The Dutch watchwinder brand Benson is one of the revelations of the last years. The brand presented the Black Series watchwinders early this year and became incredible popular. With distributors all over the world and cooperations with high end Swiss and German watch brands this relatively new brand is very successful. 

We wrote at this blog already about the Benson Black Series watchwinders and tested two different models. Our conclusion was that these watchwinders offer a lot value for money. Therefore we are curious about the new models which Benson told us about one month ago.

Today we have good news. Benson watchwinders will present several new Black Series models in november. Benson developed a new Black Series single watchwinder with built-in battery. The design is in line with the current Black Series watchwinder models. All new single watchwinders will be available in black, carbon fiber, white and macassar. The official retail price will be 299,00 euro incl. VAT. 

Also the current Black Series models for 2, 4, 6 and 8 watchwinders will be available in the new macassar style. Next to black, carbon fiber and white the new macassar colour will be attractive for those who like a more natural (wood look) exterior. 

The new Black Series single watchwinder and new macassar colour versions will be available around november of this year.

When a safe can’t be recognized outwardly as such, it is an extremely effective protection against unauthorized access. The Opus series – the latest creation from the Swabian safe manufactory Döttling – has been designed with this consideration in mind. At first glance, the luxury safe appears to be a valuable piece of furniture. Inside, however, state-of-the-art technology is integrated – invisible to the eye of an observer. 

In general, one thing is true for all the safes in the Opus series: the body of the safe can be created in every imaginable style, from antique to modern. The Opus 1, for example, with its high-gloss finish in grand piano quality and gilded decorative elements, clearly orients itself on the design of an antique armoire in the historicist style. All the distinguishing features that indicate a safe have been cleverly hidden – for instance, the specially developed door mechanism, which completely conceals the hinges. This even applies to the console of the electronic high-security lock, which is integrated behind a tiny secret flap in one of the decorative elements.

Once the owner opens the heavy doors, either by means of a finger scan or by entering the security code, the gaze is drawn to the interior, magnificently outfitted in poplar burl veneer and Alcantara. Here, 40 precision watchwinders, 12 drawers and two extendable tables offer enough room for up to 250 valuable watches.

And since the luxury safe corresponds to VdS class 4, these valuables are always protected against unauthorized access. Twelve gilded bolts made of specially hardened steel lock the doors when closed like a fortress. Unlike normal safes, a multi-shell construction guarantees a resistance that is up to six times higher. And naturally, the Opus 1 can also be connected to an alarm system. The built-in seismic microphone records even the smallest vibrations and then immediately triggers an alarm.

Döttling again surprises with a beautiful high end product! 

The summer has really started now and the weather is great. When we talk about summer we think about Italy, a beautiful country with great regions known for it's good wine and food. Related to watchwinders when we say Italy we think about brands as Underwood and Scatola del Tempo.

This last brand has our special attention as they were also present at Baselworld this year. After visiting their booth we concluded they didn't present anything (really) new. Scatola del Tempo only presented some variations on their current collection, which is not more than a new color accent. The watchwinders which were available 6 years ago are still there.....our question is why? 

Great brand, nice history but no innovation.

When we take a closer look at Scatola del Tempo we see a brand with a nice history and reasonable reputation (please read our previous articles about this Italian brand). We follow Scatola del Tempo for quite some years, and they never surprised us with a complete new model, new technique or any other innovations. Is this the reason that more and more jewellers stop selling the Scatola del Tempo watchwinders and choose for other brands in their shops? Can Scatola del Tempo continue this strategy for the coming years?

The answers on these questions are hard to give at this moment, but we are sure that brands need innovation to keep their products selling. We have seen multiple brands which did trust on their original products and didn't focus on innovation which nowadays don't even exist anymore.

Let's hope we see new watchwinders of this Italian brand soon! 

For small watchwinder brands it's hard to grow as the market is very competitive with many brands. Sometimes a brand is different than others which makes them interesting. One of these brands is Paul Design.

This watchwinder brand from Hong Kong does produce watchwinders with a very high level of quality and finish, for acceptable retail prices. We have seen the watchwinders in real time when we visited Hong Kong, and we were amazed about the use of materials and clear philosophy of the brand. The Paul Design watchwinders do become increasingly popular and are also sold in Europe by Watchwinders.com, a specialist in watchwinders. 

When we take a look at the different models of Paul Design we notice a passion for fine watchwinder making. The materials used are beautiful, the interiour finish is of a high level and the overal design is just great. 

Very important is the watch holder, which is specially developed and is suitable for any automatic watch, big or small. You just plug the watch holder with automatic watch inside the watchwinder, set the preferred settings by the control panel and there you go. 

The Paul Design watchwinders do wind any automatic watch regardless brand or model, as you can choose the direction of rotation and TPD (turns per day). You can also turn on the led light so you can see your watches rotating. 

Normally we see watchwinders with this kind of quality level for quite high retail prices. Paul Design watchwinders are not cheap, but certainly not expensive. You get real value for money, and that's important in a market situation nowadays. 

The new Buben & Zörweg Grande Private Museum presented this year at Baselworld in Switzerland can rightfully be considered a feat of German engineering having required over 2000 hours of research and development. The sheer complexity of planning and technology is visible in every detail, like the quiet motors that vertically move the 22 mm thick, 100 kg heavy bullet-proof glass in a steady soft motion in order to reveal the precious treasures inside. But even then, access is regulated by an invisible laser grid that guarantees there is no unauthorised access.

The lower part of the Grande Private Museum can now be used for storage, presentation, installing an SI-80 safe or even a humidifying system. And as most things in life, individuality plays a big role in this concept and is the reason why all its aspects can be adapted to reflect personal preferences. Secure and with aesthetic appeal, the Grande Private Museum by Buben & Zörweg is a masterpiece of German engineering, creative design and innovative technology.

“For some collectors, a treasure is more about personal memories and sentimental rather than financial value. What we know for certain is that anything our clients exhibit in a Buben & Zörweg Grande Private Museum is an expression of what they are truly passionate about,” says Christian Zörweg.