Rotobox® Modular Winding System

Everyone knows that at the heart of every good watch winder you need a technologically superior motor.Which is why Underwood, for it’s top line of watch winders chooses to use motors from the Swiss company maxon motor ag, one of the world’s leading providers of this type of motor technology.

All of the winders shown in this catalogue are powered by high-quality maxon A-max DC motors each featuring high-performance permanent magnets. At the heart of every maxon motor is the world-wide patented, ironless rotor “the System maxon®”. This motor concept has many specific technical advantages, which for Underwood results in a low-noise, highly efficient motor with low-power consumption.

At maxon all major components are manufactured in house using custom built machinery and key technologies in the areas of winding techniques, gearhead design and injection moulding technology.

Rotobox® Modular Winding System

Having provided the motors for the SOJOURNER rover in 1997, the Swiss company is again involved in NASA’s current expedition on Mars. Both of the Mars rovers “SPIRIT” and “OPPORTUNITY” feature 39 maxon motors among their 43 electromotors.

The decision to use the Swiss motors was based on their excellent performance in the Pathfinder rover and because of their high efficiency. Bear in mind that the motors used in the NASA missions are themselves standard products with diameters of 20 and 25 mm and only required minor modifications in order to be able to deal with the extremely harsh conditions.The equipment must be able to withstand enormous temperature changes from ca. -120 °C to + 25°C, vibrations, and the very special atmospheric conditions.

Small wonder then that Underwood chooses to use this type of advanced technology for its products.

The Modular Winding System from Underwood

Your automatic watches are a significant investment. Shouldn’t you protect that investment with a product that has been designed with the same attention to detail as the watches themselves? We think that once you’ve seen all the benefits offered by this system, you’ll agree that, whether you have one fine automatic timepiece or 100, they all deserve the protection of the Underwood Modular Winding System.

The Modular Winding System from Underwood

Imagine a winding system that was designed to accommodate virtually any automatic watch; a system that would enable you to power each module individually, so that you never had to waste power turning empty units; a system that would allow you to remove one or more modules for travel or for storage in a safe; a system that was designed and built by the master craftsmen who create the boxes for many of the world’s leading watch brands; a system that was built from only the finest combination of high-tech materials and natural, vegetable-tanned fine grain leathers; moreover, a system that actually costs less than virtually any of the ordinary watch- winding boxes which lack these features, imagine all that, and you will have a good idea of the revolutionary Modular Winding System now brought to you by Underwood.

The Modular Winding System from Underwood

This extraordinary concept applies the principles of advanced design and engineering to keep your fine automatic watches wound when you’re not wearing them. And it does this with an elegant, building-block architecture which provides a foundation you can build on as your watch collection grows. This architecture leads to a flexibility that perfectly complements your lifestyle, with your watches ready for anything at a moment’s notice: ready to wear without winding or resetting the date, ready to travel, or ready to go into the safe for a year or more, until that next very special occasion.

CONVENIENT
Each Underwood Module operates on AC or battery power. And each multiple winding box comes with an extra single leather carrying case. So you can use your Underwood winder at home, in your office or on your next trip even protect it in a safe.

ADAPTABLE
With the Modular Winding System from Underwood, you can build your system as your automatic watch collection grows. Each single unit works independently even when housed in one of the Underwood multiple-unit boxes.

The Underwood Winding Module

1) Operates on either AC or battery power
2) When using battery power, batteries will last 12 months
3) When using AC power, battery power is automatically cut off, preserving the life of your batteries
4) Continuously flashing green LED lets you know the system is operational, even during rest cycles
5) When low-battery red LED lights, 1 month to replace batteries.

The Underwood Winding Module

EASY TO USE AND EFFICIENT
The most important and obvious function of the Underwood watch winder is of course that of winding your watches, and the associated number of rotations per day. To keep things simple the Underwood winder has an ex-factory setting that is automatic, simple and effective with no additional adjustments needed. Just place your watch on the spring-loaded support mechanism, insert the support into the module and turn on the unit. The unit will rotate 30 minutes clockwise, then 30 minutes counterclockwise, after which it stops for three hours. It will then repeat this cycle. The result is a 24-hour cycle, making the Underwood watch winders ideal for all automatic watches, whether modern or heirloom.

ALTERNATIVELY
Underwood has developed a new system, which allows the possibility of directly programming your watch winder according to the specifications of the watch manufacturer, as follows;

Underwood Individual Programming

HOW DOES IT WORK
The system is very simple to use. Underwood provide a special programming unit which connects to the back of the Underwood Winder by way of a cable. The customer will then be required to follow a number of simple steps in order to programme the winder as required.

Step 1
On the welcome screen the client will have the possibility of selecting from a number of languages.

Step 2
The client will then be required to insert the required number of movements per day as recommended by the respective watch manufacturer to maintain the watch fully wound.

Step 3
The final requirement will be to select the direction of the rotations, only clockwise or only anti-clockwise or both directions.

Based on the information inserted, the programming unit will then use a mathematical function to calculate the real number of rotations required, and will programme the winder accordingly

Beautiful

Your Underwood watch winder is housed in the finest materials. The single module protects your watch in a durable, smooth finish, high-tech coated, abrasion-resistant composite material. Following the long tradition of Underwood fine leather accessories, the luxurious leather cases are handcrafted in Italy from carefully selected full grain, natural vegetable-tanned leather. Each case is accented with solid brass fittings decorated with the “Clou de Paris” found on all Underwood products.

ROTOR SPECIFICATIONS:

Power Supply: Two,1.5V ,alkaline “C”cell LR14 batteries.
Battery Capacity: 8000 mAh (Average Industry Standard)
Indicators: LED Green: Continuous flash when switched on (1 flash/7 sec.) LED Red: low battery voltage, one month to change batteries.

ROTATION CYCLE EX-FACTORY STANDARD

Cycle: Duration: 4 hours
Rotating Time 1 hour – 50%clockwise,
(1/4 of the cycle) : 50% counter-clockwise
Resting Time: 3 hours – No Rotation
(3/4 of the cycle)
Power consumption: Working (motor ON):
Main – 2,9mA
Battery- 2,9 mA.
Resting (motor OFF):
Main – 0.3 mA
Battery – 0.3 mA.
Daily (6 hrs @ 2.9mA
plus18 hrs @ 0.3mA):
Main - 23mA
Battery – 23mA Power Life: AC: Unlimited
Battery: 12 months

Watch Supports

All Underwood Watch Winders are fitted with a standard sized watch support. However on request, both a larger and a smaller sized version are available, depending on wrist size.

Small watch support Art. Code: UN/1210
Standard support Art. Code: UN/1212
Extra large watch support Art. Code: UN/1221

Adapters

The adapter port for the Underwood transformer is positioned at the back of all Multiple Modules. Spare transformers are also available as an accessory. Please state European, U.S.A. or Japanese version.

EUROPEAN ADAPTER Art. Code: UN/1200
U.S.A. ADAPTER Art. Code: UN/1201
JAPANESE ADAPTER Art. Code: UN/1202