Frequently Asked Questions

A watch winder is only for automatic watches, i.e. those that do not have a battery and do not need manual winding, but keep going because of the motion of the watch on your wrist. Typically these are higher-end Swiss and German watches.

This is something best checked with your watch manufacturer but, as a rule of thumb, heavier watches require more Turns Per Day (TPD). You can also check our online database here https://barringtonwatchwinders.com/apps/watches/turns-per-day

You can leave your watch in the winder for as long as you like. Our gentle rotation method of one-minute rotation intervals for no more than twelve hours followed by a twelve-hour pause ensures your watch will never be overwound.

Please refer to your manufacturer for the information specific to your watch or you can also check our online database here https://barringtonwatchwinders.com/apps/watches/turns-per-day

This depends on the watch, but typically they will last no more than twenty-four to forty-eight hours on a single “charge”.

It is possible to overwind a watch but our method of Gentle Rotation that sees our winders rotate the watch for 10 rotations at a time intermittently over 12 hours before resting for 12 hours protects against this.

You should refer to your watch manufacturer for this information but we like to wind our watches on a bi-directional setting (alternates between clockwise and counter-clockwise) as we feel this most closely replicates what happens when you wear your watch on your wrist. In our experience, some watches from Omega, Cartier, Breitling and Christopher Ward can wind better on a mono-directional wind (i.e only clockwise or only counterclockwise). If you have your watch on a bi-directional setting and it is not staying wound, instead of increasing the TPD, we suggest you change to a mono-directional wind.

A watch is a precision piece of engineering and like any such piece, it benefits from being used. Keeping a watch in a drawer without ever winding it is akin to keeping a car in a garage without running it. A watch, like a car, will perform better in the long run if it is occasionally used. For this reason to keep your watch periodically wound is recommended. There is also a convenience benefit to a watch winder in that it ensures your watch is always at the correct time and the date when you go to wear it after some time. This saves you the inconvenience of having to reset and wind it each time.

No, probably not. A watch winder will be beneficial if you leave your watch for long periods without wearing it or if you have multiple watches as it will keep those you aren't wearing wound and at the correct time/date.

This depends on the movement in your watch and while the majority tend to prefer an alternating setting, we refer you to your watch manufacturer for their specific guidance on this. In our experience, some watches from Omega, Cartier, Breitling and Christopher Ward can wind better on a mono-directional wind (i.e only clockwise or only counterclockwise). If you have your watch on a bi-directional setting and it is not staying wound, instead of increasing the TPD, we suggest you change to a mono-directional wind. You can also check our online database here https://barringtonwatchwinders.com/apps/watches/turns-per-day

A watch winder is designed to mimic the daily movement of the watch on your wrist when you are not wearing it. By rotating the watch in a defined cycle and on a uniform plane it has the effect of efficiently charging the mainspring thereby keeping your watch on the correct time and date, ready for when you next wish to wear it. To avoid overwinding of the watch the Barrington Watch Winder range adopt a method of 'Gentle Rotation' which sees the watch wound only for 1 minute periods over a 12 hour cycle and then resting for a further 12 hours before starting again.

Our most popular cushion is the Omni which accommodates wrist circumferences from 16.5-22cm (6.5"-8.5"). If the wrist circumference for the watch is smaller than this then the Micro cushion will suit sizes from 12.5-16.5cm (4.75"-6.5"). If you are unsure then contact us for guidance and please know that if you select the incorrect size, we will swap out for you at no charge.

While our motors are generally acknowledged as being among the most silent on the market (google the reviews of our winders for independent verification of this), it is still a mechanical device with a motor and moving parts in it so it is not - and cannot be - perfectly silent. However, due to they way our winders only operate intermittently for 12 hours and then remain silent for the next 12 hours, you can have them in a bedroom and just set them so the intermittent rotation cycle is during daylight hours and the rest cycle is at nighttime, ensuring there is zero noise from the winder overnight which will suit even the lightest sleepers!

Most people default to having their watch rotate on a bi-directional setting and then when it doesn't stay wound they increase the TPD to 750, 850, 1000 or higher. What we find is that changing the direction setting from bi-directional to mono-directional is often the better solution. We notice this especially with many models of Omegas, Breitlings, Cartiers and Christopher Wards among others. As a Barrington watch winder uses intermittent rotation with pauses between each cycle of 10 rotations, you can carry out some trial and error to find the best setting for your watch while being reassured that your watch is not being overwound.