Best watch winders 2024: Jump Menu
00. The top three
01. Best overall: Wolf Cub Single Watch Winder
02. Best sophisticated: Barrington Single Winder
03. Best double: Rapport Vogue Duo Watch Winder
04. Best automatic: Wolf Heritage Double Winder
05. Best large: Wolf Viceroy Six-piece watch winder
06. Best single: Rapport London Perpetua III Winder
07. Best triple: Wolf Roadster Triple Watch Winder
08. Best attractive: Rapport London Optima Time Capsule
09. Best affordable: Stackers Watch Winder
11. How we test
If you're into your watches, you need to have one of the best watch winders at your disposal. Collecting watches can be a rewarding pastime, not to mention a great way to stay accessorised to the nines. However, every owner of automatic (self-winding) watches knows that if you don’t keep them moving, they'll slow down and stop.
This is where watch winders come to the rescue. These boxes can act as storage solutions and display cases, but above all else, they rotate periodically to keep your watch’s power reserve topped up. That way, no matter how long it is since you last wore your best watch, the winder will ensure it's topped up at the right time and ready to be worn.
A watch winder should feature a considered design that will serve to highlight your investment and suit your interior aesthetic. In this guide, we've found a wide array of watch winder options to suit all kinds of collectors.
If you're travelling with your watches, keep them in impeccable style with the best watch rolls and cases. Watch rolls won't keep your watches ticking, but they will protect them from scratches and damage.
Lizzie is T3's Home Staff Writer, also covering style and wellness. Not only does Lizzie scout out and review the best products to buy within these areas, but she also dedicates time and effort into finding out how to keep them safe. When it comes to your timepieces, watch winders are the perfect accessory to keeping them wound up when not in use. They're also great for protection, and Lizzie couldn't recommend them enough.
The top three
Best Overall
The best overall watch winder
If you're looking for a single watch winder that exudes class and luxury, then I think the Cub by Wolf is your best option. It feels like a meticulously engineered piece of kit, with a sharp, faux-leather design.
Best sophisticated option
The best sophisticated watch winder
The Barrington Single Winder is another favourite of ours. It's made from MDF but with an incredibly smooth gloss finish, perfect if you own one automatic watch or if you're short on space. Inside is a Japanese motor which rotates almost silently, and is powered by either a mains plug or two AA batteries.
Best double option
The best double watch winder
If you're looking for a modern watch winder, this contemporary design from Rapport is beautifully created from carbon fibre and brushed aluminium. It features two bevelled glass panels on the upper lid, which is complemented with a luxurious grey velvet interior.
Best watch winders ranking
Why you can trust T3
The best watch winder overall
If you're looking for a single watch winder that exudes class and luxury, then the Cub by Wolf is your best option. It feels like a meticulously engineered piece of kit, with a sharp, faux-leather design.
It features a fine Saffiano finish and has a glass cover to keep dust off your pride and joy. The Cub comes in a number of colour options too, but my favourite is this stunning dark-green colourway. The watch winder is finished with chrome hardware and has a single winding setting.
Obviously, the Cub is the entry-level model of Wolf's range, with space for just one timepiece. If you want a watch winder with a larger capacity, then you'll have to look elsewhere in Wolf's range, or at the other options below.
The best sophisticated watch winder
The Barrington Single Winder is made from MDF, but with an incredibly smooth gloss finish. That makes it perfect if you own one automatic watch or if you're short on space. Inside is a Japanese motor which rotates almost silently, and is powered by either a mains plug or two AA batteries.
There are settings for the direction of rotation, as well as the number of turns per day. Knowing which setting is incredibly easy thanks to the Barrington Watch Database, which suggests the best setting for your watch model.
There are seven colours to choose from, meaning it shouldn't have a problem fitting into your room, and, at a price of £125, we think it's tremendous value for money. Check out all the colours available on Barrington's website.
The best double watch winder
If you're looking for a modern watch winder, this contemporary design from Rapport is beautifully created from carbon fibre and brushed aluminium. It features two bevelled glass panels on the upper lid, which is complemented with a luxurious grey velvet interior.
