Review No. 5

Orbita Triple AC Winder - Review by David Docking

I've had an Orbita Murano Triple Watchwinder (AC powered) with matching accessory storage drawer for many months now, and I think it is time share my thoughts. I purchased this unit directly from Orbita Corporation's website < http://www.orbita.net/ > after I discovered it for $700 USD on their Hot Deals page, and I have not regretted the decision.

Arrival

The factory-fresh unit arrived extremely well packed. It was in a rather large and heavy cardboard shipping box, protected inside with well-designed foam inserts and foam wrapping. The actual winder was protected by an attractive green felt bag, which could easily serve as someone's Santa sack come Christmas. The package also contained a power cord, a timer, 3 cups and 3 cones for the motorized heads, and rather basic documentation. The operating instructions and much more detailed information can be found at Orbita's comprehensive website.

First Impressions

The winder itself is very attractive. Orbita winder cases have been described as "works of art", and this is certainly not mere puffery. I had seen this particular model in a natural or light maple finish at one of my local jewelers and I recall being impressed by its overall finish and quality. It just seemed like the perfect complement to a finely crafted automatic watch. My only complaint at the time was the retail price and the light colored wood. My unit had a much better price point (even after converting from USD to CAN $) and the case was a dark cherry hardwood with a superb lacquer finish that I found much more appealing.

The winder case is 5.7 x 13 x 8 inches (15 x 33 x 20 cm) and it weighs in at a hefty 9.0 lbs (4 kgs.), while the matching accessory drawer measures 3 x 13 x 8 inches (8 x 33 x 20 cm) and weighs 5.0 lbs (2.2 kgs).

There is a large oval etched glass "viewing panel" on the top of the case in the lift up cover. When I ordered the winder, I had a choice of a wavy line pattern or the Orbita name. I do not believe there was a plain glass option. Although the glass insert is there to presumably provide visibility - i.e., so that the winding action and the times on the watches may be observed without lifting the top -- the etched pattern actually obscures a perfect view of the watches when the cover is closed.

The hinged lift up cover opens for mounting and removing watches. It is my understanding that the exposed hinges running along the back of the case are gold-plated. The design of the hinges make for a very solid construction. At the back of the case, there is a stainless steel panel which has the AC plug-in and three switches lined up in a row (more on the switches in a moment).

The interior case surface is lined with a black felt, much like jewelry box, with excessive felt around the hinges that expands with the lift up cover when the case is opened. In my experience with jewelry boxes and the like, this is the weak point, but as yet there are no signs of fraying along this hinged area.

Operation

I placed the winder and the matching storage drawer on top of a short bookshelf in my den. I plugged it in and decided to start testing my watches. I set the timer for four hours of winding per 24 hours. I started with the cones but I quickly switched to the cups as they allow the watch to be fully inserted into them, which, together with the tilt back design of the winder, virtually eliminates the possibility of a treasured watch falling off the cup as it rotates.

The cushion supplied with each cup unit appears to adapt to a wide variety of wrist sizes and bracelet or strap designs, and it is very easy to use. To mount a watch, one simply has to remove the cup from the winder, and then remove the cushion that is inside the cup. Next, one closes the watch strap or metal bracelet around the cushion like on a wrist. After centering the watch on the cushion, one inserts the cushion into the cup and then remounts the assembly on the motor shaft.

With the cup assembly, it appears that there is little chance of the watches touching the felt. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said with respect to the cones. It appears that my initial use of the cones with my Tudor Submariner created some minor scuffing damage on the interior case surface - i.e., the felt lining. I contacted Orbita regarding this development and they were quick to send me a repair kit -- basically, some replacement felt as well as three brass plates. The black brass plates are self-adhesive and will do the job perfectly. I have been told that Orbita no longer ships their winders with cones. For those watches that do not require winding, the matching stackable accessory drawer provides additional storage space.

Programmability

The three switches at the back of the case control (ON/OFF) the three motorized heads. My AC winder does not allow me to program the number of turns per day (TPD) or the direction of the rotation. It rotates clockwise. What I have to do is determine the number of TPD I need for my particular watches and set the timer accordingly. Not exactly a simple task as I must find the proper balance for up to three watches.

The cups (or cones) rotate at three turns per minute. To wind a watch counterclockwise, you turn the watch face down in the cup assembly. I did not learn this little detail until after I purchased the winder and I am thankful that my favorite watch - a Minerva Athena II - contains an ETA/Valjoux 7750 that winds clockwise only. After reading the instructions, I was still not clear on how to set everything for my watches (Tudor Submariner, Minerva Athena II, Orbita Skeleton), but I have since been advised that the Valjoux 7750 requires 800 TPD and the winder should be run about 5-6 hours a day in order to get that many turns per day. A rather comprehensive database of the required TPD for watches and movements can now be found on the Orbita website at < http://www.orbita.net/pages_us/database_us.htm >. According to this chart, the ETA movement in my Tudor seems to require 650 TPD.

Concluding Thoughts

My winder is a beautiful piece of furniture that complements the top of the bookshelf in my den. The see-thru glass top is more decorative than functional (i.e., you can't really get a good look at the watches inside), and it would be nice to have more control for each cup (rotation timing and direction), but the price I paid and, more importantly, the fact that it winds all of the automatic watches in my tiny collection means that I have no real complaints. I should note that the winder runs virtually silent when performing its task.

In closing, I would like to thank both Susan and Cheryl of Orbita Corporation for the best customer service I have experienced in a long time, as well as Stephanie for actually purchasing this winder for me.