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Watch Winders!
- Thread starter ABC123
- Start date
I would suggest against a cheap winder... I have three of them sitting in my closet that dont work.
The circuit boards used in the cheap ones are really bad. And after a rather short period of time they simply fail.
There are some good winders that can be found for between $200-$300. I havent found anything below that price point that I would consider.
Just my $.02
The circuit boards used in the cheap ones are really bad. And after a rather short period of time they simply fail.
There are some good winders that can be found for between $200-$300. I havent found anything below that price point that I would consider.
Just my $.02
Someone will surely throw in a recommendation for acetimer (http://www.acetimer.com), so what the heck...might as well be me 
I've got two winders from them.. reliable, good looking, and SILENT, at very reasonable prices. The cheapo winders from ebay and other sources are garbage, in that the motors in them burn out or break down after not much time.. and they are LOUD. Acetimer's winders are virtually SILENT... and they give a 1 year warranty. I personally got a winder from them that had a wobbly part (the part that holds two watches and turns), which was making an odd noise.. I didn't want to mess with it, so I just gave them a call and they sent me a pre-paid return shipping label to send it back, they repaired it, and sent it back to me-- all for free! THAT is great service.
Anyway I really need to take some good current pics because these old pictures are embarrassingly bad.. but you can get an idea of what they look like...
I've got two winders from them.. reliable, good looking, and SILENT, at very reasonable prices. The cheapo winders from ebay and other sources are garbage, in that the motors in them burn out or break down after not much time.. and they are LOUD. Acetimer's winders are virtually SILENT... and they give a 1 year warranty. I personally got a winder from them that had a wobbly part (the part that holds two watches and turns), which was making an odd noise.. I didn't want to mess with it, so I just gave them a call and they sent me a pre-paid return shipping label to send it back, they repaired it, and sent it back to me-- all for free! THAT is great service.
Anyway I really need to take some good current pics because these old pictures are embarrassingly bad.. but you can get an idea of what they look like...
whoa, awesome.
:shock:
that last pic looks like you're sending a couple of your watches into orbit.
but seriously, i just broke down and sent for one of the acetimer winders like yours last week despite some talk on the forum here that the winders that alternate between clockwise and anti-clockwise don't do a good job on 7750's
how has your experience been?
can you switch the acetimer winder to just wind in one direction?
:shock:
that last pic looks like you're sending a couple of your watches into orbit.
but seriously, i just broke down and sent for one of the acetimer winders like yours last week despite some talk on the forum here that the winders that alternate between clockwise and anti-clockwise don't do a good job on 7750's
how has your experience been?
can you switch the acetimer winder to just wind in one direction?
I have a double watch winder from AceTimer and it's pretty nice however won't keep my A7750 wound! It spins both CW and CCW but you can't tell it which way to go, it just alternates. There is a three-way switch on the back of it that you can use to control the turns per day (650, 850, 1000).
Even at 850tpd my A7750 stops on the winder. I don't really want to increase to 1000 because I also keep my 21J Omega PO wound on it and I've read that 1000tpd on a 21J is not good for the movement (true or false?).
I had a problem with the first one I received (issue with power supply). They sent a pre-paid UPS label for me to ship back to them, and they sent me a new replacement which corrected the issue. Customer service seemed pretty good. I've seen nearly identical watch winders selling for twice the price that AceTimer sells them for.
Even at 850tpd my A7750 stops on the winder. I don't really want to increase to 1000 because I also keep my 21J Omega PO wound on it and I've read that 1000tpd on a 21J is not good for the movement (true or false?).
I had a problem with the first one I received (issue with power supply). They sent a pre-paid UPS label for me to ship back to them, and they sent me a new replacement which corrected the issue. Customer service seemed pretty good. I've seen nearly identical watch winders selling for twice the price that AceTimer sells them for.
Hi,
most watchwinders you find under 200 USD are Chinese ones, with the same design and weak points (electronics).
I have tried several sellers/brands on ebay, a few ended in not working anymore, but the main problem has rather been they turned to be very noisy. Not mentionning some poor service of some sellers.
The best value for money I found, with a good service (means fast shipment and 100% new goods) was on ebay.de
The brand is Modalo. Also Chinese thing, paid less than 200 USD for a 2 wheels (4 watches) one.
So far (6 monthes) the winder is still quiet and works without flaw. You can choose between various programs, so no worry for your 7750 based reps.
A big problem is often that the motors are too weak to continuously wind heavy watches. So one important information (if given) is to know the maximum weight one wheel can resist.
Also, don't mix up the power adapters between your winders : although they look the same, there are various levels, and once I "burnt" one winder after having plugged the wrong (apparently same looking) adapter.
Hope this helps.
most watchwinders you find under 200 USD are Chinese ones, with the same design and weak points (electronics).
