How to Choose a Watch Winder for Your Collection

An automatic watch winds itself while you wear it — the movement of your wrist keeps it ticking. So when one sits in a drawer for a few days, it simply stops, and you have to set the time and date again before you can wear it. A watch winder fixes that. It gently turns the watch while it is off your wrist, so it stays running and ready to go.

If you are choosing your first one, here is a simple way to think about it.

Do you actually need a winder?

Be honest about how you wear your watches. If you put the same automatic on every day, your wrist already keeps it wound, and you may not need a winder at all. Winders earn their keep when you own a watch you do not wear all the time, or one with a calendar that is fiddly to reset. If that sounds like you, a winder saves a lot of small hassles.

Start with how many watches you have

The easiest place to begin is the number of watches you want to keep wound. If you have one special automatic, the Piano Black Single Watch Winder does the job without taking up much room. For a small but growing collection, the Piano Black Watch Winder for 4 Watches is a comfortable middle ground. If you have more, there are larger choices like the Piano Black Watch Winder with Storage for 6 Watches, and for a big collection the Piano Black Touch Screen LED Watch Winder for 9 Watches.

It is worth leaving a little room to grow. Plenty of people buy a winder that fits today and wish they had gone one size up a year later.

Want storage or a lock?

Some winders do more than turn your watches. If you want to tuck a few extra pieces away and keep everything safe, look for a model with a drawer and a key. The Key Locked Piano Black Watch Winder with Storage and LED Lights for 4 Watches keeps four watches turning, stores more below, and locks shut.

Pick a look you will enjoy

A winder usually sits out on a shelf or dresser, so choose one you like seeing every day. The Dark Cherry Touch Screen LED Watch Winder for 4 Watches has a warm wood finish and a simple touch screen for setting it, if you want something a bit more special.

A few simple tips

• Give the watch a few turns of the crown and set the time before you place it on the winder.
• Put the winder somewhere calm, like a bedroom shelf. Good ones are very quiet, but you will hear any motor in total silence.
• Buy for the collection you have now, with a little room spare.

Ready to look? Browse the full range of watch winders and pick the size that suits you.