Press Release No. 115

SEMPRE – THE UNIVERSAL WATCHWINDER 

The SEMPRE watchwinder is the first and only watchwinding device that will keep any hand-wound mechanical watch fully wound when unworn.  This recently patented design is truly unique in that it replicates the human action of finger winding a watch by rotating the winding crown in a clockwise direction. 

The SEMPRE design substitutes a mechanical finger arrangement, called a “collet”, which grasps the watch’s crown securely and rotates it in the same clockwise direction.  Several different size collets are provided to fit any watch crown diameter from 3 to 7 millimeters.  The collet is mounted in a rotating tubular drive shaft, supported by low-torque precision ball bearing, and is powered by a tiny D.C. gear motor through a techno-polymer drive gear system.  The collet is opened by pushing in a spring-loaded plunger at the opposite end of the drive shaft.  Releasing the plunger closes the collet down on the crown.

Just as the individual winding his or her watch senses the increasing resistance of turning the crown as the watch is being wound, the microprocessor “brain” of the SEMPRE winder monitors the electrical current drawn by the gear motor as it rotates.  The amount of force required to wind the mainspring of a mechanical watch, known as the winding torque, increases as a watch is being wound.  Therefore, as the torque increases, the gear motor draws more current.  The microprocessor control circuit is user-adjustable to shutdown the drive system when it senses that the current has reached a pre-set limit, one which is well below the maximum torque that the watch mainspring can handle.

For safety purposes, the drive system is also fitted with a mechanical slip-clutch which has been factory set to slip at a safe torque in the event of a microprocessor failure.  This redundancy eliminates any possibility of stressing or breaking the mainspring of an expensive and, perhaps delicate, mechanical watch.   

The SEMPRE winder will also wind automatic watches.

The winding action of an automatic watch differs from a hand-wound mechanical watch in that there is a built-in slip-clutch in the watch to prevent overwinding rather than a finite stop.  In that case, the timing circuit of the SEMPRE comes into play as there may not be enough current draw increase to signal the system to shut-down automatically.  Either way, this hybrid control circuit provides redundant safety for winding any type of mechanical watch, even hand wound pocket watches.

In use, after the proper collet has been selected, the watch to be wound is placed in position on a mounting “shuttle” which supports the watch both horizontally and vertically.  All contact points are non-metallic, protecting the finely finished watch surfaces from scratching or abrasion.  An adjustable stop mechanism and slip-on self-lubricated plastic crown guards prevents the rotating collet from contacting the watchcase and causing wear or scratching.  This same feature also allows watches with screw-down crowns to be wound safely and conveniently.

Owners of fine hand wound or automatic mechanical watches with numerous complications will find the SEMPRE watchwinder ideal for keeping their watches continuously wound and “exercised.”  Operating by battery, the winder can be stored in a safe for 10 to 12 months without attention.  Alternately, the winder may be powered with the high quality regulated AC/DC converter supplied with each unit, which operates at any voltage from 90 to 240 VACS, 50 or 60 hertz to 6 VDC.  The winder is housed in an elegant maple burl veneer cabinet and all hardware is high-quality brass or stainless steel with gold-plated finish.  As an alternate, a hand-stitched cowhide leather case is also available.

U.S. Patent #5,988,871                           Other U.S. and Foreign Patents Pending

CD Available with jpeg, tiff, psd 

ORBITA Corporation Tel: 910-256-5300 Fax:910-256-5356 E-mail info@orbita.net