This time we review a watchwinder from the brand Paul Design. This new brand is launched by Paul Chen, a former technician who worked with brands as Buben & Zörweg, Swiss Kubik and Elma. With this experience he started to design and develop his own brand of watchwinders.

Paul Chen believes in high end quality combined with nice materials. Nevertheless he wants that his watchwinders are affordable and therefore available for every watch lover.

We received two watchwinders from Paul Design to test for a longer period. This is important because watchwinders need to prove themselves over a longer period. As we all know cheap Chinese watchwinders work great the first week, but after that they start making noise and have a high risk for defects.  

We choose to write a review about the Paul Design Gentlemen 2+3 watchwinder, in macassar style. It’s one of the most popular watchwinders in the collection and we know why.

Design                                                             

The consumer demands more and more, and therefore watchwinders must look good. It’s not only a accessory to provide energy to automatic watches, it’s more….

The Paul Design Gentlemen 2+3 is a small and compact watchwinder. The first impression is very good because of the nice shape and beautiful paint job. The macassar wood gives the watchwinder a very luxury look.

The watchwinder is divided into two parts; the lower section where two watches can be placed to provide them with energy and the upper section where the LCD panel and extra storage is for three watches. The lower section can be accessed by the glass door and the upper section has a wooden cover.

The inside of the watchwinder is covered by soft fabric which is well choosen, because it avoids scratches and marks on the watches.

Originality

The Gentlemen 2+3 does not look very special compared to watchwinders from brands as Origin Times or Döttling, but the shape is good and practical. The door and wooden cover on the top are original because it devides the watchwinder into two sections.

The macassar style on the outside of the watchwinder is very nice and gives the watchwinder a unique look. The watch holders do have the Paul Design logo and there is a little opening at the backside which allows the cable of the adapter fit perfectly into the watchwinder. These are small details, but these details do make a difference.

Quality

The Paul Design Gentlemen 2+3 watchwinders do use Japanese Maibuchi motors. Many other brands do use them and they are of good quality. The motors are almost silent which is important when you like to place the watchwinder next to your bed.

The Gentlemen 2+3 watchwinder was tested for two weeks and it was running without any problems. The build-in battery allows you to use the watchwinder without adapter. We tested the watchwinder with adapter and battery only. The battery did last for more than three weeks. The battery is charged by connecting the watchwinder with the adapter. It’s very easy to use and ideal to place the watchwinder into a safe or when you want to take the watchwinder with you on a trip or holiday. Nevertheless the watchwinder is not light, it’s quite heavy for it’s size because of the build-in battery.

The watchwinder has all common functions and will rotate clockwise, counter clockwise and alternate. Thereby you can select the exact TPD. Two special functions are “speed winding” and “sleep mode”. With the speedwinding function you can add energy very quickly to your automatic watches. The sleep model relaxes the watches. Both functions are not standard for every watchwinder and therefore a nice addition.

Finishing

Paul Chen proved he has a great eye for detail. The finishing of the Gentlemen 2+3 watchwinder is of a high level. The well done paint job in combination with the macassar style gives the watchwinder a beautiful look. The case is solid and feels heavy. The LCD panel is easy to use and the door and cover do open and close perfectly.

What we are missing is an inside LED light. It’s something many other brands do have, but it seems Paul Design did forget. It’s nice to see your watches rotating when it’s dark. On the other hand, the watchwinder is controlled by a LCD panel (with light) so an inside light is not necessary to control the watchwinder or see what you’re doing.

Price level

The Paul Design Gentlemen 2+3 watchwinders are available from 399,00 euro (incl. 21% VAT) and that’s a really fair price for a high end watchwinder with great details and solid construction. Other watchwinders from the Paul Design collection are a bit more expensive, but they can wind more watches. With Maibuchi motors, macassar style, special functions as speed winding and a sleep mode you get a well designed product for your 399,00 euro.

Conclusion

A watchwinder should be a handy accessory for those who have multiple automatic watches. We tested the Paul Design watchwinder for more than two weeks and our conclusion is that this Gentlemen 2+3 watchwinder is a great watchwinder for a really fair price. It’s a watchwinder which does what it should do; provide energy to automatic watches. The style, finishing and design are all well done which makes it a complete watchwinder for many years of fun! 

The worlds largest watch & jewellery fair, Baselworld, will be held from March 27th till April 3th in Basel, Switzerland. Of course we will attend the fair and visit all exhibitors related to watchwinders. Brands as Swiss Kubik, Buben & Zörweg, Elma, Rapport, Spin-R and Scatola del Tempo will present their newest watchwinder models. We are looking forward to see the new technique, materials and designs. 

We have been invited by some brands to take a closer look at the new watchwinders and get inside information about the filosophy and people behind the brand. 

Our expectations are very high for Buben & Zörweg as they present every year state of the art watchwinders in their beautiful booth. Thereby we are interested in Scatola del Tempo, as they claim they are the first manufacturer of watchwinders they should be able to present some special models which are handmade in Italy. 

Some weeks ago we wrote about Rapport watchwinders, our conclusion was that their current collection was a bit old-fashioned. We will take a look and find out if they did modernize their collection with new trendy watchwinders. 

Last years we saw Spin-R watchwinders presenting their colorful watchwinders with professional LCD display. We are curious if they improved and extended their current collection, as Spin-R is a nice brand with affordable watchwinders for people who are interested in a watchwinders but don't want to spend too much. 

