Those of us who have the luxury of owning a self winding watch need a way to store it that is going to not only protect it but keep it fully wound. It is for this reason that watch winders were created. If you have never owned a self winding watch before you may not realize that your watch should be kept wound at all times or damage may occur.

According to the companies who manufacture these watches, most of which are among the top 5 percent of the most expensive watches in the world, the springs used in the automatic winding mechanism are not designed to be left unwound for long periods of time. When this occurs it allows the springs to become weak and then the accuracy of the time piece is affected.

With this in mind the first thing you should buy after you have spent hundreds or thousands of pounds on that fancy new automatic watch is a good quality automatic watch winder.  Your watch keeps itself fully wound by the movement of a weight inside the watch, every time you move your arm the weight is designed to move and wind the watch. If you are not wearing your watch the movement is not there and the watch spring will unwind over time and your watch will stop.

Choosing the right watch winder is not a very complicated process, however there are a few things you should keep in mind while you are looking for one. As you look around online or in the stores you will find that there are three basic types of watch winders on the market. These are the functional ones, the elegant ones and those that are very extravagant in every aspect. Which one you choose has a lot to do with your budget and your personal tastes more than in how they function.

The functional ones are likely to be the least expensive and most plain looking ones. They come in one or two watch styles and are generally run on mains power.  The interiors are usually cloth or felt to protect the watch with very simple exteriors.

Elegant watch winders have all of the same features as the functional models and are made to be more aesthetically pleasing. The exteriors may be made of real wood or are custom designed to match the décor of your home so that you can keep your watches on display for all to see.

The extravagant ones perform the same functions but go far beyond this with many special features that make them expensive to buy and for more suitable for storing your Rolex in than a simple functional watch winder might be. You may even find that some of the most expensive winders actually cost more than the watch you plan to store in it. Among these are watch winders that have heaters built into them to keep your watch stored at body temperature and spaces for multiple watches.

If you plan to store you watch in a watch winder you will find that it takes time and research to find the one that is going to best suit your needs. Always look for one that features an ultra quite motor and rotates your watch for one hour and then rests for four hours as this is the method most recommended by the leading watch manufacturers.  Any more frequent winding is actually bad for your watch and can cause serious problems that may end up ruining your expensive watch.