aBlogtoRead.com » Watch Winders

Wolf Designs Viceroy 6 Piece Watch Winder Review

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:04:16 +0000

An interesting fact that I've come to learn is that many people (even quite a few watch loving people) have no idea what a watch winder is. It is one of those things that you can show people, in action, and they still don't know what it is. I've actually had people come to my office and see a bunch of watches in winders on shelves and remark "oh really? You have to show them off like that?" Which I later learned (after some probing) was a misunderstanding thinking that a watch on a winder was some special way of displaying them in a fancy manner. I just can't anticipate misunderstandings like that in advance.

It is possible that I take for granted knowing what a mechanical watch is, and that I know how it works. There isn't a lot of sense required (in my opinion) to understand that a little weight in a watch movement winds it when you move your wrist around. Further, if you are not wearing the watch on your wrist, you can artificially create the movement necessary to keep that watch wound. I know, very simple stuff here but I have encountered plenty of people who simply aren't familiar enough with automatic mechanical watches to know all this. The point is that the pool of people on this planet who know what an automatic mechanical watch is, is not super big. Among those people, the ones that know what a watch winder is, is even smaller. Therefore, I guess I have to keep telling people about watch winders, and why they might want one.

Reviewed today is a winder that has the capacity to keep six automatic watches running. I have reviewed winders in the past from such venerable brands such as Orbita and SwissKubik, and today I review one from Wolf Designs. Wolf Designs has a history in making watch and jewelry boxes which later included watch winders. Wolf Designs is continually improving their products and offering a range of relatively affordable and functional watch winders (among other things). Today I review their Viceroy 6 Piece Watch Winder. Plus, look below for a generous discount offer on any Wolf Designs watch winder for aBlogtoRead.com readers.

The Viceroy is part of their nicer collection of winders and comes in models that wind from one to eight watches. They are housed in padded black boxes that have a closing, clear acrylic front. According to Wolf Designs the boxes are put together by hand, and have a wooden frame. All it needs is a handle on the top and you could tote it around like a suitcase. The dimensions of the 6 Watch Winder units are 16.5”w x 6.25”d x 12.75”h.

I like that the front portion opens and closes to protect from dust, but that you can also see the watches when the cover is closed. However, you'll need to have the cover closed most of the time or it just lays flat and sticks out rather far. The unit is weighty enough, but you'll still need to put a hand on it to secure it while pulling out the "cuffs" that hold the watches in place.

While the door of the winder box technically does lock, it is a very simple lock and not one that I would recommend for real security purposes. It is just sort of them to prevent it from accidentally opening and the most easily deterred thieves. The lock does however use a small key that Wold Designs provides.

This unit is powered via an AC adapter - which plugs in via a removable cord in the back of the unit. There is an ongoing debate among watch winder makes as to whether long-life batteries or plug-in units are the best way to go. Some units even offer both. Space and convenience permitting I tend to feel more comfortable with the plugged-in units.

With space to keep six watches wound, this Viceroy unit contains six different winding module mechanisms. They are the Wolf Designs module 2.7, and are their most advanced modules today. They are also easy to use and understand. I also want to add that they offer functionality you probably won't use, but still appreciate is there.

Looking at the control panel you'll see two knobs, two buttons, and a backlit LCD display. The left knob is for indicating the direction of the winding. You can choose, clockwise, counterclockwise, or both directions. The other knobs is to turn the module on or off (you don't need to have all of them running at the same time) or to activate time delayed winding. The buttons around the screen are to select either the number of rotations per day, or to indicate the time delay until it starts winding.

In my experience a winder really only needs to turn in the right direction (I usually just have it turn in both to be safe), and to rotate enough times. The majority of modern automatic watches simply cannot be over-wound. Some super discriminating watch collectors like to play with this function for a variety of "enthusiast" reasons that I won't get into, but for most people the basic settings are enough. If you don't want to investigate and learn how many rotations per a day your watch needs to stay wound, 900 is a good amount.

I actually like the module 2.7 for its ease of use and intuitive operation. One suggestion I would make is that there is a memory function. This means that when you turn the unit off, it recalls what the last setting was. By default when turned on, it will automatically go to 600 turns per day. Not a huge issue though. Technically I believe that Wolf Designs recommends you turn off the module when placing and removing a watch cuff, but I don't think it will hurt too much not too.

The winder drum is pretty silent (especially with the cover closed), and seems to run smoothly. I really don't have complaints about the unit when it is operating. The large cuff unit comes out with a snap and clicks back into place with ease. With a springy back, it is meant to collapse to handle large to small watches. I found that it was able to accommodate most, but not all watches. Women especially might find it a bit tough to put their watches on this unit. For whatever reason winders tend to be mostly made for larger sized bracelets. An interesting feature that I like about the module 2.7 is that if there is a problem with the mechanism or something is stuck or not inserted properly, the little red light will blink. Otherwise the green light will blink (slowly, but it does blink all the time).

