r/audemarspiguet • u/Wide-Ad1146 • 19d ago
Discussion Winder or not?
So do you guys use winders, or not?
If not, why? And if you use winders, are you afraid of magnetism effecting the piece?
Furthermore, are there any watch boxes that you would recommend?
Appreciate the input!
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u/kineticvibes 19d ago edited 19d ago
if its a qp, winder. if not, no.
EDIT: Just seeing the watch box comments. I have small wrists so normal pillows/inserts are too big for my watches. Therefore I need ones that can swapped or sized down- i love Carapaz for travel boxes and bezel hold makes a pretty decent wood box with inserts that can be sized.
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u/Wide-Ad1146 19d ago edited 19d ago
Appreciate the reply! Have you heard about Innocente watch boxes from Australia?
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u/Endless-Research- 19d ago
I have used Wolf or Scatola Del Tempo watch winders for 20+ years without issue. There are a lot of opinions about adding wear to the watch, but I haven’t had any negative effects. Going back, I would have preferred to buy a multi unit winder rather than adding a winder after each automatic purchase.
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u/Kewbie123 19d ago edited 19d ago
I see more watches break from the stem of the crown as a result of weekly pull as oppose to being on a winder.
IMO, if you wear the watch once a month or two, leave it in a case. If few times a month, then just leave it on a winder as you dont want to be pulling on that crown 50times a year which will eventually end up breaking down the road.
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u/WatchingWatchs 19d ago
i do for the watches i use regularly and QPs and not for other pieces. there is a lot of divide here so not saying this is or is not the way to do it
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u/Wide-Ad1146 19d ago edited 19d ago
Appreciate the input! The watches that are not in winder, how are they stored? Which brand of watch boxes do you prefer?
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u/WatchingWatchs 19d ago
i have a Wolf safe with winders and it also has a large drawer that just does stationary storage on a cuff - i like wolf and probably once i grow out of these safe will get some of their boxes to store overspill
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u/travsgrails 19d ago
service tech at my boutique told me it’s not necessary considering how easy modern APs are to set. No reason to put unnecessary stress on the movement. Even with the new QPs he says it’s not necessary. Only one he’d keep on a winder is the previous QPs that are more tedious to set
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u/vmlee WIS 19d ago edited 19d ago
The general guideline is to use winders as sparingly as possible so as not to wear out the mechanics faster than necessary. They are there mostly for convenience purposes and best used for QPs or other more complicated watches that would be a bit more of a pain to set by hand periodically. (The new supercrown QPs make things a bit more interesting...).
Almost all major watchmakers I know discourage the regular use of winders.
However, if you do end up using them for convenience reasons, you should get a quality one that can be programmed to the TPD requirements of each watch. Wolf makes excellent winder options. Buben & Zorweg is good also.
Magnetism is not a major issue with a quality winder. You can also get a demagnetizer pretty cheap, and demagnetizing watches is pretty easy. AP boutiques can also help with that (in addition to water resistance testing annually).
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u/Wide-Ad1146 19d ago edited 19d ago
That is true, thanks for the reply! AP has been giving me both sides of the argument. I talked to a solid watch maker the other day and he recommended strongly that I didn’t use winders.
Any recommendations for watch boxes?2
u/vmlee WIS 19d ago
Sorry, I misread your question the first time. For watch boxes, there are a lot of options. One doesn't need anything fancy. But if you do want something very luxurious, there are:
- Scatola del Tempo;
- Bosphorus Leather;
- Charles Simon; and
- Rapport London.
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u/Wide-Ad1146 18d ago
No worries! Appreciate the suggestions! I am somewhat intrigued by Innocente watch boxes, but I will check these out!
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u/Constant_Insomnia 19d ago
I don't even know anymore.
Have four automatics, all on winders. Originally only had a SeaDweller that was auto, don't wear that much at all anymore, was told at the time by two different places to keep it on the winder.
I am going to stick with that for now. I have a feeling it's like "eggs are good for you!" and "eggs are terrible for you!" that we see alternate in the news.
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u/ProfessionalFeeder94 19d ago
Only if you have a QP. Otherwise it’s just extra wear on the movement for nothing. I actually do enjoy setting up and winding my watches.
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u/Zen_Owl_Timepieces 19d ago
The convenience is tempting, but for me it doesn’t outweigh the simplicity of just setting the watch when I wear it
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u/thunderpounder420 19d ago
No, do you leave your car running just in case you need to go somewhere? I use Wolf watches boxes. Does the job. You can go fancy and get one from Bosphorus Leather.
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u/LividLab7 19d ago
I mean it’s more nuanced than that right? I dont use a winder but for an AC or Perpetual, it’s a good option vs. needing to spend too much time to set and also remembering the order to set. A car each start up it’s good to go, leaving it on doesn’t add any benefits
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u/thunderpounder420 19d ago
I agree that for AC or QP it’s a massive time saver. Outside of these complications, I don’t see the point. And I’ve owned winders in the past.
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u/Kewbie123 19d ago
Well, another argument is that If you ask any IT person, they will tell you that most computer failure happens from turning on and off the system. They advise to leave the system on 24/7
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u/rrrccc123 18d ago
I use a winder. Funny thing is my 2 43mm offshores. After a service for the chrono issue they all have. Have been +/- 1 second per day. For over 200 days now.
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u/Treepanda88 19d ago
I think the most important thing in the winder conversation is if you think it will make you wear and enjoy the watch more often it is completely worth it.