No, you don’t need to keep your automatic watches on winders. Some will agree with that statement while others will vehemently disagree. The fact is, your watches will function just fine if you let them kick back and “unwind” for a while. Watch winders simply aren’t necessary, but they can be convenient. Today we’ll take a look at the Accuratic Cubic Modular Watch Winder. If you’ve been on the fence, or thinking about getting a winder for one or more of your pieces, this may be a great option for you.
The real benefit to a watch winder comes into play with watches that have multiple complications, such as a day/date, a moon phase, perpetual calendar, etc. Think about what a pain it is to set that day/date piece you have in your watch box that doesn’t include a quickset day, and you’ll start to understand the benefits of keeping it wound up and ready to go whenever you are.
When our collection had grown to a certain size, my wife and I found that we were having to regularly wind and set every watch we took out of the box, and decided it was time to put several of them on winders. If you’ve ever shopped for a watch winder, you know they can be quite expensive, which is what led me to the Accuratic Cubic Modular Watch Winder.
With an MSRP of $129, the Cubic is already quite affordable compared with other winders on the market, and the fact that it can be found for nearly half that really makes it attractive to those on a budget. A bonus is the “modular” aspect of the winder. With affordable connector kits, you can turn multiple Cubics into a multi-watch winder powered by a single cable.
The outer case of the Cubic is made from an attractive brushed aluminum, with a clear plastic door hinged at the bottom. Holding the watch is a foam pillow with a removable insert allowing for a customized fit. Watches with metal bracelets sized to my 7.5″ wrist required some modification to the insert. Without the insert they fit way too loosely on the pillow, causing the watch to flop about as it rotated. With the insert in place, I was unable to close the clasp on several of them. Shaving a bit off of the flat underside of the insert with a sharp knife allows for a more custom fit. A fitment system with more adjustability would be nice, but it’s tough to pick nits at this price point.
The Cubic is powered by a common Japanese Mabuchi motor. These are reliable, and relatively quiet motors, though having anything more than one or two of these units next to the bedside might make for a restless night if you happen to be a light sleeper.
The Cubic is a full-featured winder offering 14 TBD (turns per day) settings from 600 to 2160 in 120 TBD increments, and a choice of clockwise, counter-clockwise, or bi-directional winding all controlled through the easy-to-use interface. Programming was as simple as choosing the appropriate TBD setting and rotation for the watch and then pressing and holding the memory button.
Connecting multiple Cubic winders requires either two-corner or four-corner connector pieces ordered separately. It’s a relatively quick process that requires the removal of the corner pieces and rear cover plates using a small allen head wrench (not included). Once the new corner connectors are installed and the cover plates are screwed back in place, a power jumper wire is connected between the two units, with just a single unit needing to be plugged into AC power.
We own several Cubics and haven’t experienced any failures or difficulties. It’s a solid winder at an affordable price point. The Accuratic Cubic Modular Watch Winder retails for $129 and runs on either AC power or two C-size batteries making the winders handy if you keep them in a safe that doesn’t have built-in power. If you’d like to learn more, or just want to geek out on watches in general, check out our Slack chat room. You’ll usually find us there discussing the latest and greatest in the world of horology. accuratic.com
Overview
- Brand & Model: Accuratic Cubic Modular Watch Winder
- Price: $129
- Who we think it might be for: Anyone who’s thought about a winder, but was put off by the high price tags.
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? I own several.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Better adjustability in the pillow insert, maybe offering multiple inserts of various thicknesses.
- What spoke to me the most about this unit: The price.
Technical Specifications From Accuratic
- 14 different TPD (Turns Per Day) settings 600 to 2160 by 120 TPD increments.
- Rotates clockwise, counter-clockwise, or alternates in between.
- Japanese Mabuchi motor
- Beltless gearbox
- Memory option
- Aluminum case
- LCD display panel
- Electric & battery operation
- Spongy rubber multi size watch holder
