We write about watches every single day but rarely, if ever, do we talk about the accessories that go with them.

We write about watches every single day but rarely, if ever, do we talk about the accessories that go with them. Sure, we’ve mentioned straps once, but that’s really about it. Today we will be covering an accessory that is really very useful, although one that few people seem to own. We are talking about a watch-winder, or rotor.

Now us being us, we aren’t going to be wasting our time with those rotors you see in the Sky Mall catalogs you find in the back of an airplane seat. No no, we are going to be talking about a rotor from one of the finest makers of watch winders in the world, Scatola del Tempo. Scatola del Tempo is a small Italian firm that uses the finest materials in their rotors, and lets you know it.

Multi-watch winders from Scatola del Tempo sell for multiple thousands of dollars (see?), but we’ve decided to spend some time with their most accessible choice, the Rotor One HDG. The Rotor One is essentially a single unit rotor housed in plastic, but features the very same Swiss motor that has made Scatola del Tempo the choice for real watch aficionados.

The inspiration behind the brand is interesting and pragmatic. Founder Sandro Colarieti simply wanted a watch case made of the same quality of materials as the pieces they would hold. One didn’t exist, so he had one built, simple as that. Scatola del Tempo was born, and the world of high-end automatic watch winders was created.

The Rotor One HDG uses the very same Swiss-engineered motor as the more expensive models. These are special motors that are incredibly consistent, emit little to no magnetic charge, and require little energy to power them. The Rotor One is a well-built device with tangible quality.

When removing the Rotor One from its box and suede bag, you can’t help but notice how heavy it is. The next thing you notice is that ring of ball-bearings that line the inside of the rotor, providing smooth guidance from within.

We tested the device for about a week, using both an automatic Omega Speedmaster and our newly acquired Maurice de Mauriac Zurich Chronogaph Modern. The rotor performed just as it should, quietly keeping our two watches precisely wound. The motor works both in clock-wise and counter-clockwise programs, set by pushing the button on the bottom to one side or the other. What is important to note is the Rotor One doesn’t have to continuously spin the watch, in fact for periods of 9 hours at a time, the watch sits still.

Read more here:
Scatola Del Tempo Rotor One: A Practical Luxury For Those That Have (And Want) Everything