A gravity-wielding winder appears, which resembles a sci-fi gadget rather than something you’d want on your desk. Metilis refers to it as the Gravity Furnace, which will come as no surprise. This single-watch winder spins automatic watches with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker, but instead of a boring wooden box, it resembles a chunky robot from an old-school anime.
Collectors of automatic watches will understand that you have to keep these bad boys moving when they’re not on your wrist or it just stops working. Standard winders do the work quietly inside an oak case, rotating the watch in smooth cycles, but the Gravity Furnace is unique. It’s designed around a robot arm that wraps around and rotates the watch, all encased in a full-metal shell with sharp pieces and modular panels that can be swapped out for a new look. It has an industrial air, as in, “I’ve got a garage full of tools.” There are adjustable side plates, odd antenna-like pieces, and even swappable metal or rubber feet to give it a unique look.
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You have to open the large metal door by hand; there are no finicky buttons for this thing, and when you do, it clicks shut with this delightfully satisfying sound. The touch screen comes to life in a deep blue tone, and from there you can play with the settings. It’s very simple: do you want to wind the watch every day, every now and then, or just let it run on its own? You can even give it a manual spin if it needs some extra TLC. The UI is a little rough around the edges, and I’m sure there are some spelling errors in there, but once you get the feel of it, you’re golden.
The power comes from two USB-C ports, which are useful for charging your phone, and there’s an internal battery that’s coupled with a real-time clock, so it keeps nice and accurate even when not plugged in. The motors are also extremely quiet; you don’t want a noisy humming object to distract you as you work. When it’s finished, it returns the watch to its proper position, allowing you to read the time.
The Gravity Furnace costs $800, which is a lot for a watch winder, especially since there are cheaper multi-watch winders available. The weight is also an issue, as moving it to your desk is similar to moving a little boulder. There are still certain parts of the prototype that don’t look finished, but that’s part of the appeal.
