Recently I have been working on a couple of exciting personal watch projects that on the surface seemed pretty straightforward. However, once the all the components were individually laid out on my watchmaker’s Ben Birkett’s bench (for assembly) it became apparent that serious adjustments were required. Fortunately, Ben has an engineering background and so he overcame these challenges fairly easily. Both timepieces were manufactured from technically drawings so the tolerances should have been minimal. For me, this illustrated how tough it is for brands to deliver a unique product to market.
A few months ago I featured a fantastic compact watch winder called the Masterbox by SwissKubik. This business is owned by Xavier Castelli who also acquired Italian brand Scatola del Tempo in 2018. Prior to this, the company was owned by the family of Sandro Colarieti who was the original founder of Scatola del Tempo. Both brands share a similar philosophy so this union seems like a natural progression. In fact, the new upgraded 2019 version of the Rotor One Sport Red that I am testing is powered by an engine designed by SwissKubik.
Scatola del Tempo have an extensive range of high-end watch winders that are designed for serious collectors. These are effectively custom made pieces of furniture that are created to the client’s specifications. However, if you are restricted to a more modest budget and space is at a premium I would highly recommend the Rotor One (priced at €495). This product is highly compact (11.5 x 10 x 10.5cm and looks absolutely fantastic. Certainly, when I received the Sport Red model (requested) it massively exceeded my expectations. It is also very easy to operate and as soon as I positioned my watch (AOS ‘Black Wind Rose’) in the slot I was ready to go. Impressively this device will function autonomously on batteries alone for a minimum of 3-years.
As I mentioned this the second version of the Rotor One that aesthetically looks very similar to the original model. However, this latest incarnation has had many upgrades to make it more durable and easier to operate. It also is powered by the same sophisticated engine as the Masterbox. In fact, the specifications overall are very similar in terms of quality and performance. The main differences between the two products are essentially in the design. Features like the red leather-bound chassis and curvaceous silhouette give the unit a touch of Italian flare. I also love the front cover which is reminiscent of a Rolex’s iconic GMT Pepsi bezel.
For more information about the stylish Rotor One Sport Red follow this link
