A watch winder is a clever and innovative device for keeping a self-winding automatic watch in tip-top working condition when it is not being worn by the owner - we offer plenty of information and advice about the types of watch winder available to buy, how they work and the benefits of owning one

Keep Your Automatic Watch Wound-up and Ready to Go!

An automatic watch winder is a marvellous device for keeping a precision timepiece ticking away as normal when it is not being worn - and there's no shortage of top quality winder boxes to choose from.

The ingenious technology that a watch winder utilises is able to mimic the natural movements of the human arm when it is wearing an automatic watch, to power the timepiece's mechanism.

Any good quality winder box will ensure an automatic watch keeps operating to optimum performance despite the fact it has not been worn for days, or even months. Most of them wind in more than one direction, with periods of operation and rest, in order to replicate the natural human movements of a watch wearer.

We bring you plenty of information and advice about these impressive little devices - how they work, the various types you can buy and how to use one effectively. We also feature a huge range of cheap to deluxe single, dual and triple and multiple winder boxes for men and women's watches.

Watch winder boxes - also referred to as watch rotators - are usually made of combinations of plastic, metal, chrome, glass and wood - popular finishes include faux and real leather, velvet and piano finish. Most have a clear tempered or acrylic glass window to allow you to see your treasured rotating timepieces

You'll find all the leading brands of winder here including Time Tutelary, Modalo, Axis Watches, Excelvan, JQUEEN, Barrington, Tokyo 4, Chiyoda, Pateker, JWatchwell, Klarstein, Beco, Dulwich, LDRAGON, Orbita, Wolf Designs, Premier, and Rapport.

Automatic watches are different from battery-operated quartz watches and those that can only be manually operated with a hand winder. They feature a very sensitive internal mechanism that responds to body movement and winds the watch. Therefore, an alternative method is required to keep an automatic wrist watch fully functional when not being worn, to avoid it winding down and stopping - and that's where a watch winder box comes to the rescue.

A cheap single watch winder with a plastic casing will cost under £50 but a top quality device for multiple watches, can cost anything between £200 and £2,000, depending on the quality of the build, the standard of motor movement and the number of special features built into it.

Many men and women own an automatic watch simply to monitor the time, while others like to invest in an expensive and stylish timepiece on their wrist which can be worn as a fashion statement. Deluxe automatic watches by leading names such as Rolex, Tissot, Visconti, Omega, Cartier and Tag Heuer can prove to be lucrative investments for the future.

There are also plenty of dedicated watch collectors who either have a rotation plan for wearing their watches or simply don't wear them at all, instead choosing to keep them safely in a watch display box or cabinet. And if they own a range of automatic watches they will almost certainly choose to invest in a watch winder box.

There are many impressive watch winder features to be found on the more expensive devices - these provide varying degrees of additional user control and setting adjustments.

These elegantly-designed winder cases are available in various sizes and shapes including square, round, oval, rectangle and hexagonal. Various colours including white, black, brown, blue, red, yellow, pink, grey, green, gold, silver and purple.

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It's definitely worth buying a watch winder if you own an automatic watch - or several of them - and you want to keep them running efficiently. They are an essential requirement for men and women in the UK who are timepiece fanatics, committed to building up their own private collection of watches, whether automatic, digital, kinetic or manual-wound watches.

Automatic self-winding watches are capable of generating their own supply of energy by converting the inertia from the regular movements in the wearer's wrist. The mainspring inside this type of watch is wound by a rotor and this will unwind after around 36 hours, unless is continues to be activated by movement.

Manually winding an automatic watch that isn't worn regularly is not a wise move as this is likely to put unwanted stress of the auto reverser wheels of the timepiece.

Wearing an automatic watch every day means that it will continue to get enough energy - but this is not the case if you do not wear it, meaning the mainspring will become unwound. This is where a watch winder comes into its own, enabling a watch to be remain fully operational, even when it is not being worn for a period of time.

Watch winders are available to buy at plenty of UK online and high street stores these days including The Jewel Hut, John Lewis, Tesco, F. Hinds Jewellers, Amazon and eBay.

Many of these winding boxes feature a series of little padded storage grids or slots beside the main winding area, which are ideal for safely and securely storing any other automatic watches you own.

Other devices come with one or more handy little drawers below the main winder unit, which are ideal for storing additional automatic watches, if you own more than one.

In conclusion, if you own an automatic watch, there's no 'time' like the present for treating yourself - and your watch - to a watch winder box.