Diplomat 31-497 Matte Black Finish Watch Winder

Day 1, I’m happy with it. I wanted something functional, quiet, and not terribly ugly, but also not big and gaudy like many of the competing brands. This thing is whisper quiet. I can’t hear it at all, but my hearing isn’t great and the air conditioner is running. If your room is very quiet, you may be able to hear it, but it’s not loud by any stretch. I can’t hear it AT ALL, not even while holding my ear next to it. Opening the door does not stop it from spinning, so make sure to turn it off before removing your watches, lest you break the mechanism. The watches turn very slowly. I was surprised. I don’t know why I imagined it would be faster. I’m sure the motor is spinning much faster than the watches, but that RPM gets stepped down with gears to a slower, higher torque rotation to handle potentially heavy watches. Seems well-designed. I’m using it with two Seiko 5 Automatics. Nothing fancy. I will update the review if it breaks or if there are any issues, so if you don’t see an update here after a year or so, I am either dead or this Diplomat winder is still running strong!

This winder works great. It keeps my automatic watches running without me having to wind them up. I have used it for 50mm watches and it appears that 52mm will fit fine as well. There is very little noise when the winder is rotating. I have it my bedroom and it does not distract nor bother me. In fact the low hum of my ceiling fan drowns it out. At first the setting I had it on did not provide enough rotations per day. I simply adjusted the switch on the back to increase the daily rotations and I have not had any problems since. There are 4 settings on the back for varying rotations per day that are described in the accompanying manual. You can also set it to rotate clockwise and counter clockwise or automatic. I do wish that it was stackable to save the ever increasingly precious table top space but that's just me. The winder looks great and does what it says it will do. What more can a consumer ask for?

This is my second watch winder from Diplomat. I also purchased the metallic/black model back on July 30, 2014. It has worked perfectly over the years and my automatic watches are kept wound with accurate time. The new winder is even better than the previous model purchased over 5 years ago. Diplomat has improved the motors on the new model and it is now much more quiet. I can barely hear the motors in the new model compared to the old model. The motors turns slightly slower in the new model. The new model also keeps my automatic watches wound with precision accurate time--my automatic watch collection includes brands by Rolex, TAG Heuer, Invicta, and Stauer--with watch sizes from 38mm to 46mm-- and all of them are keeping amazingly accurate time. There are 4 different Time Rotation Modes. I recommend Mode D which sets the winding function at rotating 1 hour and rest for 3 hours. This setting seems to keep the best overall winding of all my different brand automatic watches. The Diplomat watch winders are durable and well made of molded plastic. You will need to plug in the adapter for the winder since this model does not have a separate battery supply. The Diplomat winder has two perfectly clear windows and is easy to mount, insert, and remove my watches yet it holds the watches very securely in the winder. These winders are not very elegant compared to some of the more expensive winders made of wood but this watch winder is the best value for under $50.

Don't let the plastic casing fool you. I think this is a well-made winder. It isn't quiet - it's ninja-quiet! I have it on my dresser and I could easily have it on the nightstand next to the bed, like other reviewers. I had to put my ear actually on the winder to hear the motor when the watches were turning. I like the vertical arrangement. It's on the back corner of the dresser and it doesn't take up much room at all. If you're debating whether to purchase a winder, I think it is essential for any automatic watch. By the way, "automatic" used to be called "self-winding" back in the day. Most automatic watches have well over 100 parts and they were meant to run. Keeping the watch running prevents the lubricant from drying out or settling. An automatic watch can not be over-wound; it is literally impossible. Therefore, the main spring can't wear out. Yes, the main spring can break and really old ones do, but maintaining a watch in a winder will not hasten the end of the main spring. 'Nuf said on watch winder philosophy. Here are more details on the Diplomat. It has four modes (A-D) as well as a separate switch to determine winding direction (CW/CCW/AUTO). These settings are for both watch holders. In other words, you can't set two different modes for each watch. I happened to luck out because both of my watches need around the same number of turns per day (TPD). I recommend orbita.com to look up how many TPDs your watch needs as well as whether it should be wound CCW, CW, or bi-directional. The Orbita database is extensive. I'd be surprised if they didn't list your watch. Regardless of the settings you need for your watch, I think this winder will do the job. The four modes of the Diplomat are varied enough to take care of nearly every automatic watch model out there.

Completely silent and effective. This thing makes absolutely no sound and has plenty of versatility with 4 different settings from 300 turns per day (TPN) up to 2000 TPN's. Clockwise, Counter or bidirectional depending on what you watch prefers. Check on the database on Orbita.com for most watch models. It is plastic but well made and a fraction of the price compared to fancy winders such as can also be found in Orbita.com. If you love mechanical watches but don't want to spend more on the winder than on the watch, this is a must.

Cheap quality and stopped working after just one year

**UPDATE** I had a question about my winders and ended up emailing the address listed on the instruction manual. Given the levels of service typical of today's products, I didn't have high hopes for a response. Guess what? I was contacted the same day and provided with excellent service. *That* is a product you can trust. **REVIEW FOLLOWS** I have five of these things running constantly and I love them. Note that by constantly, I mean "plugged in and switched on." Naturally, as watch winders, they only move every now and then, to keep automatic watches wound but not create excess wear on the slip mechanism that prevents overwinding. They're configurable (one direction, both directions, duration, etc.) and also have an on/off switch. They take a tiny amount of power. These Diplomat models are inexpensive, but far better than more expensive models, for several reasons: - Rather than the "pillows" that more expensive models tend to use, these use spring-loaded plastic holders. While you may think that pillows are better, they're not for most men—most high-end winders and their pillows are actually too small to securely hold on to today's heavier watches at mens' wrist sizes. The plastic doesn't hurt the watch (it's softer than metal and glass) but the spring-loading mechanism means that even big, heavy watches are secure. - Many more expensive models have two watches slotted together on a rotating disc. Don't buy these if you're a guy and wear watches over about 36mm big—you'll find that the slots are so close together that the cases of the two watches bang together once every rotation, leaving big ugly scratches and wear patches on your watches. Not a problem with these winders. - Obvious little thing—many more expensive winders have doors that aren't easy to manage. They're big, heavy, and gravity either holds them closed or holds them open. The doors on these stay in whatever position they're in when you let go, rather than falling to one extreme or the other. This seems a small thing until you have a door fall open *on your watch* and scratch it. Such a simple thing, but once again, the Diplomat winders get it right. I've had mine running for nearly two years without problems. And the quick insert/remove holders snap in snugly so that watches don't fall all over the place, but make it easy to get watches on and off. The fact that they're spring loaded keeps watches from "banging" due to gravity as they rotate. And the price is right. And to top it all off they're cheap as dirt and if you keep them well dusted and the windows clean, they make for a great watch display. Frankly I don't see why you'd spend a whole bunch more.

The product is OK, no major issues, at the same time, nothing impressive. It surely does get noisier after a few days. Only had it a few weeks now - genuinely could not here the motor on day 1, now is quite noticeable. Would I buy it again? Maybe