Watch Winders FAQ

All automatic, self-winding watches will need a watch winder.

Automatic watches are designed to be worn, not to lie in a drawer. The lubricants used for the complex mechanisms within your watch tend to migrate away from critical surfaces when the watch is not in use. When the watch is put on after the lubricants have moved, it can cause damaging wear. A well-designed watch winder keeps watches properly lubricated and ready to wear. It conveniently keeps you from having to reset or adjust the watch after any unused period.

A mechanical watch is one that derives its power from a tightly coiled main spring which is housed in a drum or barrel within the watch. It uses energy from the wound spring, rather than a battery to power the watch. As the spring unwinds, it provides the power for the gear train escapement, balance wheel, and other components that make the watch work. The original mechanical watches had to be hand wound every day.

The automatic watch is a special type of mechanical watch that is wound by the movement of the wearer's wrist, or by a watch winder when the watch isn’t being worn. That motion causes a rotary pendulum or rotor inside the watch to rotate or oscillate and wind the mainspring. The term "self-winding" is a misnomer because the watch cannot actually wind itself. It must be worn by the user or hand wound in order to operate.

The amount of time that an automatic watch will run when it isn’t being worn varies greatly between manufacturers and by other factors, including the number of extra features a watch may have and where it is located when not worn. However, most automatic watches will run anywhere from 24 to 60 hours before stopping. One way to guarantee that your watch will be ready to wear whenever you want is to purchase a watch winder.

Different watches have different recommended turns per day. Turns per day, or TPD, are the number of turns of the internal motor that will keep a particular watch wound. Most automatic watches require 600 to 1000 TPD, but they do vary between manufacturers and even between models. All of our watch winders are set to accommodate the minimum requirements of TPD.

No. All automatic watches have a built-in slipping mechanism that prevents over-winding. However, this safety device should not be overstressed because it will eventually wear out. All of the watch winders we carry have built-in, automatic timers that prevent the watch winder from continuously winding your watch.

Both types use electric motors. The difference is how the motor gets its power. AC units plug into a wall outlet. A DC powered watch winder can be operated by batteries so it is more portable. DC units are frequently used when watches are kept in safes. Battery-powered watch winders can also run on AC by using an AC power adapter which plugs into a wall outlet.

Yes, some of our winders can be operated by batteries. Most of the battery-powered watch winders can operate using batteries or AC power supply.

All of the watch winders that we carry are very quiet during operation.

No. Never attempt to manually turn the watch winder motor because this will damage the unit.

Yes, all of the watch winders that we carry come with a warranty from the manufacturer. Most watch winders come with a one or two year warranty from the company that covers any problems related to the motor of the watch winder.

All of our watch winders are securely packed and usually shipped within one to two business days. Please check our Shipping Policy for more details.

Please see our Shipping Policy for details. We are now offering FREE SHIPPING within the 48 contiguous United States for most of our winders.

Depending on delivery location, it usually takes three to seven business days for delivery within the United States. For international delivery, expect at least seven to 14 business days for your watch winder to arrive. If you wish to have your order delivered as fast as possible, please choose "Express" shipping during checkout. See our Shipping Policy for details.

For U.S orders, sales tax is only charged for orders within the state of California. International orders may incur customs duty. Customs duty is the responsibility of the customer.

Watch Winder Station accepts all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) and we also accept payment via Paypal and Google Checkout.

Your watch winder purchase comes with a 30-day exchange or return. For details, see our Return Policy.

All of our watch winders come with a 30-day money back guarantee. If any of our watch winders are defective or you are not satisfied with your purchase for whatever reason, you can return the item to us within 30 days for a refund or replacement. For details, please see our Return Policy.