Back when I started out my collection of automatic watches I wanted them to be all wound - all the time. I didn't have a winder, so I just sat there hand-winding them constantly. It was a pain. After getting my first watch winders I vowed to never go back to that. These days I have watches in winders, and watches just laying around. Nevertheless, I find that I almost always go to the ones in the winder first. Something about them feeling fresh and wound, and running that makes them a default choice for the day. The benefits of a watch winder are clear, but it can be a daunting purchase to a new collector. Though you won't regret getting one. The Wolf Designs Viceroy 6 Watch Winder is a fair deal at $1,799. It looks attractive, is relatively affordable, and serves up to 6 watches without whining. Best of all is that until October 17th, 2011, aBlogtoRead.com readers can score 50% off any Wolf Designs product ($100 minimum) by using the code "822500" during check out (US and UK customers only).

Thanks to Wolf Designs for the review unit. Opinions are 100% independent.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Döttling GrandCircle Watch Winder Wonder Box

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:58:16 +0000

Feast your eyes on one of the sexiest watch winders ever created. I will write more about it later, but this is the new GrandCircle winder by Dottling in Germany. There will only be 20 ever made.The furniture includes 52 watch winders, a safe, a bar, a clock, a cigar humidor, and yes - stereo. Dottling calls it grand, I call it Valhalla. Don't get your hopes up though, it costs 195,000 Euros.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Orbita Avanti 3 Watch Winder Review

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:06:07 +0000

"Fancy." Was pretty much the word that came to mind after finally unwrapping the Avanti 3 from US-based watch winder maker Orbita. This isn't the first package from Orbita that I have had to wage sweet war with to open, so I know this is a trend. I have to say that if Orbita ever decided to get out of the watch winder business they would find immediate use in the "package stuff up so that no matter what, nothing will damage it" business. If the attention to detail they use when packaging their products up for delivery speaks anything about the attention to detail in their products - these products should seemingly last forever.

About 30 minutes after climbing the unpackaging mountain you reach the summit and the Avanti 3 shows itself accompanied by something that is best described as that "new watch winder smell." I have reviewed a few Orbita watch winders (such as the Sparta 1 Mini, Tesla, and Futura), and am consistently impressed by most of their watch winders. The Avanti 3 is more than a watch winder. Here you are getting to furniture-like items (not to mention some actual furniture) that Orbita offers. The Avanti 3 is part of a family of Avanti watch winder cabinets that come in a range of sizes.

The unit is made of beautiful exotic Macassar wood with carbon fiber on the front panels and on the inside. Orbita routinely chooses very attractive woods for its products, and the finishing is very impressive. The integration with the carbon fiber feels natural as opposed to contrived as you don't often find the two materials side-by-side like this. The basic design of the Avanti is highly scalable. While the Avanti 3 is the most basic unit, Orbita offers models up to the Avanti 48. The difference is the size, and the amount of watch winders in the unit.

Design-wise the Avanti really holds it own in a room. Orbita's concept behind the look of it was to fit in most any room, but look good without having to blend into the background. It goes without saying that the dark wood and carbon fiber is masculine in style. One thing I find interesting about the design is that it feels appropriate as a housing for modest timepieces up to the most high-end ones available. The front of the Avanti opens up with two lockable glass doors. Orbita supplies two keys for the lock. The system works well, but the doors don't close with the tautness of a vault. They are secure though. While the front doors lock, its use as a security mechanism is of course limited by the Avanti itself. While the locked glass doors will deter a "casual thief," anyone can just pick up the Avanti 3 and haul it away. The cabinet weights 22 pounds, and it isn't even plugged in. Dimensionally the Avanti 3 is 13.5 inches tall, 15.25 inches wide, and 8.25 inches deep.

Orbita prefers to use batteries for the system rather than a wall plug. I personally would have preferred both options, but Orbita makes a compelling case for the batteries. Like most Orbita battery powered units, the Avanit 3 runs off special lithium ion cells. Orbita even white labels them and sells them to you when you need replacement. According to Orbita the four batteries in the Avanti 3 are good for 5 years of power. While the batteries aren't drug store cheap, they aren't a big expense to get every five years. Problem is that they aren't drug store available either. While there is probably a store in your area that has compatible batteries, when they do run out you'll need to specially order them from Orbita or hunt around for them while your watches aren't being wound. I wonder if you can run the winder off of standard D cells? I will have to ask Orbita about that. The batteries are placed in the rear of the unit. While the back of the Avanti 3 isn't unattractive, it isn't meant to be displayed - so you'll need to put the Avanti 3 against a wall. I would just get two of them and place them back-to-back!

The Avanti watch winder family isn't new, but Orbita recently upgraded them with their patented ROTORWIND watch winders. I have praised this system before and my love of it stands. In addition to only sipping power and being virtually silent, the ROTORWIND system is very efficient and safe on your watch. There is no programming necessary either as the motion swings in both directions. The system uses a slow stepping motor to spin the watch into an apex position, and then releases it. A weight on the back of the winder unit similar to that in an automatic movement falls due to gravity and oscillates back and forth. The Avanti 3 is programmed to "spin" once each 10 minutes. According to Orbita this provides enough power to keep a watch running, but wont wind it past the point it was when you placed it in the winder. This is good for ensuring optimal accuracy. The maintenance free and efficient ROTORWIND system make it one of the best types of watch winding mechanisms out there.