The watches are placed on luxe soft leather watch holders, each of which can be individually controlled for each individual watch's needs. The motor runs virtually silent and can be powered through the battery backup too. At 305 x 185 x 160mm, it's large, but not too imposing.
The best automatic watch winder
This is the best watch winder if you have a larger watch collection. It's designed to suit varied collections too – the sprung watch holders can carry all types of watches, from dinky to oversized, and it’s also able to simultaneously wind two watches on different settings – with pre-programmed sleep phases and intermittent rotations, no less.
It’s smart in more ways than one, too, with its faux leather casing and chrome hardware looking simple and sleek, and a glass front panel that allows you to keep an eye on things while showing off your favourite watches.
Wolf is one of our favourite watch winder brands too, and well respected, so we know this is a reliable and well-designed product.
The best large watch winder
If you've got a large watch collection, or like to wear a different watch every day of the week, then you need a serious watch winder. This Wolf Viceroy has space to store and maintain the precision of six watches. It's made from rich faux leather, which is great if you're vegan, with a glass cover and silk lining.
It can perform up to 1,200 turns per day and has a start delay of up to 72 hours so you can set it ahead of time. Each watch winder can be programmed individually, so it can suit all different watch needs. You can also keep everything secure with the integrated lock and key, although, the front is made from glass, so it's probably not that secure.
The best single watch winder
A leather-bound watch winder-meets-jewellery box might be enticing, but if a three grand price tag takes it out of the realms of accessibility, consider this dinky version instead. A testament to the old adage that good things come in small packages, it’s ideal if a single watch winder is all you need, with its practical small footprint and high-end-looking lacquered box made from solid walnut.
The low-voltage motor keeps things moving constantly and quietly on a choice of timed or fast modes, by DC adapter or batteries, making for a superbly versatile winder.
The only reason we're not sure about it is that the lid is opaque, which means you can't see your watch when it's in your winder. You may like my watch to be on display, but if you prefer something a little more discreet, or have a vintage watch that might fade in the sun, then this is a great option.
The best triple watch winder
With winders for three watches and storage for five more, this really is a winder for the watch obsessive.
The whisper-quiet operation is really impressive and it's really easy to set up with the correct rotation settings. It features a handy protective delay start function to guard against over-winding, and winders are solid enough to handle even the heaviest, oversized, luxury watches.
The best attractive watch winder
Yes, we appreciate that spending over £2,000 / $2,300 on a device purely to keep your watch wound up is a bit excessive, but would you just look at this winder from Rapport?! The London Optima Time Capsule shares its mechanical design with the luxury watches it will no doubt contain, complete with metal cogs nestled behind a beautiful cylindrical glass.
With stainless steel controls which look like they come from a vintage record player, the Optima Time Capsule offers multiple winding modes for different watches. Quite simply, it's stunning, and is the perfect addition to an uber-luxe dressing room.
The best affordable watch winder
Stackers is a company that creates stackable jewellery and watch boxes, and also now offers a stylish watch winder. Borrowing a similar design as its other products, which I really like, the cuboid watch winder holds a single timepiece and is available in black or brown.
The winder can be plugged into the mains or powered with AA batteries. A pair of control knobs on the front let you set how the winder works. It turns your watch 600 times per day, and has three rotation settings to pick from (clockwise, anticlockwise or bi-directional). The level of quietness is also very impressive – so it shouldn't disturb you if kept in the bedroom.
How we test
When we review a watch winder the process is fairly simple. First, we assess the watch winder's design, whether it looks good, what materials it's made from and whether it feels robust and well-made. This is an important consideration, because ultimately a watch winder is a luxury purchase, and if you want it to display your pride and joy then you'll want it to be attractive.
Then we'll look at how practical it is, whether the watch cushion feels secure and how easy it is to dial in the correct settings.
Finally, we'll look at how the watch winder operates, how quiet it is, how long the batteries last, whether it's smooth and what functions it offers.