. Very easy but the pillows are rather small. This winder has trouble with watches that are over 42mm and thick. Power switches are inconveniently mounted in the back of the unit. The unit did not come with a manual or instructions. The Steinhausen runs on A/C power only. Price paid about $80.00 5 years ago.
The Tourneau single winder is a borrowed unit for comparison here, but it is brand new. This is a very well made unit although the closing latch seems a bit flimsy. Open the drop down door with an acrylic window and install the watch on a mounting pillow that is very thick and soft and easily handles watches at least up to 44mm. Sometimes a thick and heavy watch has been known to dislodge. A very quiet machine. All controls are conveniently mounted up front and are easily set. Comes with an easy to read simple manual. A/C or battery. Retail $299.00
The recently supplied CWL WIN4PO1K, also built by Wolf, is a very nice and compact unit. To install a watch, unscrew the turn and lock top with clear acrylic window. Squeeze the pillow flat and install. The mounting pillow is more of a compression type piece as compared to a stuffed or foam pillow. A bit more difficult to mount a bracelet than with the others but far more secure. The controls are located on the back of this unit. This is because of the angular design of this piece. The winder is light in weight so this is really not so bad. My complaint here is not with the controls but with the instructions. The settings are easily done by positioning a set of three rocker switches. The single page of instructions that comes with the winder is not very clear at first glance. I spent a few minutes trying to understand the drawings of the different positions. It takes some getting used to but is not difficult. Easily the most quiet unit tested here. Retail $115.00

None of these units came with any recommendations as to what settings should be used for any given movement. I have found that the Orbita website http://www.orbita.net/pages/17100.htm has many recommendations for direction of wind as well as turns per day.
The CWL unit has 4 programs and can be set for CW (clockwise) or CCW (counter clockwise) direction.
This unit averages 10.5 turns per minute
1. 1 minute turn - 12 minutes rest then resume - (1163 Turns per day)
2. 1 minute turn - 18 minutes rest " " (796 TPD)
3. 1 minute turn - 15 minutes rest " " (945 TPD)
4. 1 minute turn - 24 minutes rest " " (605 TPD)
Any program can be set to run in either CW or CCW direction

The Steinhausen has only one setting
This unit averages 8.5 turns per minute.
10 minutes turn - 25 minutes rest this unit alternates direction every 2 minutes. (350 TPD)

The Tourneau unit has 3 programs.
This unit averages 7.5 turns per minute.
1. 20 minutes turn - (CW) - 70 minutes rest - cycle repeats 6 times then rests for 9 hours (900TPD)
2. 20 minutes turn - (CCW) - 70 minutes rest - cycle repeats 6 times then rests for 9 hours (900 TPD)
3. 40 minutes turn - (CW/CCW) - 50 minutes rest - repeats 6 times then rest for 9 hours (1800 - 1800)

All testing was done using a Christopher Ward C5 Malvern. ETA 2824-2 movement. Recommended TPD 650 in either direction.
The C5 was put on each winder at a dead stop position and left to the winder for 24 hours.
The C5 was then allowed to run down and the run time noted.
Time was rounded to the nearest half hour.
All units were tested on A/C power.


Runtime results
CWL Steinhausen Tourneau
CW CCW CW/CCW CW CCW CW/CCW
Program
1. 27.5 29.5 22 24
2. 25.5 26.5 24.5
3. 24.5 27 35
4. 22 14

All units came very well packaged and functioned flawlessly during the tests. If you closely inspect the runtimes you will notice some discrepancies. I attribute these to the fact that the watch was starting at a dead stop and the rotor may have somehow have been in a certain position so as to not start immediately. I can offer no other explanation.
Conclusions
I don't think any watch should be left on any of these winders for a prolonged period of time in the running positions. it would seem to me that a mechanical watch would, in a short period of time, achieve a full or near full wound position. I just can't believe that this is good for the mainspring in the long run. I am not technical enough to make that assertion with absolute certainty. If you can run them periodically, I think this would be best overall. I base this on the fact that even at the lowest turns per day (Steinhausen) the C5 was able to run for 22 hours before stopping. or the CWL at its lowest setting in a CCW direction gave the C5 enough to run for 14 hours.
I think a winder can be a valuable accessory but the makers should perhaps add an additional lower setting. Keep in mind that this was not a scientific test, but was done in a simple manner. Perhaps a more scientific person could easily prove otherwise.
The current cost of the equivalent Steinhausen unit today is about $400.00. Probably the overall best dollar value of these 3 for a truly simple machine that can wind 8 watches if you can tolerate the noise. The most solid unit aside from the flimsy clasp, with the easiest controls would be the Tourneau winder. That clasp issue is a biggie for me and at $300.00 I am afraid a bit much.
The CWL unit is very stylish and simple to use once you grasp the directions. it has much more flexibility than the other two and is extremely quiet. At a relatively inexpensive $115.00, this unit offers the overall best value for quality, style, simplicity and ease of use. My suggestions would be to get the CWL name on the instructions and to make them a bit more easily understood.
Granted this is a limited test with only three units but I believe that CWL is the clear winner here. They have come up with a winder that can more than hold its own with any single watch winder on the market. This is a unit that should last for many years and still look and function as it should.
Kip

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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by Monkey »

Interesting review Kip :) and a good job I've got a CW winder then :D
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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by downer »

Thanks for the review Kip. When CWL produce watches with substantial complications, I will also have to invest in their winders. Until then, I will stick to the old fashioned methods. :D
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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by Uncle Bill »

Old-fashioned method...UB.. :)

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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by rcherryuk »

I have three watch winders, a simple double one that's on a timer and keeps my C6 LE & Hamilton Air Race ticking over. It's noisy,hence the timer. I've got a Rapport Tube winder that came free with my Oris Diver, this is battery powered and is so noisy it gets switched off at night, this one is powerful and is the only one that will wind my Oris properly.

