Press Release No. 118

SPARTA WATCHWINDER

Orbita’s new Sparta Watchwinder is a unique winder for mechanical watches that is both affordable and amazing.  Unlike all other watchwinders on the market which rotate a watch in order to wind it, the new Sparta winder gently “swings” the watch to wind it.  Every 10 minutes throughout the day, the built-in microprocessor activates a servomotor causing the watch to swing back and forth for several oscillations just as it would if it were being worn on the wrist.  This new winding system dubbed “ROTORWIND” has been patented worldwide by Orbita Corporation.

The oscillating winding action of the Sparta winder is totally self-regulating and there is absolutely no chance of damaging an expensive watch by overwinding.  Moreover, as the servomotor powers only the first oscillation in each cycle with all succeeding oscillations totally powered by gravity, battery draw is minimal.  Hence the Sparta winder is guaranteed to operate for one year without any need for a battery change……an ideal arrangement for unworn watches which are kept in safes for long periods of time.

The Sparta winder is attractively priced and is quite attractive in appearance.  The textured aluminum frame with black matte side plates is stylish and blends into any décor.  The watch is easily mounted over a resilient foam cushion, which accommodates virtually any wrist size watch with either leather strap or metal bracelet.  The cushion slips into the drive cup, which is tilted back at 60º to the horizontal making it impossible for the watch to fall as the cup swings during the winding cycle.

The new Sparta watchwinder has already been performance evaluated by several well-known Swiss watch manufacturers to their complete satisfaction.  Indeed, the new Sparta design will soon be appearing on the market as a “private label” accessory for some of them.  The winder is being manufactured both in the USA and at Orbita’s European plant in Austria. 

The semi-circular rotor which is rigidly attached to the back of the mounting cup is the “heart” of the Rotorwind™ system.  Made of a dense, non-magnetic iron material and supported by two free-turning precision ball bearings, the heavy mass of the rotor produces a series of “back and forth” swings when the cup is released from the 12 o’clock position.  It is automatically raised to that position one time every ten (10) minutes by the battery powered servomotor and control microprocessor housed within the winder.