I have tried several sellers/brands on ebay, a few ended in not working anymore, but the main problem has rather been they turned to be very noisy. Not mentionning some poor service of some sellers.
The best value for money I found, with a good service (means fast shipment and 100% new goods) was on ebay.de
The brand is Modalo. Also Chinese thing, paid less than 200 USD for a 2 wheels (4 watches) one.
So far (6 monthes) the winder is still quiet and works without flaw. You can choose between various programs, so no worry for your 7750 based reps.
A big problem is often that the motors are too weak to continuously wind heavy watches. So one important information (if given) is to know the maximum weight one wheel can resist.
Also, don't mix up the power adapters between your winders : although they look the same, there are various levels, and once I "burnt" one winder after having plugged the wrong (apparently same looking) adapter.
Hope this helps.
As acegt1 said, you can set the turns per day, but can't make it go only one direction. In my experience, when set at the highest speed it does keep my 28.8k A7750s wound. However, if I have other watches on the winder too, I don't like to set the speed at the highest for fear of straining those movements. I prefer not to keep the A7750's on the winder at all actually, since they're such fussy movements and I worry about them running all the time.
ABC123 said:
...driven by electronics, and that is the point. Besides, if the motor is too weak to bear 200 to 400 gr permanently, it just fails....
So, yes, Chinese watchwinder are usually unreliable as, like for many other manufactured products, the cheapest electronics and lowest specifications are chosen. For 200 USD, you get what you pay for... Sometimes, you're just a bit luckier and it fails later
BTW, all the descriptions with 5, 10 or 18 layers of varnish is BS as well... If there were so many mayers, they would not scratch so easily.
if you go to expensive ones, then I would also advise Scatola Del Tempo : recommended by Patek Philippe
http://www.scatoladeltempo.com/
A big flaw for these chinese winders : the wheels are at 45°, whereas they should be at 90° to perfectly wind the watches. Misconception and bad technical choices. Not only motors :mrgreen:
http://www.scatoladeltempo.com/
A big flaw for these chinese winders : the wheels are at 45°, whereas they should be at 90° to perfectly wind the watches. Misconception and bad technical choices. Not only motors :mrgreen:
I'm still unconvinced. Before this thread,I even thought about making a series winders myself. It is probably this simplest thing. A low voltage motor and you have it.
Saying I must spend over $200 on simple spinning motors or else it will break sounds ridiculous. Anyone successful with the winders on ebay?
I think the reason these things are so expensive to begin with is not the mechanics, oh no, again the electronics and motor in it cost $5, it's rather the history. I think winders were first a uber luxury item for the rich. Made of mahogany from Brazil... that sort of thing.
Saying I must spend over $200 on simple spinning motors or else it will break sounds ridiculous. Anyone successful with the winders on ebay?
I think the reason these things are so expensive to begin with is not the mechanics, oh no, again the electronics and motor in it cost $5, it's rather the history. I think winders were first a uber luxury item for the rich. Made of mahogany from Brazil... that sort of thing.
- 15/4/07
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Here is the deal. If your watches are 7750 or otherwise, are lubed, cleaned and serviced the Acetimer is perfect. Anthony Chou is as nice as they come too. It has just enough turns to keep them going for a few weeks, month or three depending on the condition of the watch. The Rotolution would be really nice too. Otherwise get a watch box and set the time each time you go to wear it.
I agree with MrZoSo. What is so difficult about giving a watch a couple of turns to get it running and re-setting the time?
MrZoSo, I am in the market for some 20 watch cases. Don't want to spend a ton since I try and save my money for more reps. Where did you get yours? Why don't we have links her to trusted dealers for winders and/or cases?
MrZoSo, I am in the market for some 20 watch cases. Don't want to spend a ton since I try and save my money for more reps. Where did you get yours? Why don't we have links her to trusted dealers for winders and/or cases?
acetimer also has some super nice looking watch display cases and boxes for ridiculously cheap as well.
- 15/4/07
- 14,908
- 56
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mbpiedra said:
I had asked Anthony Chau to be a dealer here when I became a Mod. He declined and said he didn't have time to do it. I am sure there are others but they didn't want to stray into rep territory. It's a good thought though and we will keep the idea spinning. Thanks for the suggestion.
We always have 2 ways of thinking for the winders :
- some are against, as it "would" stress the movement by having the watch running all the time. Fakey recommended to just shake your watch once in a while.
- some are for (I belong to those) : when you have a lot of watches, it's a pain to set the time always, especially on watches with complications.
Setting the day/date + time is surely stressing the stem, the crown (I'm thinking to screw-down crowns) and a few mechanical parts inside.
(remember how "risky" it is to quick set the date on a 7750.)