Inside the cabinet are three watch winders (with a single on/off switch) and a few slide-out drawers. The Avanti 6 on the other hand does away with the draws to make room for 6 watch winders. The drawers can be used to hold other watches (that lay flat) or anything else that fits. There are three drawers - one above the winders and two below. The fit and finish on the inside is well-done and the carbon fiber looks striking here. According to Orbita, if you buy an Avanti 3 and later want it to have more winders, you can send it back to them and they will install another row of winders for you to make it an Avanti 6.

Made in America, the Avanti 3 three is a well performing watch winder and attractive addition to a room where men can celebrate their hobbies. As watch collecting usually involves growing your collection, so does your need for winders. At a point you prefer units that wind multiple watches, and the better looking they are the more you want them. Price for the Avanti 3 is $2,995. That goes up to $4,995 for the Avanti 6, and way up to $54,000 for the Avanti 48.

Thanks to Orbita for the review unit. Opinions are 100& independent.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Orbita Sparta 1 Mini Giveaway Winner Follow Up

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:26:48 +0000

aBlogtoRead.com reader Michael L. was the lucky winner of the Orbita Sparta 1 Mini Watch Winder giveaway help a few months ago. He was nice enough to take some images of his winnings and provide his thoughts. I reviewed the Orbita Sparta 1 Mini myself here. Overall I think he really liked the winder for its easy functionality and quite use. Though Michael is a man which larger wrists, and some of his watches may have felt large (but not necessarily too large in the winder). Here are his thoughts (I comment a bit in there as well).

The winder is not overly large, yet I was very pleasantly surprised that it could hold my watches just fine. I have larger than normal wrists, 8.25-8.5" around and tend to wear larger watches. A good size for me is 46 mm, and I can go up to 52 mm without it looking too silly. Most of my automatics are between 46 and 48 mm.

The Orbita winder comes with two different pillows. The thicker of the two fit perfectly for my watches with bracelets sized to my wrists. The first watch I put in there was my 48 mm Debaufre Nav B-Uhr LE. It was a perfect fit around the pillow, the pillow slid into the holder and that fit perfectly into the winder.

This winder is quiet! It sat a few feet away from me by my desk and I couldn't hear it at all. The output takes 10 minutes to make a complete rotation. That means the watch will slowly rotate clockwise for five minutes and then will swing back for forth a bit and then sit still for five minutes until the motor catches the pin on the holder and starts moving it again.

This leads me to the first minor issue I had. When I first got the winder I did try to put a number of different watches in there. I suppose it's possible to just pull out the pillow, but often I'd pull the holder out as well. [Ed. note - the holder is designed to be pulled out as well. It is perfectly safe for operation and can be pulled out easily and safely.] Once I didn't push the holder in far enough for the lever on the motor's output to catch the pin, but I didn't notice it. There's no obvious indication available at all times to show the winder's working. For five minutes the watch is perfectly still and for the next five it slowly rotates 180 degrees. Sure, if it's someplace where you can see it you should notice that every 10 minutes it swings back and forth, but it just so happened that was the last watch I put on the winder for the evening and then didn't look at it again until the next afternoon. I was very surprised that the watch had stopped running. It took me a while to figure out what I did wrong: not push the holder in all the way. [Ed. note - it is true the the pillow holder needs to be put back in all the way. It is possible to not realize this the first time, but it is easy to put it in all the way, and not make the mistake again.]

The motion of this winder is the gentlest of any I've ever owned. It takes five minutes for the watch to rotate through 180 degrees and then it swings back and forth a few times and rest for another five minutes. All of the watches I put on the winder had ETA 2824s in them and they all continued to run for as long as they were on the winder. I wondered if there would be enough movement, as according to Orbita's web site, my watches with the 2824s in them need 650 revolutions/day. This Orbita's motor only makes 144 turns/day, but every 10 minutes the watch does swing back and forth. None of my watches stopped, but perhaps they were running down and eventually they'd stop... [Ed. note - Myself and Orbita have done lots of testing to ensure that the motion of the Orbita 1 Sparta Mini fully winds watches. It is true that it appears to wind watches less, but this is not actually the case. The momentum created when the weight drops is actually without and jerkiness, and results in a significant amount of force for the rotor to wind a good deal.]
I took one of my watches (the Glycine Lagunare 1000), shook it for a few seconds to get it going and set the correct time. I never manually wind an automatic watch, but simply get it going and then wear it. That's always worked well for me. I put it on the winder for 48 hours and then stopped it. The watch still showed the correct time. I then let it run until it stopped and it ran for about 26 hours. Perfect. The winder is slowly winding the watch. I know an automatic can't be overwound, but I'm sure there's more wear and tear happening if you're spinning the watch so quickly so that it gets fully wound in a matter of hours (like some I've seen) This winder would probably take a bit more than three days to fully wind this movement when it's completely unwound.

The one problem I did have with this winder was being able to use it with watch without a bracelet. I first tried to put in a 46 mm Glycine Stratoforte that's on a rubber dive strap. I like rubber dive straps as they tend to be longer than normal straps. I guess that's so they can be worn over a wet suit, but for me they're a perfect length. However, the end if the strap sticks out a bit, and when the holder is in the winder the strap rubs against the winder. The watch certainly doesn't freely swing back and forth and I couldn't use it. [Ed. note - it may be true that the largest of watch bracelet or strap lengths aren't adept for this type of winder. In fact, such large straps would likely be an issue for most winders. This won't be a problem for the majority of owners though.]

