Noise Levels in Watch Winders

One of the key features that buyers look for when choosing a watch winder is the noise it generates.


To give you my opinion, there’s no such thing as a “Noiseless” (silent) winder. Instead of referring to them as “No Noise”, I would say its “Low Noise”. Noise is very subjective. There’s no standard noise level for winder manufacturers to benchmark with. Noise to one person is tolerable to another.

A German company who makes the UB1-6 winder unit measures it at 1m away and a noise level of between 30 ~ 50dbA was measured. Is this acceptable as compared to a Rapport unit? I think we’re comparing apples to oranges because both differ in design and work on different drive systems.

The UB1-6 is an open-type winder while the Rapport units are enclosed in a housing. Even if one were to compare enclosed units of, say, Rapport and Orbita the results would again be incomparable because both use different methods to rotate your watches.

Somehow, if the unit emits a grinding noise that is different from the day it came, the unit is noisy! One example I’ve seen and heard is from a YouTube contributor whose winder unit is about to breakdown. You can see the turntable struggling to rotate the watch with grinding sounds.


Noise (sound) will be generated by the winder because of
a) the gears inside the motor, (it’ll make a difference using polymer or metal gears),
b) the materials used for the housing that vibrates with the motor (it’s a soundbox),
c) the low torque of the motor struggling to carry the whole weight of the watch, and,
d) the poor construction of the winder, resulting in rubbing noises of the turntable.


It’s best to test the winder prior purchase for “noise” if you’re particular about it. The noise level should be at one’s accepted level with the unit door closed and listen from 2ft. away. This would be a fair way to test all winders. I’m very certain all winders should pass.

The problem does not come immediately but 3 to 6 months later after purchase. And hopefully your warranty doesn’t expire then. This is a common problem for cheap watch winders. You’re lucky if the unit is not a lemon. Buyers always want all the technical marvels and yet pay low price for a winder unit. You get what you paid for. And don’t be impressed with just the glossy exterior and fancy winding sequences it can do. It’s the insides that count too!

The Rotowind system by Orbita is the best option if you are a light sleeper and want to keep your timepiece in the bedroom. Otherwise any winder would do. If you hear whirls and hums, just place a pillow over your ears or your watch winder in a safe, the next room or in a locked closet and your problems are over.

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