Diplomat Single Burgundy Watch Winder with Built-In IC Timer

Yes, it's plastic - but it's understated and not at all unattractive for what it is. For my watch (a 46 year old Rolex 'Datejust' that is still going strong) - it's perfect. I see that some purchasers with large watches have said it may not be ideally sized for such timepieces, but it seems to me the watch would have to be 'huge' for this to be an issue. The watch holder is constructed such that, when the clasp or band is closed on the removeable watch holder, a compressible spring accommodates the wrist size by moving a plastic pad in or out to maintain sufficient pressure on the band / watch (from the 'inside'), ensuring the watch stays in place. A word about operation. The switch is a three position slide type: center off, with rotation clockwise when moved one way and counterclockwise when moved the other. During any single winding "session" the winder rotates the watch head in one direction only, and I was initially concerned about that (during normal wearing of a watch on one's wrist, the internal winding mechanism rotates alternately clockwise / counterclockwise according to how the watch wearer's wrist moves - evening out the "wear" on internal parts). But seeing how this works, I don't really think it's an issue. That is, I now simply move the slide switch to its center position when removing the watch to wear. (That puts it in standby / 'off' mode so that the mechanism won't rotate while the watch is out of the unit.) When I return the watch to the winder I reinstall the watch, close the lid, and move the switch to rotate the watch in the other direction. Alternating in this way will, it would seem, accomplish the same beneficial effect of evening out wear on internal watch parts. For a second watch I have another (much more expensive) winder. It works beautifully, and has for more than five years. It is programmable as to duration of on / off cycles, and it alternates rotation direction on its own, unattended. It's real wood with a real glass 'bubble' over the front of the watch, and can be battery operated if desired. All of that is great, but then again it cost seven times as much as this one - and in the world of 'watch winders,' I don't think even that amount is terribly expensive: one can spend much more. The winding cycle appears to be something like "one hour rotating; three to four hours off." That seems to work fine for my watch: it does not run down, and is always ready to go. Others have said the (non-adjustable) cycle was insufficient for the watch with which they were trying to use the unit. This could be a consideration to some, but as mentioned, it's been fine for my old Rolex. A side note: placing the switch in the center position seems really to be a "standby" operation. That is, if the watch was turning when you wanted to wear it, and you moved the switch to the center, rotation stops and you can remove the watch. When you reinstall the watch and move the switch to either of the 'on' positions, it immediately continues its rotation. On the other hand, if the watch was NOT rotating when you moved the switch to the center, no rotation will occur right away when you reinstall the watch later and the switch is moved to one of the two rotation positions. Initially I worried that something was wrong, but it seems what is happening is that the internal 'timer' for rotation simply picks back up at the same point in the cycle: if in 'sleep' mode when you removed the watch, it will be in 'sleep' mode when you switch it back to 'rotation' mode. But when that sleep portion of the cycle ends, normal rotation continues. Bottom line: it picks up wherever it left off... (All bets are off if you unplug it, however: my guess [only a guess] is that it then 'reboots' itself.) Finally, it's amazingly quiet! I have it on my desk not two feet away from me, and (though my hearing is fine) I simply cannot hear the motor at all. Maybe I'm lucky, and got a silent example - but that is a very nice feature. I have no idea about the reliability / longevity; we shall see. But the initial impression is: it works very well and appears to be an excellent value!

I always thought these winders were kind of over-priced. I saw this one and said I would give it a try. It is annoying having to reset my auto-winder as I do not wear it all the time. It will be interesting to see how well it keeps time now that it need not run-down from my lack of wearing it. As another reviewer said, it is very quiet. I cannot hear a thing. It runs about an hour and then is off for 3 or 4 hours (can't recall) and then starts up again. I suppose if one wanted to be nit-picky, it does rotate only one way, settable by you. I could argue that having it rotate clockwise on one cycle, followed by counter-clockwise on another, would be nice. Not sure if it makes much difference. I will just remember to flip the switch the other way in between wearings. The case looks very good and is attractive on the bureau. For the price, this is a very good value. I hope it holds up. I see no reason why it would not. Even my heavy watch seems effortless for it.

I have 4 automatic watches and 2 (2 watch) winders for them. I recently purchased my 5th Invicta Pro Diver and needed a single watch winder. I have ordered from Amazon several times and have always like their good prices on everything I have purchased. I ordered the Diplomat winder. When I opened the box, I was very impressed by its quality. The instructions were very easy to follow. My other winders are very good and work well. However, one couldn't call them quiet. The Diplomat is extremely quiet. It is on a bookcase just a few feet from my desk. It is so quiet that I have to check if it's running. If you have one automatic watch, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Diplomat. It works well and is also an attractive accessory. I have an Invicta Offshore Diver watch that is 47mm in size and very heavy. My other winders couldn't turn it fast enough to keep the watch from losing time. Since I started using this winder for the Invicta, it keeps excellent time. I recommend it if you have large, heavy watches Finally, I simply have to endorse Amazon's prices and the quality of merchandise one can purchase through Amazon's website. I have ordered several books from Amazon and am blown away when I can order a like new 30.00 book for 2.98. That's true of so many of their products. When I am looking for a specialty item, I check with Amazon first.

Changed from 4 to 1 star. Unit died after several months of use. Took it apart and found the rubber band/o-ring connecting the spindle to the motor had snapped. Found a replacement at the hardware store but after installing it the DC wall plug wouldn't work. Found another adapter and it ran for 2 days then the motor died. Total piece of junk. (I've looked all over for quite some time to get a watch winder and was shocked and how high the prices can go. This one was the least expensive one I could find and it works. Can't understand the reason for paying any higher price if all you want is functionality. Only two things could have made this better at a very little cost increase: One - provide for it to run on batteries as well. As this must run on the included AC adapter, it requires that I keep it outside of my cabinets or drawers. Two, all other units run clockwise and counterclockwise alternating between both motions automatically. This one only runs in direction you set it for. This isn't a big deal as many watches only wind in one direction so the machine is just wasting time by going in two directions. So, just check your manual for the proper direction, or simply use trial and error. I used clockwise for mine and the watch had stopped running the next day. Changing to counterclockwise did the trick. This unit is so quiet you have to look at it to see if it's running. The enclosure is just plastic but it does look pretty nice sitting on the table.)

I am very happy with my SECOND watch winder. The first one that came was broken, but I returned it without any hassle and before I knew it there was another one here. It works wonderfully. I have never had any other kind of watch winder, I have read where some are noisey. Well it does make some noise, but I keep it in another room. It keeps my watch running for when I wear it. I do have very small wrists and I did have to put something in between my watch and the holder to keep my watch in place, but that isnt a problem for me.

Fantastic purchase. Works really well

Compré este winder para el primer reloj automático que tuve. Al principio, como todos alguna vez, buscaba algo de un precio relativamente más alto ya que tiendo a creer que más caro es mejor. Al ver el bajo precio de este winder en comparación con muchos otros obviamente sentí dudas, mismas que se disiparon completamente en cuanto lo recibí. No hace nada de ruido, se ve muy muy bonita y cumple perfectamente su función. No tengo ni una sola queja y en verdad es un producto excelente.

A good product however some works needs to be done while putting the watch in the box.

It is a 5 stars product. Very nice made, reasonable price, very reliable, smooth and no sound operation. Love it.