I also tried watches with leather straps and had similar problems. My Glycine Altus is on a narrow, shorter strap than the Stratoforte has. The tail doesn't extend too far, but the curve of the strap sticks out just enough so that there's friction against inside of the winder. I wouldn't want to use it like this as I'm sure it would eventually mark up the strap. Perhaps I could have tightened the strap a bit, but then I'd be using a hole I don't normally use and putting another crease on the strap. I might also run into the problem where the end of the strap would then stick out too far. [Ed. Note - Michael has big wrists!]

If there wasn't such a close fit between the watch holder and the inside of the winder this would be a perfect winder. It's silent, gentle and keeps the watch wound - what's not to like? It certainly holds some of the larger watches being made today, and I have no doubts it would work well for smaller watches that have bracelets sized for smaller wrists than I have. However, there are some watches with straps that will not work. This may be limited to larger watches with longer straps, as I can imagine shorter straps being able to squeeze the pillow more so there's more clearance.
If your watches fit properly in this winder I would certainly recommend it.

Thanks Michael for your thoughts. I take this as a positive review, with the qualification that people with very large wrists should consult with Orbita referencing the length of their watch straps before getting this, or any watch winder for that matter.

SwissKubiK Watch Winder Review

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:33:36 +0000

Veterans of the watch industry know that automatic watch winders are a relatively new addition to the horological enthusiast's world. Such an odd thing really. What did the last several decades of collectors do when they had large collections of automatic winding mechanical watches? I really don't know. In my ongoing coverage of watch winders, I seek to find the perfect winder for you. Each model and brand has something unique to offer, and will be right for many people. Personally, I have a growing collection of all sorts of winders. No winder is perfect, and the right one will depend on where you store watch, how large your wrists are, and of course your budget. For you right here is a review of the very nice SwissKubiK. It is a very modern and well designed watch winder that for some will be the world's most perfect winder.

SwissKubiK watch winders are all perfect squares (10cm x 10cm) for the single winders. Though the company does make units that are meant to wind multiple watches. They also offer grid-like units that allow for you to insert a number of winders. At the same time, the cubic nature of the winders makes them easy to be stacked neatly. SwissKubiK winders are made in Switzerland with all Swiss, and some French parts. My understanding is that the French parts mostly come from auto industry suppliers. This makes sense as the materials used in the winders has that high-grade feel.

In the past I wanted to give Asian made watch winders the benefit of the doubt. I really wanted the low cost alternatives to the more expensive European or American winders to be better options for the economically minded. Unfortunately this was not the case. My experience with Asian made winders has been that they always break, it is just a matter of when. If you purchase Asian made watch winders, simply expect to replace them frequently. Probably every 6 months or so. At the same time, European and American watch winders that I have been operating for years are doing just fine.

The SwissKubiK watch winder is an attractive, diminutive, and hardy device. You can stick your finger in the winding portion while it is running and it won't break the motor. Even though the instructions recommend turning off the unit when adding orÂ removing a watch - if you don't, nothing bad will happen to the device. On many Asian winders this will literally kill your unit. SwissKubiK adds a lot of intelligent features to the device. For instance, if you lay the winder in a position where the watch is not facing horizontally, the winder will pause and resume when the winder is in the right position again.

Like most watch winders your watch is secured via a little plastic spring loaded holder. here the holder is made from a really high grad plastic with a flexible section that won't hurt your watch. The entire holder compacts via a central spring. This makes it useful for many watch strap/bracelet sizes. Still. the largest or smallest watches will have problems. For my smaller wrists, the bracelet did not fit around the holder as the bracelet size was too small. Though this is not an issues for watches with adjustable straps. Again, I have smaller wrists, so this is not likely to be a problem for most people. There are very few "one size fits all" watch winders. So if you have a very large or small wrist, send your measurements to SwissKubiK to ensure that the unit will work for you.

The SwissKubiK watch winder is powered via two standard C batteries. These should last for about 3 years. When the battery life is low, the light built into the switch in the front of the winder starts to blink red letting you know it is time to change the battery - this is a nice feature to have. Orbita for example often has a longer battery life, but requires harder to find lithium ion batteries. To replace the batteries you unscrew the rear metal place that has a nice polished finish to it.

Operating the watch winder is really simple. Basic operation simple involves a small on/off switch in the front of the unit. While in operation, the switch occasionally blinks green. The number of blinks has to do with the mode it is in (which can be changed via connecting the unit to your computer). I like the little pulsing green light, and the ease of operating the winder. Over the watch winder access area there is a folding transparent door that protects the watch. The door click into place via the hinges, and has a good solid built quality to it.

You'll notice a USB port in the rear of the unit. This isn't for charging or power, but rather to connect the SwissKubiK to your computer to access some addition functions. It actually would have been pretty cool if this could be used for power as well. To get the necessary software to access these special functions, you will need to download it via SwissKubiK's website. This is optional software, and you don't need it to use the winder. The default winding program is 1900 rotations a day, 950 turn in each direction. You can see an screenshot image of the software here, which allows you to customize your winder. People will appreciate being able to indicate the exact amount of rotations a day, and in which directions. The software also lets you check the battery life, and test the various functions of the winder to make sure it is operating properly. Easy to use, and a good companion to a luxury watch winder.

