ALL WOUND UP

Many of us take our watches for granted, absentmindedly winding them when they stop or shaking them to keep the automatic mechanism going. With our mobile phones constantly at the ready, we’ve all been guilty of rarely looking at our watches, perhaps only as meetings near an end, and leaving them out unattended on the nightstand as we sleep.

But you have a choice—you can continue to demoralise your watch or you can give it the life it deserves: top-notch care when it’s off your wrist in a pillowed home that keeps it ticking safely and consistently. There’s a short list of high-end brands making luxury watch winders for this purpose, and it’s led by Buben & Zorweg. The German company’s creations are works of art whose sole purpose is to care for your watch—or your growing collection. Features include fingerprint-recognition locks, bulletproof “spy glass,” and materials such as Italian nappa leather, walnut burl, mother-of-pearl and brushed stainless steel. At the heart of Buben & Zorweg’s opulent designs is the watch winder, keeping manually wound watches ticking away and automatic timepieces moving.

By buying one of the brand’s mechanical works of art, which are priced from HK$25,000 to HK$3.8 million, you’ll be joining a client list— confidential, of course—of high-networth individuals and Hollywood stars. And at these price points, you don’t just get a one-act wonder. The Solitaire Vision, for instance, includes a safe, a collection of Timemover watch winders, a humidor, drawers for storing jewellery and watches, a built-in sound system with Bluetooth functionality, and a flying minute tourbillon timepiece.

Don’t think of watch winders as simply spinning, gyrating watch holders. “The designs are unique but very timeless,” says Vicky Du of Buben & Zorweg Shanghai. “They’re something you will love in 20 or 30 years as much as you do now. It’s not a luxury product that many people own; it’s a well-kept secret and therefore even more special.”