# Building Arduino Uno & 80/20 Watch Winder



## lucgallant

Hi everyone,

I've got an automatic watch which I've posted about before: https://www.watchuseek.com/f67/victorinox-airboss-mechanical-241507-a-622673.html#post4543202

Anyway, like many, I wanted a watch winder. I thought it would be a good project so I set out to build one sometime last year. Took me a long time, especially the programming piece of it.

I'll admit, I got a few ideas from this post here: Christopher Ward Forum â€¢ View topic - Building a watch winder

The person that made the one above definitely had a lot of good tools at his disposal.

Anyway, I built mine using two Arduino Unos communicating with each other serially, combined with a Real Time Clock chip and a GPS chip for second accurate atomic clock synchronization. It uses a stepper motor which can be set into different modes and also the speed of rotation in both turns per day / RPM can be manually set. It has a basic schedule for operating the winder, whether it be all day or from 8 AM to 10 PM, or, it can go as fast as the internal program allows it to in order to wind your watch as fast as possible (10 RPM). I also programmed in a time zone function so that it can be used anywhere in the world, with DST as well. I never really understood "memory limitations" until I did this project.

Anyway I won't ramble on too much, here are some photos!

Here is a video as well: 




This is a view of the inside of the winder as I was installing both the motor holding beam and the bearing beam.









This is the upper section of the winder with all three circuit boards mounted. There are two Arduino Unos and a custom made chip that includes the real time clock, GPS chip, a transistor used for turning on/off the LED lights, a voltage divider for the 2.8V LEDs, and then finally button input resistors. My only hardware bug in the whole project was that I forgot to put a resistor between the base of the transistor and the Uno. Basically shorted the digital output to ground, causing high currents (~85 mA) range, giving me random reboots. Surprised I didn't break the Uno.









This is a picture of the back of the front plate, not yet wired.









This just shows the shaft and how it looks like from behind the round plate.








Workbench view with Fritzing drawing taped up on the wall.








This is the top cover of the winder mostly wired up.








Now the front plate wired up.








This is the finished product from the front. The buttons have several features including cycling through menus, turning the motor on/off, and toggling through features per menu. For instance turning the GPS on/off, changing time zones, changing motor modes, etc.








Side angle.







Front screen showing main menu.








Front screen showing GPS menu, satellite locks, altitude and time zone info, user programmable by region.








Front screen showing watch info as in direction of rotation, schedule, and turns per day setting.








Front screen showing more watch information.








Jaw design, this idea was taken from the post above. I still have some work to do on these though.








View from the back all wired up.








Inside view from below showing all boards.








View showing how the shaft, bearing and round plate look like from inside.








Motor view.








I've got all the C programming and machining designs if anyone is interested...


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## Nokie

Wow! To say that your work is impressive would be an understatement. Very well done, and very creative.


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## Sebastiano

Nice! Talk about coincidence. I was sitting in bed last night noodling the idea of a building a watch winder with Arduino or Raspberry Pi. This will give me a leg up executing on that idea, although it's humbling at the same time. My inexperience in this particular arena led me to underestimate or completely miss a few considerations. Again, great work!


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## little big feather

Pretty cool...|>..|>..|>..|>..:-!


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## drewcandraw

that's nifty....great job


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## lucgallant

Thanks all, see here for video:


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## LadyTime

That is DIY engineering. Nicely done, sir!


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## MrButterworth

> I've got all the C programming and machining designs if anyone is interested...


I'm finishing up an arduino powered winder project of my own. I'd definitely be interested in taking a look at your sketch. I have the hardware to incorporate the GPS functionality you have, but I haven't bothered to go down that hole yet. It seemed like a great idea at first, then after I spent a bunch of time on sorting out the actual winder controls I wanted to have, I decided the GPS stuff was more of a nicety than anything else. Maybe I'll be able to glean some of that from your sketch down the line and work it into mine too.

When I'm done with my winder I'll put up a post. I suppose there's a chance you may like something in mine that you'd want to glean too.


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## lucgallant

MrButterworth said:


> I'm finishing up an arduino powered winder project of my own. I'd definitely be interested in taking a look at your sketch. I have the hardware to incorporate the GPS functionality you have, but I haven't bothered to go down that hole yet. It seemed like a great idea at first, then after I spent a bunch of time on sorting out the actual winder controls I wanted to have, I decided the GPS stuff was more of a nicety than anything else. Maybe I'll be able to glean some of that from your sketch down the line and work it into mine too.
> 
> When I'm done with my winder I'll put up a post. I suppose there's a chance you may like something in mine that you'd want to glean too.