SwissKubiK did a good job with this watch winder, and it is even available in a number of styles and finished. Lots of colors and materials. The one I am reviewing is black and wrapped in calf leather. Prices for the SwissKubiK are high, but not unreasonable for a high-end Swiss made device. The units start at $595, with this leather wrapped version going for $695. I can't see anyone being disappoineted after getting one. Don't forget to check out all the decorative options to make it "yours."

Learn more or get one at SwissKubiK.com.

Thanks to SwissKubiK for the review unit. Opinions are 100% independent.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Last Chance To Win Orbita Watch Winder

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:36:01 +0000

You are almost out of time to enter to win not only a great automatic watch winder, but also a great American product. Click here to enter to win an Orbita Sparta 1 Mini watch winder from aBlogtoRead.com and Orbita.

Orbita Sparta 1 Tesla Watch Winder Review

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:57:17 +0000

My journey through the interesting (and necessary) world of watch winders continues. Here is another impressive and relatively reasonably priced watch winder from American based Orbita. By the way, please be sure to enter to win a similar Orbita watch winder of your own during the rest of January 2010 here. If you are reading this and the giveaway has ended, you should still take a good look at Orbita for your watch winder needs, and this Sparta 1 Tesla is a solid option. For the novices out there, recall that watch winders are a convenient companion for automatic watches - but have no effect on manually wound movements. This might seem obvious to most of my readers, but for newer watch lovers this is an important distinction.

The Sparta 1Â Tesla features the same winding system as the Orbita Sparta 1 Mini that I reviewed here. But the style and packaging of the Tesla is more luxurious, as well as modular. While the Sparta 1 Mini was a smaller unit, the Sparta 1Â Tesla is a bit larger and can be situated in either a portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) position. This means that by getting multiple Sparta 1 Tesla units you can stack them, or place them closely next to each other if you get more than one of them. This would be difficult to do with the Sparta 1 Mini - even though it is a smaller item. As such, the Sparta Tesla is sized at 7 inches tall, 5.2 inches deep, and 4 inches wide. It is substantial in weight at 2.7 pounds, but needs to be to prevent falling over and damaging your watch. By the way, the "1" part of the name refers to the fact that it winds one watch. Orbita places the number of watches any particular product is meant to winder in the name of the item.

There are three different styles of the Sparta Tesla watch winder. Picture is my favorite with black piano finished sides and a rosewood veneer in the center. There is another version with a silverÂ fiber glassÂ material in the center, and one other with black hand-stitched textured leather. Each of the versions are pretty handsome and a fitting frame for most luxury watches. Prices are the same for each style in the Sparta 1 Tesla collection.

Using the Sparta 1 Tesla couldn't be easier. You can tell from the video that it is very simple. It starts by attaching the A/C adapter to the rear of the unit and then into the wall. The unit is "turned on" by default, but has an off-switch for when you don't want to use it. The winder does not need to be turned off to insert or remove watches (though this is necessary with cheap Asian made watch winders). Inserting a watch is done by first removing the foam brick pillow. Close your watch over it as you would your wrist and then insert it back into the winder cage. This cage is also removable from the unit if you wish to remove it for any reason. The entire cage locks into the main unit easily and securely. That is it. Nothing else is necessary.

How does the winder work? I discussed it in more detail when I reviewed the Sparta 1 Mini, but I will discuss again briefly. The system is really clever and uses very little power. While most watch winders are constantly using power when in motion, the Sparta 1 system sips power. The system is so efficientÂ that is uses less power each monthÂ than a 75 watt light bulb would consume in a single day. A veryÂ "green" product indeed.

As the system sips power it moves the winding carriage in small increment clockwise. After 10 minutes the cage is pushed far enough that the system releases it. A rotor shaped weight in the back of the cage uses natural momentum to move the cage back and forth until it stops. This perfectly simulates the movement required to wind your automatic watch, and funny enough is based on the same principle. Once the cage stops the process continues again. What is great is that the system is perfect no matter what direction the rotor in your watch needs to move to wind the movement.

The ease of use and elegance of the system is really what you are paying for. The motors in the Sparta systems have been thoroughly tested to last and last. Easy to use and easyÂ to own there is little chance of you inadvertently breaking the system. I haveÂ even tested the Sparta 1Â Tesla with myÂ largest and heaviest watched and it performed perfectly. Â The Sparta 1 Tesla retails for $295. That is a full $100 more than then Sparta 1 Mini, and you get a more impressive looking housing as well as more flexible display options. Both are good depending on your needs, but for the more serious watches, you want a more serious "home" for it to live in while not on your wrist. Even though these prices aren't cheap theoretically speaking, they are bargains compared with much that is available from Europe, and Orbita is proudly USA made and reliable. Lots of people start with inferior Asian made watch winders by quickly graduate to the likes of Orbita once they realize the need and value.

