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Watch winders are an extremely popular accessory amongst luxury watch owners. The math here is pretty simple: if you own a costly timepiece, you want to provide it with the best care possible.
Owning a watch winder not only makes sure your automatic watch is always wound and ready to wear but also adds a touch of class to your collection and the room you place it in. It simply oozes class.
However, that’s not to say you have to wear a Rolex or Patek Philippe to be able to afford a capable product. The last decade or so has seen an influx of low-budget manufacturers – some of which provide excellent value. In terms of looks, functionality, and longevity, some cut-price brands have a lot to show for.
To help you pick the top cheapest watch winder for 2021, in this article we will take a look at 5 models from 5 different brands. Believe it or not, none of these products will set you back more than a hundred bucks.
Without further ado, let’s go.
Cheapest Watch Winder for 2021 (Top 5 Overview)
| Product | Brand | Model | Prime | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Triple Tree | N/A | PrimeEligible | Check Price |
 | Chiyoda | N/A | PrimeEligible | Check Price |
 | Jqueen | N/A | PrimeEligible | Check Price |
 Top
Top
Top | Mozsly | DAN-001-BN | PrimeEligible | Check |
 | Versa | N/A | PrimeEligible | Check Price |
Things to Know Before Buying a Watch Winder
If you’ve never owned a watch winder before, there’s a high chance you might need some minimal education on the subject.
A few months ago I posted a watch winder tutorial for beginners and it’s highly recommended to read it if you want a detailed introduction. However, the summarized info you will find below is more than enough to help you pick the right product for your watch.
Now, focus.
Firstly, as much as it pains me to say it, the way your watch winder looks isn’t the most important matter.
Above all, you need to make sure it can wind your watch properly. To make sure it does, it needs to offer TPD (Turns Per Day) and winding direction settings that support the requirements of your watch.
Turns Per Day are the number of rotations the winder is programmed to make in order to keep your watch ticking at its prime levels. Most automatic timepieces require anywhere between 500 and 1200 rotations daily. As long as you get a product running in this range, you’re good to go – no matter what brand you’re wearing.
There are three winding directions: clockwise, counter-clockwise and bi-directional. When looking for the winder on your own, make sure all three are supported. And you’re good to go.
Oh, and: if you don’t own an automatic watch, there’s no point in getting a watch winder. For the purpose of simply storing a battery-powered timepiece, consider getting a watch storage box instead. Cheaper, less of a hassle.
Picking the Cheapest Watch Winder (Top 5 Reviewed)
Triple Tree Watch Winder
On the market since 2009, the US-based company offers a wide range of household goods – including a growing collection of watch winders. Despite offering solid quality, the vast majority of models are listed at bargain-basement pricing.
The model you see above has a solid wood construction. With the selected PU leather and crystal-clear acrylic lens, it’s probably the most stylish pick from all five models included in the article.
The winder is supplied with soft and flexible pillows with a unique design fitted for watches in different sizes.
The product allows for up to 2880 turns per day. Making sure it caters to the needs of all watch brands, it works in all three winding directions: clockwise, counter-clockwise and bi-directional.
The Triple Tree winder is ultra-silent as it runs on the popular Japanese-made Jabuchi motor. It can be powered both by AC and disposable batteries, making it a great option for frequent travelers.
If you own a few automatic watches, Triple Tree currently offers models that can fit up to 4 timepieces at once. You can check them out by clicking here.
Chyioda Watch Winder
If you find the Triple Tree style a bit too flashy, Chiyoda is a great alternative that offers a more minimalistic, yet classy approach. The US-based company focuses solely on manufacturing watch winders. Hence, the number of sizes and styles to pick from is even bigger.
The model here has a 100% handmade solid wooden frame with an acrylic glass window. The high gloss piano lacquer finish certainly adds to the elegant style. The soft pillow measures 80mm in diameter, making it the perfect fit even for oversized timepieces.
The watch winder offers four pre-programmed TPD settings – 680, 1050, 1400, and 2100. Unsurprisingly, all three winding directions (clockwise, counterclockwise, both) are allowed. These are possible to set separately, meaning there are 12 winding modes in total. Such a setting makes the Chiyoda model suitable for almost all automatic watches on the market.
