For more inside news we like to interview the people behind a watchwinder brand. To learn more about their company, philosophy and view on the future. Today we present an interview with Mr. Dominik von Ribbentrop, the CEO of the famous brand Stockinger. Stockinger produces high end safes with built-in watchwinders and is a key player on the market. 

Could you please introduce yourself and function at Stockinger?

It is a pleasure speaking to you. My Name is Dominik von Ribbentrop and I’m CEO of Stockinger.  The manufacture of Stockinger produces custom-made unique objects, tailored specifically to the clients’ wishes and fantasies. We only use proven technology from Switzerland and Germany and employ highly experienced craftsmen, engineers, technicians and artists so that they can combine maximum security with elegant aesthetics. A Stockinger Safe provides not only optimum security, but also unrestricted enjoyment of your objects of beauty and value.

The most interesting thing about a Stockinger safe is the fact that they equip their safes with state-of-the-art watchwinder elements. Each winder can be programmed individually according each watches requirements. With a Stockinger watch safe you can make sure that your watch collection is kept totally safe because they meet the highest demands of the VDS in such a way that they are entitled to bear the extremely high VDS III (IV) security rating, based on EN 1143-1. This might explain why in more than a quarter of a century of existence, not a single Stockinger safe has been forcibly entered.

How would you describe the Stockinger company?

 Stockinger’s passion is to enrich the grey world of bulky safes with a high class product that is as secure as a bank, as precise as a master time piece, and as beautiful as a piece of the finest art. For our Bespoke Line, we offer a selection of models in different sizes, levels of security, and options to our clients. We only use the best materials and consistently meet the challenge of our customers’ most extravagant wishes with discretion and the very best in professional service.

How would you describe the Stockinger watchwinders?

We offer products for customers with special needs. Our customers highly appreciate that our safes keep their watches safe and wind at the same time. For Stockinger the watchwinder cabinets were the next logical step. Not everyone wants to hide his collection. Watch aficionados have invested a lot of money in their collection of beautiful timepieces and therefore want to enjoy their collection by displaying and looking at it. Our watchwinder cabinets fulfill this kind of purpose just perfect.

Protected by the German Patent and Trademark office, the Stockinger & Beluwo watchwinder technology creates the most precise watch winders. With our German technology for the first time ever, the data for any self-winding movement can be loaded into the memory of the watch winder thanks to the intelligent microprocessor control, resulting in a never-seen-before gentle and optimum winding. Each wristwatch will be kept and moved according to its own specific requirements as the watch specific optimal winding data will be downloaded onto the winder from a database that contains data of more than 8,000 different wristwatches. The technology implies a 16-hour active phase and an 8-hour resting phase. That way there is a perfect simulation of wearing a watch in the daily routine. Within the 16 hours of active phase the number of rotations is evenly spread out and at the end of each winding interval the watches will stop automatically at the 12 o ´clock position.

Can you tell us more about the production process?

Stockinger Safety First Class GmbH has been producing unique safes and security systems in Neuried near Munich for over 30 years. Quality control, first-class service, and absolute discretion are held in the utmost regard at Stockinger. The most convincing security fact: the safes are produced using the best possible plating offered anywhere in the world and project a striking, beautiful individuality in their appearance. This also applies to the inside of each safe, as well as the user-friendly digital automatic

Stocktronic accessing system, which offers the absolute freedom of enjoying valuables conveniently at any time.

Since a few months we now also offer beautiful watchwinder cabinets using the same winder technology as known from the safes. The elegant design is the perfect addition to the beauty of a hand-made timepiece and you will be delighted by the way it looks in combination every day. The technology is one of a kind based on a database with over 8.000 watches. So these cabinets know how to take care of each specific watch you might own.

What are the main markets for Stockinger? And can you tell us more about the business structure?

So far we have always dealt directly with the end customer. This way we will make sure that clients will receive an excellent service and advice. We are there for our clients every day and so we can provide them with advice and assistance. We also work with a limited number of highly competent dealers in selected places worldwide. We are also interested in cooperations with interior designs and architects.

In which way will Stockinger develop the coming years? What will be the focus?

We are always in a process of innovations, our personal approach is to meet any customer requirements and to exceed their quality expectation. What units our customers around the world and the Stockinger team is passion and drive to excellence. Passion for creativity and discovery, passion for craftsmanship and quality, passion for design and uniqueness.

If you would compare Stockinger with another brand, which brand is this and why?

 Many people can build a safe or a watchwinder. But for us at Stockinger, where their work ends, ours really begins. Every Stockinger safe has a security concept, which is the result of lengthy consideration, coupled with experience and insights. To treasure your high class watches, our watch winders both value and celebrate them on an elegant, high quality basis. For years, passionate watch collectors from all over the world have loved our watch winding solutions and innovations. There is no “either – or decision” we want the perfect solution.

What new projects can we expect from Stockinger in the nearby future?

Our personal approach is to offer both bespoke solutions for safes and for watchwinders. We want to expend our product range. Since recently we are able to customize watchwinder cabinets. In addition to our standard watchwinders with 2, 6 or 10 winders we also offer customized solutions such as cabinets with 4 or more watchwinders. Also the colour of the cabinets can be customized. Therefore, your watches are not only stored in the most appropriate way, but also presented in the most elegant way.

Why should we buy a Stockinger watchwinder? 

