Watch Winders

[TimLambert7]

Are they as simple as I imagine; stick your automatic watch in and it'll spin it round to wind it?

Are they a necessity for the automatic watch owner?

If so, any recommendations of cheap ones (£100 seems mental).

Recently got my Offshore Field Engineer and am making my first foray in to mechanical watch ownership. My radio controlled and Eco-drive Citizen takes absolutely no looking after at all so I'm new to 'watch care'.

Thanks

[Craikeybaby]

Not essential at all. How often will you wear your watch?

[yeti]

TimLambert7 said:

Are they a necessity for the automatic watch owner?

Not in the slightest. Taking out your watch, giving it 30-40 winds and then stting it are part of the pleasure of a mechanical watch - it then of course runs as long as you wear it. If I had a perpetual calendar I might get a winder, but I set my Complete Calendar (day/date/month/moonphase) this morning in under a minute, it's no big deal.

[HereBeMonsters]

They're expensive as they seem to cater for that niche market of someone who:

1. Has only 2 or 3 automatic watches
2. Wants to switch between them on a regular basis
3. Doesn't want the hassle of winding/setting each time
4. Prefers to keep the watches "out" rather than in a safe, or at least a safe place

I got cheap (plastic) one second hand from a watch forum, and use it for my "everyday" autos that I rotate, but I wish it had 4 spaces rather than just two.

[Cotty]

Try one of these, I have the black one. Pop the watch in on Friday, take it off and wear it. No need to set 2 time zones, date etc
http://www.watch-winder.co.uk/Black-Wood-Single-Wa...

[TimLambert7]

Thanks to all for their replies.

I expect I'll be wearing it an awful lot but I go away reasonably often for work and don't want to take it with me. I suspect a watch winder won't be necessary as taking a minute to wind and set the watch won't be much issue.

I imagine they'd be very useful for people with several automatic watches who swap them often.