See the full Sparta 1 Tesla collection at Orbita here.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Free Orbita Sparta 1 Mini Watch Winder Giveaway

admin — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 10:15:12 +0000

There is a good chance that you got a new watch this holiday season (at least I hope you did). Maybe a loved one got you that new timepiece, or you broke down and gifted yourself (likely the best idea). We often get really excited about our new watches, but with the new addition to our collection, we find ourselves without a place to put it, and more importantly a way to conveniently wind that new automatic watch.

Looks like you need to get yourself a new watch winder. The handiest way to keep your automatic watches ready for action when you want to wear them. I used sit there and wind a bunch of automatic watches manually each day. It was a pain. If you don't wear your automatic mechanical watch for a day or two it stops. Then you need to reset it when you wear it. If you only have one watch, this isn't a problem - but as your collection grows... well you can see where these useful accessories come in quite handy. Good watch winders aren't cheap. Sure you can get Chinese made watch winders for $50 - $100 - but you'll have to get a new one each several months. Those ones just don't last. Plus, they are often tooÂ plasticy looking and not at all suitable for your new luxury love.

Orbita is the premiere American maker of watch winders. By watch lovers, for watch lovers - they do a great job of making items that play nice with our automatic watches, when we don't. Their full range of winders offer items for single watches, to entire room set-ups. This month on aBlogtoRead.com you can enter to win an Orbita Sparta 1 Mini watch winder. I reviewed one of these impressive Sparta 1 Mini winders here. This is one of the best single watch winders on the market. American made. Low power consumption. Virtually silent. Easy to operate. Retail price is $195. Good luck!

To Enter You Must:

1. Comment on this post below with your valid e-mail address where required. In the body of your comment should mention why you need a watch winder or why you prefer Orbita watch winders.

2. By entering you are opting in to potentially receive occasional watch related news letters or announcements. You may opt out at any time.

3. Wait until the giveaway is over on February 1st, 2010 for the winner to be chosen at random.

A couple of basic rules. You can only enter once. You must comment with a valid e-mail address where you can be reached. Your comment must be confirmed and approved. You must complete the objectives to be considered. You are responsible for providing your contact shipping information if you are chosen. Giveaway watch selection based on sponsor's inventory and watch availability. All comments made after the end of the giveaway period will not be considered. For the full terms and conditions, please click here.

Good luck, and thanks to Orbita, the sponsor of the Orbita watch winder giveaway here at aBlogtoRead.com!

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Orbita Futura Watch Winder Review

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:49:44 +0000

You are either gonna love or hate this watch winder - but if you are anything like me, you really like it. This is the Orbita Futura watch winder. There are actually several winders in the Orbita Futura line and this is sort of an interim version which you might not be able to find available. Still it is a good representation into the Futura watch winder line. Let me explain. The current entry level Futura winder is known as the Orbita Futura 1. It does not have the open circuit board and quite as many settings, but preserves the same cylinder on rollers winding style. The Futura 1 looks a bit different, but you can tell where it got its style - from this model I have reviewed. Like this model, the Futura 1Â has an acrylic lid. The high end version of the Futura is actually called the Tourbillon 1. This is the version that looks most like this specific Futura. There are two main differences between this Futura and the Tourbillon 1. First is the use of crystal glass as opposed to acrylic for the enclosure. Crystal is going to be heavier, but gives you a sexier and higher quality look. The second difference is the "tourbillon" aspect of the name. Basically, the winder mimics the effect of a tourbillon escapement in such watches that have one. What it does it stop the winding cylinder in different positions each time. This allows potential differences in the rate of the watch in different positions to be averaged out and thus theoretically helps increase the rate results of a watch. The Tourbillon 1 winding cylinder has 13 different positions for the cylinder I believe. This future does not have this "tourbillon feature" with the watch starting and stopping its cycles in the same position. Now with that in mind, lets talk about this impressive little number. The Futura 1 retails for $695 and the Tourbillon 1 retails at $995. Prices from dealers are probably a little bit less.

The first thing you should know is that this watch winder is referred to as "programmable." Unlike some other watch winders it has more than an "on" and "off" switch. Rather, you have an interesting range of settings and options that are functional or aesthetic related. Part of the character of this winder involves all the controls being on an exposed circuit board. The two backlit LCD screens, lights, and buttons are all on the board itself. They are labeled though, and the Futura comes with instructions (that actually sound as though they were written by a human being) that explain how everything works pretty well.

Different automatic watches each have different winding requirements. Some need more or less winding, and most watches wind with the rotor moving either clockwise or counter-clockwise. A few watches have rotors that wind in both directions. You can go to Orbita's website for a "Watch Database" that has an impressive list of watches and is updated frequently. You can go there to determine what type of winding your watch needs. Most of the time you can tell for yourself what direction the rotor of your watch winds in, but only if you have an exhibition caseback. Turn the watch in both directions. The direction where the rotor seems to move with a bit more resistance is the direction it needs to spin to wind. There is a lever switch on the Futura that controls the direction of winding. There is also a switch to control the amount of turns per day (TPD). The daily turns are indicated in the left hand LCD display, and starts counting at midnight. It then resets itself. This display is also used for various setting when you need to make adjustments to the unit. The right LCD display is for the time. This is good for a few reasons. Mostly to assist with the TPD counter as well as provide you with a reference to determine how accurate your watch is and to adjust the time if needed. I think that more watch winders should have built in clocks. I like this. Having the unit in my display case gives me a handy clock to go to when I need to adjust watches. The clock can further be set to 12 or 24 hour time.