Due to our long experience with state-of-the-art watchwinders included in our safes, Stockinger now offers luxury watchwinder cabinets. To treasure your high class watches, our watch winders both value and celebrate them on an elegant, high quality basis. Our watchwinder technology offers an integrated database with the specifications of over 8.600 watch models to program each winder individually – just by using your smartphone or tablet pc. Programming is quickly done! But even if you don’t want to program each winder specifically, you can use a standard program just to keep your watches running. That is perfect for owners of bigger watch collections. 

The technology is proved by more than 15 applications at the German Patent and Trademark Office. With our partner Beluwo we work continuously to improve our products in order to offer the best watch winding technology – made in Germany.

One of the most special watchwinders on the market is the Bernard Favre Planet watchwinder. Therefore it was really nice to receive an invitation to visit the booth of this Swiss watchwinder brand at Baselworld, Switzerland.

Everytime we meet Mr. Favre, the owner and inventor of the watchwinder brand, we notice a extreme passion for creating beautiful watchwinders. The location of the booth was a row of artisan exhibitors presenting their special creations. A perfect place to present the Bernard Favre Planet watchwinders and the special watch making tools Mr. Favre also produces. We noticed that many passersby looked at the beautiful presentation of watchwinders.

Mr, Favre told us that the success of the Planet watchwinder is incredible. A few big Swiss watch brands already placed orders to present their automatic watches in a Bernard Favre Planet watchwinder. A better compliment is hard to get.

While we enjoyed a perfect espresso Mr. Favre told us about his new plans for new series of watchwinders, the materials he would like to use and his thoughts about new concepts. He was also interested in our opinion and thoughts about his new concepts and this reflects his modesty and professional attitude to improve his products.

The Bernard Favre watchwinders are available at several premium shops worldwide. A Bernard Favre watchwinder is not only to wind an automatic watch, it's a statement regarding style and design. If you're interested in something special a watchwinder from Bernard Favre is certainly worth considering.

Spin-R informed us several months ago that they would launch a complete new compact watchwinder which is app-controlled. With other words; the settings of the watchwinder can be set and changed by a smart-phone.

We already noticed that several other brands are working with this same technology. For example Chronovision from Germany introduced us an app-controlled watchwinder last year at Baselworld. The production then was not finished, but we visited Chronovision at Baselworld last Saturday (21th March) and they now have a finished product; Chronovision One (soon we will publish an article about this brand on our blog).

At Baselworld we visited the booth of Spin-R for a first introduction of this new watchwinder. We must admit that we are very curious about this watchwinder, and the good news is that we are testing one right now to write a review about it.

We already can mention that this watchwinder has a very interesting price. The retail price will be around 159.00 - 179.00 USD which is extremely low for a watchwinder with modern technique.

The impression we had from Spin-R at Baselworld is that this Hong Kong brand is seriously improving it’s watchwinders with state of the art technique, and is serious competition for more famous watchwinder brands from the USA or Europe.

Nevertheless we will test the watchwinder to find out if it’s value for money. More to come....

At Baselworld (Basel- Switzerland) Buben & Zörweg presented it's master pieces for 2015. By invitation we visited the booth of Buben & Zörweg and did get a fine presentation of the luxury, fine materials and high end technique this Austrian brand offers. The friendly welcome, professional presentation and beautiful watchwinders was a perfect combination for us as watchwinder adepts. But more important, what did we see which is interesting for you?

Buben & Zörweg "Private Museum"

One of the newest masterpieces is the "Private Museum" which is a showcase for collector's items with an appealing ambiance. It's suitable for watches, art objects and rare collector pieces. Thereby, the "Private Museum" is a masterpiece itself. It's made in Germany by the best materials and by the best craftsmen.

The showcase has high security reinforced glass (spy mirror function) and can be opened (top down) and then the safety system (invisible lasers) takes over. The precious watches, art or other collectors items are extremely safe because of the VDS-certified locking system with biometric fingerprint identification. 

For clients it's possible to choose the exact interior options you prefer. For example you can choose to use the "Private Museum" just for watches, or just for art, or for a combination of both. Thereby you can choose the exact colours (inside velvet) or optional explosion proof technique. 

The Buben & Zörweg Private Museum is a showcase which is an eye catcher itself. It combines the best materials with safety and German technique. 

Buben & Zörweg for ladies

As we all know a watchwinder is mostly interesting for men. Men own more automatic watches which makes a watchwinder an interesting accessory. The most clients of Buben & Zörweg are men, but they also want to attract more ladies. Therefore the new Galaxy Safe line is introduced, with some special white coloured models. There are three new models; Galaxy XXL, XL and the tabletop. These safes are available in several colour combinations, but by presenting the XL in white leather at Baselworld it's no surprise that this model will attract ladies more than men. 

This new safe has a VDS 1 certification and has an keypad input and emergency key. Standard the Galaxy XL has 8 watchwinders (Time Movers) and 5 drawers, but of course Buben & Zörweg can produce the watchwinder exactly like you prefer. 

We checked the Galaxy XL in the booth and we noticed an extreme eye for detail, good solid materials and a very nice finishing of the leather (hand stitched). The ladies will love it! 

There is a lot more to share on this blog but we also would like to write about the other brands we visited. Soon we will present some articles about Buben & Zörweg's newest masterpieces.

We all like to read more about inside information from high end watchwinder brands. Since 1978 Stockinger "bespoke safes" produces handcrafted cabinets with built-in watchwinders. This combination of a watchwinder inside a safe is a welcome accessory for the real watch adept. Especially when the watch collection is of high value it's recommended to store the watches safely inside the safe.

Stockinger is one of the specialist brands in this field. And therefore we interviewed the Stockinger CEO, mr. Dominik von Ribbentrop. Soon we will present the complete interview on Watchwinder Blog!