Finally, I've got the CW winder and this one is real quiet, It was on all yesterday and last night, keeping My C2LE running at -3 seconds per day :D

I'll buy a double one if CW introduce it.

Rob
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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by village »

rcherryuk wrote:I have three watch winders, a simple double one that's on a timer and keeps my C6 LE & Hamilton Air Race ticking over. It's noisy,hence the timer. I've got a Rapport Tube winder that came free with my Oris Diver, this is battery powered and is so noisy it gets switched off at night, this one is powerful and is the only one that will wind my Oris properly.

Finally, I've got the CW winder and this one is real quiet, It was on all yesterday and last night, keeping My C2LE running at -3 seconds per day :D

I'll buy a double one if CW introduce it.

Rob
I've got a four watch winder from some German firm (i forget the name). It has two double winders.
One side sounds like a cement mixer full of bricks,the other is whisper quiet. Go figure.
If CW produced a two or ,even better, a four watch winder (and it was as quiet as has been mentioned) then i think i would buy one.
By the way Kip....have you some time on your hands? Good investigation work!
If you can read this you are too close to your computer screen....
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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by alphajet »

I have 2 watch winders, the first was a present and is a cheap £30 job and the other is the CW which I got free with a special offer when I bought my C600. I do not use either winders very often, and would not spend money on them as I only own simple mechanical watces which are easy enough to set before wearing. If I were fortunate enough to own a £25K perpetual calendar watch I could see the point of the winder because it would be a pain to reset. as that is not going to happen I don't neen one. Once you own more than a dozen mechanicals it's imposible to keep them all wound all the time, unless you have a bank of wach winders a bit like your own "wind farm" all going at once.
The cheapo watch winder is a bit more noisey that the CW £75 one and only goes clockwise, anti-clockwise or off.
The CW winder came with an A4 photo copied sheet of instructions with tells how to set the 2 toggle switches in different positions to achieve the 4 different time and rotation directions. I think the instructions are very poor for something which costs £75. If I lost the A4 sheet I would not have a clue which toggle position to choose to set my watch to wind for 60 seconds with an interval of 12, 15, 18 or 24 minutes or to choose the one which reverses direction.
There is also no advice as to which programme is likely to be best for your watches. I can find no advice or down loadable manual (like available for CW watches) on the website.
As the CW winder came as a freebe I can't complain and it does wind watches, is quieter that the cheapo one and has 4 programmes (even if I don't know which one to use).
The times when I have left a watch on the winder for a couple of days before wearing it again I always end up resetting the time exactly anyway, so the whole thing for me is probably a waste of time.
No more Quartz (except when I cannot resist).
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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by 28800bph »

Or how about this Swiss Kubik winder for 15 watches. Cost is around $12,000. It hooks up to your computer by USB cable so you can select the direction of rotation and number of turns per day for each watch.

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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by alphajet »

28800bph wrote:Or how about this Swiss Kubik winder for 15 watches. Cost is around $12,000. It hooks up to your computer by USB cable so you can select the direction of rotation and number of turns per day for each watch.

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That is definately the "wind farm" version. :lol:

This is obviously for the guy who has everything, just think of the watch or watches you could buy for $12,000. :D
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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by MyDalRiley »

Just think of the watches that the guy who has 12,000 to spend on a watch winder would put INTO the watch winder!

:-)

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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by robert_ford »

This thread may be long dead, but I have invested in the Designhütte Watch Winder Piccolo as sold by CW, but got it from amazon, sorry CW, but a little cheaper and the Manufacturers web site is even cheaper, but longer delivery. Very good winder, I have found my Jumping hour watch benefits from being wound 24/7 (hope nothing is wrong with it!

The winder does though keep my wife awake, so it has been demoted to the spare room!

Will get a second, once my C5 is back from servicing by CW
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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by phllox »

I have just received my 2 Designhütte Watch Winders Piccolo 2. They are currently hosting my 2 Longines. As said previously the manual is quite vague and I've relied on previous posts to set them on the "b" program. They are silent, frankly (they sit in our bedroom), though the green led is a bit disturbing (I have to somehow hide them).

Given that my wrists are rather thin, I've experienced a bit of a difficulty to get my watches tighted to the (big) pillows ... But I've found a way.

Well, so far so good, I feel I can now easily choose every morning which one i'll be wearing (however, I know I'll keep my C60 for a couple weeks, and maybe more)

8)
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Re: Watch winder comparison

Post by phllox »

Just ordered an additional one for my father :D
Rolex Submariner 14060
Rolex GMT Master II 16710
Chris. Ward C60 Trident Pro Automatic
Longines GrandVitesse Black/Red Automatic
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