If there ever was a story of business
longevity in the ever changing niche of luxury goods, then it has to be
the story of the Wolf family. Founded on the motto that 'ones prized
possessions must be stored in a fine quality case' German silversmith
Philip Wolf I started a business with the goal to provide the retailers
with the finest jewellery and silverware cases possible.
The year was 1834. Five generations later, Wolf is still a family business run with the same passion, focused on the same goal.
Like you, I have heard of WOLF watch winders, but until recently, for
some reason, I was under the impression that 'founded in 1834' was just
WOLF's marketing ploy. After all, wrist watches became popular only in
the 1920s, and the first watch winders hit the market almost 160 years
later! I've failed to put two and two together; that the WOLF people,
the case makers, and the watch winder makers, are actually the same
company!
Of course, the confusion ends the moment you lay your hand down on a
finely made WOLF winder realising that you are dealing with craftsman
who have been making fine products for generations.
But before we go any further: as a long standing subscriber to this
newsletter, you are now puzzled why in the world I am even talking about
watch winders. Aren't winders nothing more than a cynical invention of
the devil himself, intended to ruin your finely crafted mechanical
watches, by virtue of over winding, causing excessive wear and tear,
rendering them useless? At least, wasn't that my mantra for at least a
decade, if not longer?
You are right. While I was probably the first person to sell watch
winders in Sydney - if not in Australia - and while I've sold literally
truckloads of winders, about ten years ago I had enough of them. Watch
winders are bulky, fragile and heavy. Shipping them around Australia was
a challenge. Storing them in our city office was a nightmare. And quite
frankly, I got tired of explaining the obvious: don't let your watch
sit on a winder, for months on end; there is no real benefit in that,
and especially not in placing all of your watches on winders, purely for
the sake of creating some circus act to impress your visitors, in a
clownish act of fake sophistication.
All these arguments stand. They are all valid. A watch winder is a
wonderful invention when consumed properly, in moderation. Here is a
practical example of a responsible use: you have two watches; you wear
one during the week, and other on weekends only. There is nothing wrong
with having one on the winder, while other is worn on the wrist. Or, you
have a dozen watches, place them on the winder, but don't spin them
around. It's simple as that.
As you can see, I am back into watch winders. I am sick of people asking
"when are you going to stock winders?" I am equally unhappy about my
competition selling winders while I sit idle, guarding some moral
ground, which quite frankly, should not be my business. If I'm to stock
and sell the devil's toy, I may as well sell you probably the best one
on the market - the WOLF. Use it responsibly, have fun. If your heart
craves luxury - go WOLF.
NOTE: the 16 winders listed below are just a snippet from the vast WOLF
range. If you need any other model / colour / size, email us for more
options.
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