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What's the latest thinking on watch winders for automatic watches?

Dennis C
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It seems like watch winders go in and out of fashion. I've got a nice set of Wolf watch winders that I've used over the years, but now it seems that I'm seeing more and more discussion about winders being bad for a watch movement and leading to premature wear.

What are your thoughts? Do you use winders on your automatics?
Edited:
 
Dan S
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No, what's the point. I doubt I wear any given watch more than 10 times a year, so even if I kept every single watch on a winder (which would be absurd), I'd still have to set them when I chose to wear them. And yes, the added wear on the movement seems unnecessary.

In the opposite extreme, if I wore the same watch virtually every day, a winder would also not be necessary. So frankly, I think that my use case for a winder would be pretty narrow. Maybe if I rotated between 3-4 watches and they all had non quickset date functions.
 
SC1
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Not scientific nor deep thinking here but...

1. I wear what I have.

2. Winders, to my under-educated brain, seem to make better display cases than insurance policies against oil drying up in a movement (or whatever the latest trend is in defending their usefulness).
 
Dennis C
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I’ve also got many watches that are only worn a few times per year. I don’t think the purpose of the winder is to keep the watch on time as much as to keep things moving, keep the oil and lubricants moving a bit to keep them from settling in one spot, etc.

Perhaps the right way view this issue is the same as with vintage cars. It’s good to fire them up every so often and drive them. It might make more sense to rotate through the watches and wear them all every so often as opposed to keeping them on a winder.
 
RevZMan123
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The only thing I would keep on a winder is some crazy multi-complication perpetual calendar type thing that takes a complicated run at the works to set that I can't afford.
 
Togri v. 2.0
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I have a watch winder. It’s on the bottom shelf in my closet… not winding a watch. Never used it expect for 30 min after unwrapping it at X-mas 5 years ago.

If you wear watches in rotation and have a perpetual calender or something, I can see the point. Otherwise not
 
abrod520
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I wear all my watches and hand-wind them. But some automatics are a pain to wind, especially with screw-down crowns. So I use winders for those few watches of mine that fall into that category.
 
Canuck
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Only about 20% of my watch collection are automatic. The rest are manual winders or Accutrons. Then there are about 50 pocket watches. What possible use might I have for a watch winder. Having said that, I DO have a watch winder. It is a Bergeron winder for MANUAL wind watches.

7E8D69F9-A4A5-4EAD-98EE-09007D68E548.jpeg 5EC31A73-670A-4EEC-824B-5A41A4D2885C.jpeg
 
Walrus
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I’d like to get one just to try it out. There was some one for sale locally for 30-40 bucks I was already to pick it up but knowing nothing about them I looked up the brand and it had very poor reviews. Some day, even though I don’t need it, I’ll get one, never use it and continue to complain to my wife that we need to declutter.

I would like to get a moonphase someday because I don’t need that either but at least then a watch winder might be prudent.
 
Walrus
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Canuck Canuck
Only about 20% of my watch collection are automatic. The rest are manual winders or Accutrons. Then there are about 50 pocket watches. What possible use might I have for a watch winder. Having said that, I DO have a watch winder. It is a Bergeron winder for MANUAL wind watches.

7E8D69F9-A4A5-4EAD-98EE-09007D68E548.jpeg 5EC31A73-670A-4EEC-824B-5A41A4D2885C.jpeg
Do you mind if I inquire what feature that has to prevent overwinding? I’m just curious how it works.
 
Aroxx
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I think the only reason I would get a winder would be for a perpetual calendar. That’s never going to happen. I have a triple calendar with moonphase that is a bit of a pain to set but it’s a manual wind. I have been keeping it running lately so I wind it every morning along with the speedy. Time/date watches are just so easy to set quickly. I’d agree running a watch every so often to prevent things from gumming up is probably a good idea. Machines like to run.
 
redpcar
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My watch winders are used to wind those stupid automatics that you can't wind from the stem.

If you don't want your watch collection to sit idle for a year, why not go through them from time to time and give them a few turns to keep the oils loose.
 
Evitzee
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I've accumulated a few over the years but I mostly use them for display purposes. Once in awhile I'll put an automatic on for a few days. They really aren't needed. I've got three perpetual calendars and they aren't that difficult to set, but I know how they work and can follow the directions, but no need to put them on a winder. I like to interact with a complicated watch.
 
Canuck
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Walrus Walrus
Do you mind if I inquire what feature that has to prevent overwinding? I’m just curious how it works.

This manual wind watch winder was used for decades by an old timer watch repair guy, now deceased. This tool is likely 70 years old, or so. I used to use it quite a bit many years ago, when a number of us used to exhibit mechanical watches, quite frequently. It works surprisingly well. I never had a problem with the motor breaking a mainspring. I found it was not well suited to winding pocket watches, but for wrist watches, it is okay.
 
Waltesefalcon
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I feel like watch winders are a solution to a non existent problem. If you're too lazy to wind a watch and set it when you put it on, maybe quartz is the way to go for you.
 
140dave
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I have one and it’s great for its purpose. It isn’t for me, it’s for my wife. She wears her one and only watch just a couple weekends a month and for her it is just better & easier than always having to set the date to wear it, or forgetting to. She wears the watch more because of it so in this case totally worth it.
 
Mad Dog
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For some odd reason, I find a high entertainment value regarding having a machine that keeps a machine operating. For that reason, I have two Orbita winders for the few automatics that I own. I don’t store my automatics on the Orbita winders…but every once in a while I get the Orbita winders out and watch/listen to them do their thing on my automatics for a week or so.
 
DoctorEvil
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This topic has been discussed numerous times in the past and I know some members dislike watch winders because they think it causes premature wear on a watch. I can kinda see their point, especially for vintage watches where parts are expensive and/or hard to come by and one wants to maximise the life of the working parts.

For me, I find a watch winder very convenient for my particular situation. I have a Seamaster Pro which I wear occasionally in rotation with a Speedmaster. If the Seamaster is on a winder, it means that I can "grab and go" whenever I want. Otherwise, I have to go through the hassle of winding it up, making sure the time is not in the "danger zone" before setting the date etc.
 
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