REVIEW OF ORBITA'S "BATTERY POWERED" WATCHWINDER

ASCONA SINGLE HEAD WINDER

Posted by Nolen Freeman on August 13, 1998 at 10:33:35:
Bulletin Board Post Number: 61

A Review of the new Orbita DC Watch Winder

After owning the new Orbita DC watch winder for one month, I thought it would be appropriate to give my review of this beautiful product. I have seen other similar winders reviewed with mixed opinions and with certain problems and I have experienced none of the problems, but have enjoyed the looks and efficiency of this DC unit.

I picked the DC unit, a new product from Charles  Agnoff's Orbita Corporation, for its ability to be programmed for different revolutions per day and because it can be used in a safe without AC electricity. One nice feature about this unit is that it can be used with either DC or AC current, with the AC being supplied with a 110 to DC wall plug converter.

When the Orbita DC unit arrived, I opened two cartons, the inner carton containing a beautiful birch lacquer finish case with a substantial lift-up lid. The watchwinder was shipped in a soft flannel drawstring pouch, which provided protection for the high gloss finish. The case interior was lined with a soft black suede material to prevent scratching and protect the
finish of the watch. Under this soft suede material is a metal plate to separate the electrical works from the watch, I think this precaution is unnecessary, but appreciated. There is room in front of and below the cup watch holder for storing an additional watch. The cup that holds the watch comes with two rubber watch holders, large and small. After fitting my watch on the rubber holder, it was slid down into the cup holder and it held the watch face up at about a thirty-degree angle. I find this is a very safe way of holding a watch, unlike having a winder that windmills the watches around on top of a table. I shudder thinking of my luxury watch coming off of a windmill type winder and this is the reason I looked for a different winder with a secure holder. I know some models of the windmill type winders have secure watch holders, but I am just not comfortable with them and I have to be pleased if I am going to spend four to seven hundred dollars for such an accessory.

The unit comes with four installed "C" batteries, an AC to DC converter, two sponge rubber watch holders, a thirty day money back warranty and a one year repair warranty. I must say looking at the quality I don't feel that I will need the warranty. Additional are instructions giving revolutions per 60 second cycles on continuous and programmed modes, along with OFF times and revolutions per day with different switch settings. I found the setup to be
simple and easy to perform.

On the inside wall, there is a toggle switch that will allow either a CONTINUOUS wind or a PROGRAMMED winding. The continuous mode gives 15.5 rotations per minute. Clockwise rotations are the default for the continuous windings, however counterclockwise rotations can be obtained by reversing the motor wire plug that goes to the PC board, an easy job, just by removing two finger nuts on the rear of the unit.

PROGRAMMED MODE

The winder in programmed mode runs 60 seconds per ON period regardless of the OFF times which are set by the switches on the PC board. Unlike the RPM in Continuous mode the programmed mode runs 13.5 RPM either in clockwise or
counter-clockwise rotation. While in programmed mode this winder will turn 60 seconds clockwise and the next ON period will give a counter-clockwise rotation for 60 seconds. Now, this will waste half of the winding power of the batteries when winding a Valjoux 7750 movement or any unidirectional movement. After talking to Mr. Agnoff, I was told that future DC units would have a switch on the PC board that will defeat the bi-directional rotations.  This will allow the winding of any unidirectional movement without freewheeling half of the time. For those that own a unidirectional counter-clockwise rotor movement, reversing the motor connection will handle this just fine. All of my watches wind clockwise or are bi-directional.

The enclosed instructions state that the four switch settings will give 600, 800, 1000 and 1200 turns per day on programmed mode. When I timed the four settings it revealed about 5 percent more turns per day, except switch setting #4 which gave slightly more- all close to Orbita's plus or minus five percent. The following are the switch settings and the times I recorded with fresh batteries.

SWITCH SETTING #1_ _ _ 636 full revolutions per day.
SWITCH SETTING #2_ _ _847 full revolutions per day.
SWITCH SETTING #3_ _ _1033 full revolutions per day.
SWITCH SETTING #4_ _ _ 1296 full revolutions per day.

I am presently winding three watches, all of them needing 500 to 600 turns per day. I wind two of the watches, one an Omega  Seamaster Chronograph Professional and the other a Rolex GMT Master on CONTINUOUS for 45 and 40 minutes respectfully. This gives, at 15.5 RPM, 697 revolutions per day for the Omega and 620 revolutions per day for the Rolex - a kitchen timer times both watches. My wife's Rolex is wound on  PROGRAMMED mode number #1 for close to twenty-two hours or the rest of the day after winding my two automatic watches. At 13.5 RPM twice an hour, the slowest switch setting for her watch, it gives about 594 full bi-directional turns per twenty-two hour day - plus or minus five percent due to battery condition and my miscalculations. All of my watches are wound a little more than needed, but not enough to hurt. Twenty percent over the 500 revolutions per day for a Rolex or the 600 revolutions needed for a Valjoux is within the turns needed o keep the watches wound without damage (I received this advice from Walt A. and consider it gospel).

I like the Orbita and find that I need, not a single unit watch winder, but a three or four-headed unit. Orbita is now planning to produce a DC unit, named Quattro, for late fall that will have four heads with two paired programmed settings and will be battery operated with separate sets of batteries for each holder. I need that winder. Orbita's models, case finish, and cost can be obtained from their web site. www.orbita.net.