Charles Stephenson
I got this for my son, who has learned to appreciate the allure of automatic watches. Sure, a cell phone tells time- but a finely crafted automatic watch is a marvel of tiny technology. While people will argue for and against autowinders, because people argue about everything, I like to keep a couple of my watches wound and on current time so they're ready to go- and I've been using a winder for years.I got this one for my son, so he can keep a couple of his automatics ready to go at a moment's notice. The first thing that stands out is that the design is somewhat reminiscent of a retro styled radio he already has... so style-wise it can blend with just about any decor. The second thing that stands out- is that it's fake wood isn't as realistic as the manufacturer implied with such statements about "presenting the grandeur and dignity of life."The winder mechanisms are all plastic, which hopefully won't be an issue long term. There are winders out there with all metal mechanism and real wood, but it's also easy to spend $1000 on one with all those features. It's important to remember the price point when determining if this is a good value. At three stars, this represents that it meets my expectations and presents a reasonable value. If everything decent got 5 stars, there's no way to reward the exceptional. While this isn't "exceptional" or wildly impressive, it's a functional and decent looking winder for under $100... I'd recommend it for those who don't want to invest a lot into their watch hobby.
