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Are All Watch Winders Good For Your Watch?
Does my watch need a watch winder and are all watch winders the same? If you have an automatic watch, such as a Rolex, an Omega, or a Tag Heuer, one of the key moving parts is the main spring that stores power to keep the mechanism moving. If this winder spring is left loose for too long, it will become less efficient and eventually fail to result in an inaccurate watch followed by an expensive repair bill. What’s more, once the mainspring runs out of tension the rest of the watch’s moving parts will stop, which is also considered bad for your watch. A good quality watch winder will keep your watch turning, just as if you were wearing it, and therefore keep the winder spring-loaded and all the other moving parts in operation. By using a watch winder your watch will remain accurate for longer, the main spring and internal movement will last longer, and of course, the watch will be at the right time and date when you want to wear it.
But, is a Watch Winder Good for a Watch? Not all watch winders are made equal. There are two potential problems with a cheap or poor-quality watch winder, over winding and magnetism.
The first issue occurs when a poor-quality watch winder carries on winding the timepiece even though it is completely wound. This will result in the main spring being wound too tight leading to excessive wear and tear on all the internal parts. Over-winding is not suitable for any watch movement due to increased tension and friction. Your watch expensive will become less reliable and ultimately fail. High-quality watch winders, such as the WOLF Watch Winder from Burton Blake, have limited or even programmable turns-per-day, which keeps even the most precious watches safe and in perfect working order.
WOLF is a highly regarded British family business, established since 1834. WOLF invested countless years developing the ultimate rotation system which accurately simulates real-life wrist action. This innovative system is patented by WOLF, making it unique in the market.
Working with clever algorithms and state-of-the-art technology, WOLF watch winders feature counting turns-per-day, an intermittent rotation, with pause and sleep phases, and the option to pre-programme both the amount and the direction of the turns.
There is a common misconception that watches winders actually wind a watch. That is not entirely accurate. A watch winder will keep the watch wound to the same level, so when you take your watch out of the winder it should be wound to roughly the same level as when you put it in. Usually, a completely unwound watch will require approximately 30-40 standard winds to load the mainspring completely. During the day, depending on your level of activity, your watch should stay wound at the right level for optimal performance. A watch winder will keep the watch running at that level, avoiding too many extra winds of the crown.
Can a watch winder overwind your watch? Well, unsurprisingly a luxury automatic watch has a slip-clutch that stops over-winding. However, constant engagement with this slip-clutch could cause serious harm. So, it pays to make the right choice when buying a watch winder, to ensure you care for rather than damage your precious timepiece. At Burton Blake, we believe the best watch winders are from WOLF. You can relax in the knowledge that your watch will have the right amount turns-per-day, so there is no unnecessary pressure on the slip-clutch.
The second and equally important issue to discuss is the negative effect magnetisation created by a watch winder can have on your watch. Many low-quality watch winders can actually harm your watch. The magnet in the electric motor used in some watch winders can generate a magnetic field that can cause the hairspring in your watch to become magnetised and therefore sticky. This, in turn, can affect the whole watch mechanism which will result in loss of accuracy. WOLF understand watches and through their R&D and engineering program, and in cooperation with the Japanese company Mabuchi, WOLF developed a way to insulate their watch winder motors to protect against electrical emissions and so to keep your watch free of magnetic damage. This insulation technique, combined with high-quality nylon gears which do not grind, also ensures WOLF watch winders are silent running so they can even be kept by your bedside.
In summary, when you buy a WOLF watch winder, you are buying quality with the guarantee of a brand with over 185 years of history.
Burton Blake are an official retail partner and authorised stockist of WOLF watch winders with over 300 products in stock, including Axis, Blake, Cub, Exotic, Heritage, Howard, Memento Mori, Meridian, Module 4.1, Navigator, Roadster, Savoy, Viceroy, Windsor, Safes and Cabinets. Why not explore the full range of WOLF Watch Winders at www.burtonblake.co.uk.
Copyright 2020 @ Burton Blake Ltd
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