Similar to the Triple Tree product above, the winder runs on the Japanese-made Mabuchi motor. The ultra-silent engine is also ever-present in the higher-end manufacturers, such as Wolf.
This winder can be powered by both AC and batteries, which makes it a popular choice amongst savvy travelers.
Currently, Chiyoda offers watch winders that can store up to 8 watches. You can explore other models here.
Jqueen Watch Winder
The third low-budget manufacturer coming from the United States is Jqueen. Similar to Chiyoda, watch winders are everything the brand offers which also makes the number of choices quite huge.
Style-wise, it’s definitely closer to the Chiyoda model discussed above than the Triple Tree’s. The 100% hand-made box comes with environmental-friendly piano lacquer and an acrylic lens through which you can peek at the winding process.
The watch winder offers all three winding directions and multiple Turns Per Day settings ranging from 600 to 1200. Unsurprisingly, it’s also powered by the Japanese Mabuchi engine.
Like the previous two winders, this model is a good option for travel as it comes with a dual power supply in the form of an AC adapter and batteries.
Currently, the brand offers watch winders that can fit anywhere between 1-6 watches. You can explore more models here.
Mozsly Watch Winder
In terms of cheap (in cost, not quality) watch winders, Mozsly is one of the freshest options on the market.
Unlike all three brands we’ve discussed above, Mozlsy originates from China. Yes, we’re all aware that the level of prejudice against Chinese brands is still relatively high (sometimes for a good reason). However, since launching the brand, Mozsly has been constantly scoring positive reviews from users around the globe.
Because of the elegant design, silent engine, and bargain-basement pricing, the DAN-001-BN model is Mozsly’s current best-seller.
Definitely, what contributes to the stylish look are the brown PU leather and the crystal clear acrylic glass through which you can peek at the winding process. The watch winder is supplied with two pillows. The interior has a super soft and flexible foam cushion that ensures the product can fit various watch sizes: bracelets measuring between 17cm-22cm and case sizes up to 55mm.
Because of the support for all three winding directions and Turns Per Day settings ranging from 650 to 1500, the model is a great fit for the vast majority of automatic watches.
It’s another product running on the inconspicuous Japanese-made Mabuchi motor. Akin to previous models, it’s powered by either AC or batteries.
At the time of writing, Mozlsy focuses strictly on single watch winders. For different styles, click here.
Versa Watch Winder
Still scratching your head trying to pick the cheapest watch winder? Closing the list is another low-budget brand from the United States, Versa.
Design-wise, it’s clear that Versa watch winders offer something different. These are a good option for folks who prefer a bit more futuristic look – an example of which you can see with the Versa Neo model included on this list.
The cylindrical design comes with a shiny black finish with silver accents. Similar to other low-budget models, Versa opts for a display cover made from acrylic. The spring action pillow is super adjustable, allowing for storage of both small and oversized timepieces.
As expected, the winder offers all three directions: clockwise, counter-clockwise, and bi-directional. There are four pre-programmed TPD settings ranging from 600 to 1200 which makes the model a safe choice for the majority of automatic watches.
Again, the Versa product runs on on the silent Japanese Mabuchi motor. Possibly its only shortcoming is that it can only be powered by the AC adapter, therefore it’s not a great option if you move between places a lot.
Some other models can wind up to 4 watches at once. You can check them on Amazon.
Brand-Speficic Watch Winders
All the above-discussed brands are great universal options if you’re looking to spend the minimum and still get a capable product.
However, if you own a more expensive timepiece from some of the top-end watchmakers in the luxury sector, you might want to consider specific watch winders that are guaranteed to meet the requirements of the industry’s big boys. Below find links to articles that focus on certain brands:
- A Guide to Breitling Watch Winders
- What Is the Best Watch Winder for Rolex?
- Best Watch Winders for Omega Watches
- Watch Winders for Patek Philippe
- Watch Winders for Tag Heuer
If your watch brand is not on the list, feel free to let me know in the comment section below. Let’s see what I can do!
