Watch winders are unnecessary to maintain automatic timepieces.

While we do recommend wearing (at least occasionally) and servicing a watch (based on suggested intervals or when there are timekeeping or other known issues), there’s been not a single watchmaker that we’ve spoken to who suggests that not keeping a watch on a winder would cause damage to the watch or make the lubricating oils become viscous.

In fact, over the years many watchmakers have told Professional Watches that winders can cause excessive wear and tear, with an analogy to running a car all the time to keep the oils moving around the components. If you left your car running all the time, it would cause wear and tear issues, and that’s why there are battery tenders for automobiles that don’t get used that often, to protect the battery — without actually running the engine.

The only time it might make sense to use a winder is for perpetual and other advanced mechanical calendar timepieces that are more complex to set than standard date mechanisms.

It would be better to spend your money on nice leather watch cases, wooden watch boxes, display stands, watch-specific safes, regular safes, watch insurance, watch service, watch straps, good watch tools, or more watches.