Tell me about winders

[Sea Wolf]

Anyone use watch winders for their Zodiacs?

Is it ok to use winders or not?  Are there specific brands that are made for vintage watches.
I know little about watch winders.

Educate me  please.   :)

[TJW]

Since you asked, I think the only reason to use a winder is if you have a complication watch that would be difficult to set each time you wore it, such as a moon phase or one of those millenial type watches like IWC sells.  As far as I know, it doesn't hurt a typical auto calender watch to wind it up and set date and time occasionally; but then again I never bother to set the date on my watches. I always assumed it was less wear and tear on the movement to let it sit quietly when not in use.  Maybe one of the watch mechanics can chime in on my assumptions but it's worked for me up to this point.    Cheers,   TJW

[jon p]

i only use a winder for automatic watches that i usually wear  every 2-3 days. to leave a watch running in a  winder is just adding to the wear on the movement that is needless. i also like to let mine "rest", when they arent running they are not wearing.  different movements wind in different directions, some are both counter/ clockwise, tthe winder i use winds one way and then reverses. fyi, i tried my seilo kenetics and a winder wont keep them running. dont get me started on them, as far as i am concerned the kenetics are a worthless gimick! citizen eco drive are great, just lay them under a table lamp every 3-4 months and you have a fully charged watch to wear. i will stop--this isnt the place to talk about seiko!!

[Sea Wolf]

Seiko...   One of my earlier watches from college days is a 1990 Seiko A.G.S. gold tone, BWG just overhauled it and it's like brand new.  I swear it hold a charge longer than any auto I have.  It is also the only gold color watch I own.

Ok, so from what I have leaned so far, watch winder is a bad idea for vintage watches.
Too much wear and tear.

Thanks for the info!

[nnp226]

I didn't know such a thing existed until I was recently given an Invicta automatic and my cousin told me to get a winder.  My research showed just the opposite of the other posts.  According to what I found, you need to keep older watches wound or the grease will gum up.  Newer watches have a different grease that won't gum.  The bottom line is I don't have enough experience to know who is right.  I use a winder on my Invicta and it keeps good time but I only got it in February and I also wear it alot.  The Zodiac that brought me here is my Dad's and he doesn't have a winder.  It mostly sits but when I picked it up recently, it started running  I don't know how well it keeps time.

[prcrstn8]

Had my watch (a '67) serviced recently - a stem issue.
Watchmaker asked me if the watch was keeping good time.
I said yes - "since the last time you saw it three years ago I've kept it on a winder when not wearing it."
He said "that's good."

[TJW]

Interesting...definitely two schools of thought about this.  I wonder if there is any data to back up either view of the issue.  TJW

[jon p]

you are correct about the old lube used in watches--usually it was whale oil. any watch that still has this is way past due for a cleaning/lube!! the modern synthetic lube is far superior and wont gum up. any mechanical watch needs cleaning on a regular basis, even if they seem to be running good. a good mechanical movt can last a hundred years with proper maint. a friend has some 100+ year old wrist and pocket watches that are running strong still due to proper care. the winder debate is interesting, i say do whatever feels right to YOU,it is your watch! this is the great thing about this forum,people exchanging helpful information!  JON

[Race-ready]

The key to using or not using a winder is really a personal decision.
As stated above most modern lubes are now synthetic based and don't gum up like old skewl oils did. Winders do keep oil distributed, keep calendar complications set properly, and help you track how well a given watch is running. But in reality, putting a watch on your wrist every week or so and wearing it is just as good. As long as you don't mind re-setting any calendar functions (I never really look at my calendars) it's all good.

I personally wear one of 5 watches on a daily basis -
a vintage hand wind Rolex Oyster
a early model SW
an odd ball Glaschutte auto calendar (from the DDR period)
a vintage auto GP
a newer Sub

None of the autos see a winder because I know I'll wear it for a few days every month.

Wear them frequently and remember to have a competent watchmaker service them and everything should be fine.

[JDS (Ohio)]

I have 2 Eilux double winders currently, and an Orbita Sparta.  I would not personally recommend the Sparta, but the Eilux is a good piece of equipment, especially when you compare price and noise levels.  I don't know of any that are specifically made for vintage watches.

There are two schools of thought as to whether they are "good" or "bad".  The winders=bad school is that they never really mimic your wrist, and it can be unnecessary wear on the movement to just let them keep running.  The winders=good school points out that if a mechanical watch sits idle too long, the oils can pool and get thick, causing more stress when they start up again. I also am personally unconvinced that the winding on a winder is any different than just wearing your watch non-stop, and probably is less wear on the crown, and time and date mechanisms, especially if you have screw down crowns or non-quick set dates.

Personally, I like the convenience, and can keep 4-5 watches ready to wear each day without a lot of resetting.  My watchmaker thinks they're unnecessary, but then his collection includes  lot of manual wind models anyway.

The watches sitting on my winders are usually the ones I will be wearing reasonably soon, with the exception of my 75 ATM Super Sea Wolf, which has a non-quick set date.  I tend to keep it on a winder simply so I don't have to run the hands around the dial twice for each day I need to move it forward - I'm lazy.

So I think that if you are keeping them wound to wear, it's just personal choice.  If your vintage pieces aren't getting enough wrist time though, you might want to use a winder once in awhile to keep the oils circulated.