Mounting your watch is easy to do. Simply take the cylinder off the rollers and press out the foam brick. Close your watch around the brick, place it back inside of the cylinder and then put it back on the rollers - that easy. The system also works to alleviate fears of breaking a motor by adding or removing a watch while the system is on. It does not matter at all whether or not the cylinder is on the device as it will not hurt the motor inside of the roller. That is really it in terms of using the Future watch winder. It is just that simple. There is of course the cubic hood that helps complete the look and keeps out dust. Yea, you'll have to lift it off the unit. The acrylic hood fits relatively well on the unit - it does not have a real specific spot, but seems to fit on well.

The construction of the unit involves a shiny black case sitting on four legs. A mirror on top of which a raised circuit board is mounted, and the rest you can easily visually deduce. The Futura is very artistic in my mind. I wouldn't actually call it futuristic at all, but I suppose it is in comparison to some of the classic looking wood winder units. Instead it is a more "tech friendly" device, proud of its electronics. Thematically similar to a skeletonized watch, only here you have electronics and lights, as opposed to gears and springs. There are actually four blue LED lights on the board that are more or less decorative. they actually have various settings and can blink and different speeds. The point of the lights it to make the unit look more "spacey," and in that it succeeds. You'll feel like you are in a space ship with the Futura winder being on in a dark room. You can easily turn the lights off too. I had to do this as I keep my watches in my bedroom and the bright blue blinking lights made me feel like there was a police car in the room. Turning the lights off involved removing the power to the unit and restarting it to put it in settings mode. Not a big deal, but it did involve resetting the time. Still, I was very pleased that Orbita realized that it would be a feature people would want to have some control over - something I wishes the makers of my computer thought of as it seems to twirp and blink with various lights more often than R2-D2.

The circuit board sitting on a mirror is pretty cool looking and adds an additional level of interest to the Futura. You can't see too much of the bottom via the mirror, but enough. The mirror and shiny black base attract fingerprints, so you'll want to use your watch polishing cloth on it once in a while - and you probably have that cloth laying around nearby anyway. The Futura is really a showpiece winder helping to make the right watch look cooler and enhance the aesthetic value of a watch winder. It is contemporary looking and I think most men will agree that they certainly want one. Although this unit only has room for one watch, there is a three watch version of the base Futura 1 called the Futura 3 that goes for $1995. Both the Futura 1 and 3 use batteries for power, this Futura and the Tourbillon 1 use an AC adapter and plug into the wall. I happen to like this, and you can see where the plug attaches to the winder in the rear of the unit.

Now, I mentioned earlier that this Futura winder is hard to find, if at all. The reason has to do with why this winder even exists. It was originally made as a partnership between Orbita and watch maker Jacob & Co. US based Jacob & Co. wanted to provide a watch winder with its new automatic movement based watch (they aren't all quartz), and this Futura watch winder was the result. My understanding is that the winders were limited in production (not sure if they are still made at this time) and were made to be provided with the Jacob & Co. watches. If you are interested in getting a unit like this, I imagine the price would be somewhere between the Futura 1 and the Tourbillon 1. You'd have to contact Orbita to see if they have any available.

Overall I really like this Orbita Futura watch winder. I seriously enjoy the looks of it, and it has a special meaning to me because I used to tinker with electronics a lot as a kid. Thus I can really connect with the design and enjoy seeing the "naked" look of how the watch winder is put together. Plus, being a person that feels comfortable working with computer mother boards, I don't mind going right on the board to look for information and adjust switches. This type of winder is for that specific type of person who enjoys tinkering and taking things apart, as well as understanding how things work. This unit more than most really looks like something that Orbita engineers had fun putting together and probably enjoy themselves.

See the Orbita Futura 1 watch winder here.

See the Orbita Tourbillon 1 watch winder here.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Orbita Sparta 1 Mini Watch Winder Review

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:53:58 +0000

Allow me to introduce you to the Orbita Sparta 1 Mini watch winder. I originally discussed this watch on Luxist and mentioned how it was being marketed as a women's watch winder line. Actually, Orbita released a line of colors for women, but there are also male colored versions available. So in all, the Sparta 1 Mini is available in something like 6-8 colors with men's and women's colors. Here is the white version which is pretty unisex if you ask me. Price is very reasonable for this winder given what you get. There are two prices. The AC powered plug-in Sparta 1 Mini model (as tested) retails for $195, and can be found online at authorized Orbita dealers for about $150. The lithium ion battery powered version of the SpartaÂ is more, with a retail price of $295 (can also likely be found on authorized retailer sites for a bit less). Plus, the battery powered version has a different style and is known as the Sparta Open watch winder.

