Description
I purchased this timepiece through a vendor called ‘Light in the box’. It cost less than a package of cigarettes and, provided I was willing to wait, shipped for free. I was willing to wait.
The watch arrived the next month, adequately wrapped in bubble-wrap and shoved inside a plastic envelope.
Light in the Box’s description is poor. They portray this watch as semi-mechanical, quartz and automatic. There is no place to insert a battery so, obviously, this timepiece is not quartz. I examined the movement to determine what sort of mechanism was used to power the watch.
The mainspring of an automatic watch is wound by taking advantage of the user’s arm movements. This motion swings a weight—the technical term is rotor—back and forth. The rotor is firmly attached to a staff which is connected to a ratcheted winding mechanism. The purpose of this mechanism is to tighten the mainspring. If you own a good automatic watch and wear it every day, the timepiece will never need to be hand wound.
Normally you can hear the rotor swing when you shake an automatic watch. In this case I couldn’t. Neither could I observe the weight when I glanced through the transparent cover. This a not an automatic watch.
Decent inexpensive automatic watches are available. Check out my review of theKronen & and Sohne KS04 or the Jaragar JR13 for further information.
The Manufacturer
Winner is a China based company. While they manufacture a variety of inexpensive timepieces, Winner tends to specialize in Skeleton watches. I searched without success for their website. This infers any warranty problems would need to be handled by the vendor who sold the watch.
Specifications
Brand: Winner
Condition: New without tags
Part number: 387588
Gender: Men’s
Display: Analog
Movement: Mechanical hand wind
Style: Skeleton
Features: Hollow engraving
Band material: Polyurethane
Case material: Steel
Case diameter: 4.4 cm
Case thickness: 1.1 cm
Weight: 55 gm (including band)
Water resistance: Not specified but probably minimal
Visual Appeal
The case is well designed; two toned and covered on each side with a transparent acrylic face. The movement can be examined from either the front or the back, ensuring an excellent view of the inner workings of the watch. The hands are coated with luminous paint which provides illumination throughout short periods of darkness. The dial is nicely engraved and the numbers used to indicate the time are composed of Roman numerals.
Accuracy
I wore this watch for a day to check for comfort and to assure myself that the time could be quickly and easily ascertained despite the busy background. Then I stored in on a shelf for two weeks, winding it twice daily. At the end of this period I set it to my computer clock and tested the unit for three days. At the end of its test cycle I found that the watch had lost one minute. This is a reasonable result considering the cost of this timepiece. You keep this thing wound and it will look after you.
Durability
I did not disassemble this watch but the movement does appear to be jeweled. Although I could easily adjust the time I noticed an inordinate amount of play in the crown whilst doing so. The strap is composed of Polyurethane which looks like leather but lacks durability. This watch is intended as a gift so I did not subject it to shock and water resistance tests.
Overall Impression
This Winner mechanical watch has a lot going for it. The price is right; the timepiece keeps good time and is visually appealing. It is comfortable on the wrist. The large crown ensures the watch can be easily wound and, because of the ‘see through’ design, this timepiece will attract attention.
The hands and dial of this watch are both colored gold. While visually appealing, it is difficulty to determine the time at a glance.
This watch has worked well throughout the short period I have owned it. Having said this, I do not expect it to anywhere near as durable as my much more expensive Seiko. This Winner should not be your serious everyday timepiece. It’s a cool watch though; one that will be fun to show off during the weekends. Recommended for casual use.
Update
I've owned this watch for at year. The band shows wear and, if I'd been wearing this timepiece consistently, would have required replacement by now. Accuracy is unchanged, the watch looks good and it is still a pleasure to wear.
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