The updated Barrington Watch Winder is the one accessory I’d recommend to all automatic watch owners

If you own an automatic watch (like one in our best watch guide), a watch winder is one of those purchases you might debate getting for years. Then you buy one and wonder why you waited so long.

I’ve tested a fair few watch winders over the years, and Barrington’s single winder has long been one of my favourites, so I was very excited to test the latest model.

This is how I got on…

The Barrington makes a strong first impression out of the box. It looks premium on a desk or bedside table. It’s painted in a gloss finish, and fingerprints were less of a problem than I expected. Dust, however, is a different story – it attracts it like a magnet, so keep a cloth nearby.

The winder itself is compact – 12cm wide, 12.5cm tall, and 19cm deep, weighing just 800g. It won’t dominate a desk or dresser.

The colours are really punchy. As you can see, I reviewed the Green model, but there are plenty of options available including Black, White, Orange, Yellow, Blue, and Red.

Almost everything feels very well made. The one exception is the silver plastic ring around the edge of the opening, which lets the side down slightly on an otherwise very polished product. It’s a small gripe, but it’s noticeable.

One thing I was genuinely relieved about was the LED situation. There’s what looks like a light on the front power button, and I was convinced it would glow all night on my bedside table. Thankfully, it only blinks when batteries are low.

The motor is whisper quiet. Much cheaper winders from Amazon will rattle and hum, but the Japanese motor inside the Barrington is seriously impressive.

The new cover adds to the experience too, it’s lightweight and plastic, not as premium feeling as a Wolf Winder (for example), but it is secure and it keeps dust off the watch.

USB-C charging is a welcome addition, meaning you almost certainly have a compatible cable already.

Mains adapters for the US, UK, and EU are all included in the box, but if you’d rather go wireless, four AA batteries will run the winder for around 60 to 70 days.

In terms of settings, you get five TPD (turns per day) options – 650, 750, 850, 1000, or 1950. That should cover most watches.

Rotation can be set to clockwise, counter-clockwise, or bi-directional, though it’s worth noting that bi-directional splits the turns between both directions rather than doubling them.

If you’re unsure which setting to use, Barrington actually has a handy tool which tells you the perfect setting for your watch.

The included Omni cushion is designed to fit wrist circumferences between 16.5cm and 22cm, which Barrington says covers around 85-percent of customers. My wrist measures 15cm, and I couldn’t get my Black Bay seated properly, so if you’re on the smaller side, the Micro cushion for wrists between 12.5cm and 16.5cm is worth considering before you order.

A neat bonus is the Barrington Jump system, which lets you connect multiple winders together and power them all from a single mains source using the included connecting cable. It’s great if you have a larger watch collection.

The Barrington is available now, priced at US$399 in the US and £275 in the UK.

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