Hands On With the WOLF Roadster Watch Winder

As my fondness for luxury watches grew over time so did my desire to possess accessories for them. Every small addition, whether it is a strap or a travel case, has had to not only provide a great functionality, but it also had to be beautiful and reflect the craftsmanship that goes into these timepieces. To me it’s like buying a Ferrari and buying performance parts from a cut rate parts manufacturer. It’s almost like you are doing yourself a disservice and frankly they don’t go together. So when it was time that I finally went looking for a watch winder for my Panerai PAM312 Automatic watch I came to fall in love with the WOLF 1834 Roadster Watch Winder with Storage.

The WOLF Roadster checked off so many boxes for me that I couldn’t go any other route. It was the same process I used when I found my Panerai PAM312 and I have been happy every since. So if it worked then, it should work now. Since I only have one Automatic watch at the moment I was looking for a single winder model (they do make bigger versions of this model). I know that some of you might wonder why I didn’t go with a multi watch winder in case of future purchases. Frankly the reason is I am not sure when the next purchase will be coming since I have a growing family to worry about as well as being limited in terms of space to place it. The other factor that lead me to the single would be the fact that it was in the budget I was looking to spend on a watch winder since they go up in price the bigger they get obviously. Lastly, it had to look amazing, and the WOLF roadster hits that point perfectly.

Before I go into the details of this particular model, I wanted to give you a little bit of background on the brand. I have this detailed nature where I have to research and learn all the details of a brand and what makes them tick before actually buying their product. There are a ton of watch winders out there ranging from budget models all the way up to über luxury ones so finding one that fit me was going to take some time.

You might have noticed that the brand was established in 1834. I know you are thinking how could they have created automatic watch winders back then. It’s simple, they didn’t. The brand was established in 1834 by the German Silversmith Philipp Wolf who realized that by creating a beautiful box for his silverware he was able to sell more of them. From there he started to refocus his work in creating very sophisticated jewelry cases.

His son, who was working as his apprentice, immigrated to Malmö, Sweden where he started his own workshop and gained great recognition for his craft. In the 1930’s Philipp Wolf III continued to expand the company and after the second world war would take month long trips by sea to sell his presentation boxes to a booming watch and jewelry market in the United States. By 1962 Philipp Wolf IV immigrated to England and started a new factory that used highly automated methods to expand to the point that they were recognized as one of the largest manufacturers of jewelry and display materials for Great Britain and much of Europe. In 1998, Simon Philip Wolf V realized the market in the United States and Canada were ripe for expansion. The line expanded beyond displays and jewelry boxes to include watch winders. They were able to see through the challenges to become a market leader in their industry.

Enough of the history lesson, lets get down to the good stuff, the WOLF watch winder itself. The package arrived a few days ago and I immediately went into the “kid on Christmas morning” mode. I started opening up the outer cardboard box and started to notice that they do a meticulous job of packing this winder. When I got into the inner shell, it was evident that they took great lengths to ensure the item was shipped properly as well as be aesthetically pleasing. I always appreciate a brand that takes just as much pride in their presentation and packaging as they do their actual product.

As I got past the dust cover with the WOLF 1834 logo and pulled out the Roadster Watch Winder, I was a very happy customer. The feel of the outer faux leather was supple and soft to the touch and the wood patterns on the inside were even better than pictures online.

The solid wood constructed watch winder was inspired by the luxurious veneer dashboard and details of classic automobiles. These subtleties are the main reason I was drawn to this collection from the start. This particular model I selected has a latch that opens up the top hinge which houses a storage unit that has placement for 3 more watches. The front side which features a glass cover folds down to present the winding controls and holder. The wood paneling is an Ebony Macassar wood that has an amazing range of colors from light to dark.

The winder itself which works with provide A/C adapter (includes international adapters) or batteries, has 3 directional settings, and rotation options ranging from 300 to 1200 TPD (Turns Per Day). The watch cuff on this model was made for watches up to 52mm which works perfectly when you are talking about Panerai in particular. The controls on the front of the winder really remind me of a vintage style car as they stated. On the left, you have the direction setting, then in the middle you have the backlit LCD display which tell you the programs and settings you are using, and then on the right you have the knob to turn it off and on. On either side of the LCD display you have small buttons that are marked – & + which control the speeds and various options you want to use on the winder such as delayed starts which can be from 6 to 72 hours.

I’m really looking forward to using the watch winder and not having to worry about winding my timepiece all the time when I have not worn the watch in a while. A watch winder might not always be needed for a watch such as mine that has a few complications, but on a timepiece with a lot of complications it really is a must in my opinion. For instance, when I was reviewing the Panerai PAM601 Equation of time, it took me forever to get the Month & Date set because of how it has to go through the progressions. If this piece was on a winder it would have kept the time going and all the complications would have still been correct as well.

My initial impressions of the WOLF Roadster Watch Winder is that it is constructed beautifully and with great pride in their craftsmanship. The brand puts their products through rigorous testing to ensure each product meets or exceeds not only the consumers but their own expectations. It’s a bit reassuring that each of the watch winders they sell does come with a 2 year warranty in case something were to happen.

I know there are a lot of boutique brands as well bargain basement versions of watch winders out there in the market. I wasn’t looking to overpay for my watch winder and didn’t want a piece that would stop working in a few weeks since these items tend to be on for extended periods of time. I think WOLF has combined the best of both worlds with providing a quality product at a very reasonable price. You can see the complete collection of products WOLF 1834 provides by visiting their website at www.Wolf1834.com.