We (and by we, I mean mostly men) often embark on new hobbies, eagerly investing both time and money to pursue our passions. If you’re into gaming, for example, even after getting an expensive computer, there are so many things you can spend your money on, from the best games, to gaming headsets, chairs, and monitors. It’s the same situation for people into cars, photography, heck, even fishing. But if you’re into watches the story is a little different…
Sure, there are new straps, watch rolls, and watch winders. Maybe a nice high-end spring bar removal tool. But compared to other hobbies, watch collectors are neglected in the accessories market.
I’ve been writing about watches for around eight years, and I’ve not seen any novel or interesting accessories in that time… until Wolf’s travel watch winder was launched.
It’s called the Rocket, and Wolf claims it’s the world’s smallest travel watch winder. I couldn’t wait to try it out and had the perfect excuse at Watches and Wonders 2024.
At roughly 9cm in diameter and 16cm long, the Rocket is around the same size as a traditional watch roll capable of holding three watches. Of course, there’s only space for one watch here though, with the additional space being taken up by electronic gubbins.
It took Wolf nearly two years of research and development to perfect the Rocket, with the size reduction of the winder mechanism being the brand’s biggest challenge.
It fits perfectly in my carry-on suitcase, and I think it’s so impressive that it can fit in the palm of your hand. This compact size, and the fact that it’s wireless, means it can work inside a hotel safe, which is very useful if you’re travelling with an expensive, complicated watch.
At 541g, it is heavier than a traditional watch roll, but that’s to be expected, really, and not an issue if you’ve got wheelie luggage.
Now, as previously mentioned, I used the Rocket to take my Tudor Black Bay Black to Watches and Wonders. This allowed me to go watch-free during the day (who needs to wear a watch when you’re trying a new one on every five minutes), with my Black Bay ready to go as soon as I left the show.
Wolf is over 185 years old and one of the biggest watch winder manufacturers out there, so it knows a thing or two about winding watches.
The Rocket features the brand’s patented innovation which counts the precise number of rotations (all other winders estimate the number of rotations) so you know you’re getting 900 turns per day, with pause and sleep phases pre-programmed.
It’s deathly quiet as well – I had this on the nightstand in my hotel and didn’t hear it rotating (although that might be because I was so exhausted from Watches and Wonders).
Perhaps my favourite feature is Wolf’s exclusive 12 o’clock stop/start position, so my watch is always presented in the correct orientation.
Powering the Rocket is a long-life rechargeable lithium-ion battery, so you don’t need to worry about changing batteries. When it does come to charging, it’s done via the USB Type-C port on the rear, which I think is great, as it means I only need to travel with one cable for my laptop, phone, camera and now, watch winder.
If you travel frequently with your watch, or you just fancy picking up a Rocket for your bedroom dresser, you can buy it now from Wolf’s website priced at £599.