The Sparta 1 Mini is a basic and inexpensive model from Orbita, but does everything you want it to do for winding a single automatic mechanical watch. Orbita makes many watch winders in beautiful woods, or for multiple watches, so those are also available - but in all, there is no really "better" way to wind watches that what you are provided with here. One of the best things about this Sparta 1 Mini is the refinement and winding mechanism. I haven't always been so keen on all Orbita watch winders, but this model does the task of winding very well - with next to no fuss. It is prudent to mention right off the bat that the Sparta is available in both AC (plug-in) powered, and battery powered models (the Sparta 1 Min and Sparta Open respectively). I really would have liked the unit to do both of these things, and have the option to run off of either type of power, but it isn't that big of a deal. You just need to decide which is right for you. The AC powered model is pretty straight forward. The unit comes with plug that attaches to the rear of the unit. The plug separates from the back of the unit so that Orbita can sell the unit in various countries and supply the right plug type for that region. The battery powered version uses special lithium ion batteries that are the same size as a D cell battery. The batteries aren't the type you can buy at your local drug store, but they are available online and directly from Orbita. The good news is that you won't have to worry about this too often as the batteries last for at least 5-7 years. The has to do with two things. First is the fact that the winder uses very little power, and second is because of mAh rating of the batteries is very high.

Overall the construction of the winder is good. The body is quality plastic and the white is a faux lizard skin material that has a semi-metallic look (there are also faux leather versions available). Feels nice and looks good on a wardrobe or shelf. Orbita does mostly their own manufacturing as far as I can tell. You get the feeling that the devices are made by engineers and watch enthusiasts - as opposed to some corporate committee. Watch winders are still sort of a niche product, so you get the sense that a smaller dedicated factory is putting these devices together. The unit feels a lot more solid that winders from China, I can easily say that. There is a small on/off switch on the rear of the watch winder. I am pretty sure that you can place and remove watches while the unit is "on," but best practices dictate that you turn it "off" to place and remove watches.

Using the winder is easy. There is a foam brick and the actual unit that winds the watch. The unit itself removes from the winder body, but you technically don't ever need to remove it. The option is there to help with inserting and removing watches. Look on the back of the winding unit and you see the RotorWind weight. This is a hint as to how the unit works, which is different than most watch winders of this type. The system is really clever actually and I quite like it. The Sparta 1 Mini uses a low power motor to slowly turn the winding unit. The whole process takes 5-10 minutes ans is virtually silent. Once the winding unit gets to a specific point, the motor releases and the weight in the winding unit pull the unit down and the momentum of the travel distance propels the winding unit (with the watch in it) back and forth a few times that enables the automatic rotor inside of the watch to spin in both directions. This action creates the force that mimics your wrist's movement and winds the watch (regardless of the direction that the rotor needs to spin to wind the movement). The system is good for almost all automatic watches, and my experience is that watches I have tested with the Sparta 1 Mini stay well wound. So what you have is a clever system that uses very low amounts of power and is basically silent. It is also safe for the watches which is a necessary part of the equation.

Unlike Orbita winders, less expensive Chinese watch winders are prone to failure after a few months, but I haven't heard about this from Orbita. Honestly, I have had several Chinese watch winders die on me... you are the exception to the rule if one last for 6 month to a year or longer. Like all electronic or mechanical things, once in a while watch winders need servicing, but I am confident in the lifespan on the motors in Orbita watch winders. This makes them worth the price, as they simply last a long time.

The Sparta 1 Mini comes with two foam bricks. They are in two sizes depending on the size of your watch strap, you'll know which one to use. For me, I used the smaller brick. You can easily squeeze the brick into a closed watch strap or bracelet or close the watch over the brick. The foam material of the brick won't scratch your watches. Placing the brick in the winding unit is easy and it fits in there snugly. I don't worry about it slipping out, nor does it stick inside stubbornly. More expensive unit "house" watches more. This helps protect them from dust and from coming in contact with other things that might damage or cosmetically harm your watch. The Sparta 1 Mini has watch more or less exposed. Again, this is only a problem in certain situations and for select highly expensive watches. If you have a watch that you don't want collecting much dust or needs to be utterly protected, there are closed unit watch winders available - but realize that a "housing" just gives you one more thing between you and your watch possibly making it less convenient to use your watch winder, and watch winders are all about convenience. Also, remember that the same type of winding (via the RotorWind system) is being increasinly used in more and more Orbita watch winders, even the very expensive winders that accomodate many watches - it is just that good of a system.

The Sparta 1 Mini has a very small size footprint. You can see the unit resting in the palm of my hand. A lot of single watch winders seem to take up more room that is necessary, but the Sparta 1 Mini seems to do everything necessary, but not be too large. Some of you reading this have tons of watch winders and always need more, and other have never purchased a watch winder, though you probably need one. Still others of you have never spent more than $50 of a watch winder before. I recommend that everyone with a growing collection of automatic mechanical watches invest in a watch winder. It makes living with multiple watches easier so that you don't have to wind them each time you wear them if you cycle between a few watches. This is especially important when you have watches with several complications such a calendar - where setting it each time is frankly a pain. So there you have it, a good entry-level watch winder from Orbita. You get a fantastic watch winding system in a compact and attractive package. For some of you the price might seem quite high, and frankly it is if you aren't used to spending this on watch winders. Others will see the Sparta 1 Mini as a bargain. It all depends on how involved of a watch collector you are, but you aren't going to find much else with this quality mechanics and motor for the same price elsewhere.

Learn more about the Sparta 1 Mini watch winder line at Orbita here.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.