There will be a lot to see and write about. We will let you know the latest news around Baselworld and find out which brands will be popular in 2014. 

You can buy them everywhere, Modalo watchwinders. The company BEIMA International is based in Germany and was founded in 2006. BEIMA is the owner of the Modalo brand, which was launched in 2007.

Modalo has a worldwide distribution network and is sold in more than 20 countries. A Modalo dealer is never far away.

When we take a look at the Modalo website it seems a well structured website with a lot of graphics. The watchwinders are presented well with good photos and clear information.

The Modalo watchwinders are made in China and therefore quite reasonable priced. Modalo gives two ears of warranty on their products.

On the internet the opinions about Modalo seems to be 50/50. Many owners of a Modalo watchwinder do like the luxury design and affordable price. On the other hand we see quite some negative experiences from owners who have troubles with the motors and complain about the increasing sound. Nevertheless it's hard to judge a brand on these experiences.

The experiences are mostly from 1-2 years ago. We are sure Modalo improved it's quality like most watchwinder brands do. The most important factor is using high quality motors, as most problems with a watchwinder are motor related.

We asked some official Modalo dealers and they are quite happy with the brand. Though, some complained about the fact that Modalo is sold on Ebay. It won't improve the exclusivity and brand reputation of Modalo. It's the reason many watchwinder brands don't allow their official dealers to sell on Ebay.

In the lower price class Modalo could be a good watchwinder to start with. If you're looking for a bit more quality and reliability you have to spend more money. We will follow Modalo watchwinders and test some of their products in the nearby future.

The watchwinder as tool for a watch collection gains more and more popularity. A watchwinder is not only very handy to keep your automatic watches running, it also is a nice accessory in the living room, bedroom or office. There is a lot to choose and many watchwinder brands do offer great watchwinders which will wind up your watches without a hitch. 

When you are interested in a watchwinder for your automatic watches there are some questions you have to ask yourself. 

1) What should be the capacity of the watchwinder?

When you decide to buy a watchwinder it's important to know how many watches from you collection need a watchwinder. In other words, how many automatic watches do you have and which do you want to place in a watchwinder? 

There is no point in winding watches which you wear almost never. A watchwinder is handy when you have multiple watches which you wear regularly. 

2) What is my budget for a watchwinder? 

Do you have a huge watch collection with valuable watches then it's good to choose a high end watchwinder. Normally they offer more comfort, durable motors and a high level of finishing. Thereby it's nice that the watchwinder matches your watch collection in quality and charisma. Brands as Scatola del Tempo, Buben & Zörweg, Elma and Underwood are interesting. 

If you're looking for a good quality watchwinder but don't want to pay very much, there is a lot to choose. Brands as Heisse & Söhne, Wolf, Eilux, and Benson do offer a good price/quality ratio. 

If you just want to try a watchwinder and check out if it's something handy you use for a longer period you can buy a cheap Chinese watchwinder. They are cheap and not bad in the beginning, but you risk defects and noise when you use it longer than 1 year. But this a good option to get used to a watchwinder and don't spend to much money. If you're happy using a watchwinder you can improve by buying a better brand. 

3) Where do I buy a watchwinder?

There are so many online shops offering watchwinders. The problem is that many shops do offer only Chinese watchwinders. They say they are of great quality and the prices are attractive. Please note that these watchwinders are nice for the short term, but will have problems later on. 

In the US and Europe there are very good online shops which are official dealer of famous brands and do offer a wide variety of good watchwinders. There you can compare and select the watchwinder according your preferences. If you need help, just email them. A good watchwinder shop will give you advise which makes it more easy to buy the watchwinder you want. 

Unfortunately there are only a few jewelers offering watchwinders in their stores. They take too much space and the jeweler prefers to sell watches. Nevertheless the watchwinder is a populair accessory and underestimated by jewelers. Offering watchwinders will improve their sales and satisfy their clients. 

Conclusion; there is no perfect watchwinder. You have to think about your watch collection and your demands. Then choose a good watchwinder from a good shop with original brands, fair prices and good after-sales. 

Most watchwinders do look the same; a square box with winding technology inside. But there are watchwinders which do not follow the standard designs. Brands as Buben & Zörweg but also Origin Times do create special watchwinders based on a different theme. Bernard Favre is a person who likes to create extraordinary watchwinders too. 

Born in Neuchatel, the area of watchmakers he develops and produce items for the watch industry. It's a fact that Bernard Favre is a creative person as he is also a jazz drummer in his leisure time. 

Most of time he play to shape and combine different materials in his workshop. One day this brought him to a 3 dimensional spirit item that represent the planet with 3 rings. The following was a game of logical laws of physics and innovation. 

It took several years of cooperation with craftsmen from the watch making sector untill the unique watchwinder was ready; the "Planet" winding system. The watchwinder moves in several directions which is a spectacular sight.

It supplies the automatic watch with energy in a brilliant way. You can even connect a USB cable and set the direction and turns per day. It has all specifications a modern watchwinder should have.

Of course this watchwinder is not for everybody, but the real watch enthusiast will love this watchwinder. In the nearby future Bernard Favre will present new models based on the "Planet" model, suitable for more automatic watches. 

The Bernard Favre "Planet" watchwinder retailprice is 1'290 Swiss Franc, which is USD 1420 or 1050 Euro. All prices incl. VAT. It comes in a high end presentation case with USB cable, adapter, glass shell and travelling case.