Just send me a PM and I'll send you the sketches. When you're done yours just post a link to it in this thread, I'd definitely like to see it!


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## Aadu88

lucgallant said:


> Just send me a PM and I'll send you the sketches. When you're done yours just post a link to it in this thread, I'd definitely like to see it!


Hello there, searched around Google, seems like your Arduino watch winder project got the most hit and it show on the most top of the result, would love to build one winder for myself and my wife, i am quite new to arduino and heard that it have unlimited possibility for building all kind of stuff. Thinking of buying a decent watch winder at the local store but seems like those design is from the same manufacturer, its all look the same.

i have a few idea in mind, and would only like to build a simple winder that can be setting to turn according to my config. A few button maybe, 2 servo, An LCD, a case, i have already have most the part laying here, was just playing with the coding before i saw your post, i am thinking "can i build one of this too?" haha...

very much appreciate it if you can show me some sketches or photo in more details way.


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## avihai

IMPRESSIVE ! 
I'm working on one as well, much simpler though  I will share when I finish


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## lucgallant

Aadu88 said:


> Hello there, searched around Google, seems like your Arduino watch winder project got the most hit and it show on the most top of the result, would love to build one winder for myself and my wife, i am quite new to arduino and heard that it have unlimited possibility for building all kind of stuff. Thinking of buying a decent watch winder at the local store but seems like those design is from the same manufacturer, its all look the same.
> 
> i have a few idea in mind, and would only like to build a simple winder that can be setting to turn according to my config. A few button maybe, 2 servo, An LCD, a case, i have already have most the part laying here, was just playing with the coding before i saw your post, i am thinking "can i build one of this too?" haha...
> 
> very much appreciate it if you can show me some sketches or photo in more details way.


Responded via the e-mail you sent, short answer is yes, I will provide you with the code and wiring diagrams. Pictures on the site area already fairly extensive, so hopefully that works. Thanks,

Luc


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## Mikedubya

Luc,
What an impressive design! I've been looking all over for an elegant and functional DIY winder for my Submariner, and you have done it. I'm a machinist, I don't have any issues with the construction of the chassis, but I'm just now considering dabbling in the Arduino route after seeing yours. Would you be able to share your materials list,code and diagram?? What are your thoughts on a Arduino newb taking this on?


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## yuriyca

Luc,

I am impressed with your design. Please, take a look at my post. What do you think - is it possible to design a watch winder meeting my requirements? 

Respectfully,

yuriyca


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## Tinkertrain

That is elegant, and awesome! I'm new to the arduino game. In fact, I just bought a kit and waiting for it to be delivered. What I do have is a machine shop and a Submariner that's in constant need of reset. I was looking for a project and thought a winder would be relatively straight forward, but yours took it to the next level. Could you please share your sketch and parts list with me?? I'm sure it will be awhile before I am able to do more than light up some LEDs, but it'll give me something to work with. Again, well done.


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## lucgallant

Mikedubya said:


> Luc,
> What an impressive design! I've been looking all over for an elegant and functional DIY winder for my Submariner, and you have done it. I'm a machinist, I don't have any issues with the construction of the chassis, but I'm just now considering dabbling in the Arduino route after seeing yours. Would you be able to share your materials list,code and diagram?? What are your thoughts on a Arduino newb taking this on?


Thanks very much. Sorry for not replying sooner, I'm ashamed.

E-mail me at [email protected] (if you haven't already). I'll send everything along. As for a newb, I think it's fully do-able. This was my first project in Arduino. As long as you're patient... lol. Talk soon.

Luc


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## lucgallant

yuriyca said:


> Luc,
> 
> I am impressed with your design. Please, take a look at my post. What do you think - is it possible to design a watch winder meeting my requirements?
> 
> Respectfully,
> 
> yuriyca


Hi there, can you please link to the post you're talking about or?


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## lucgallant

Tinkertrain said:


> That is elegant, and awesome! I'm new to the arduino game. In fact, I just bought a kit and waiting for it to be delivered. What I do have is a machine shop and a Submariner that's in constant need of reset. I was looking for a project and thought a winder would be relatively straight forward, but yours took it to the next level. Could you please share your sketch and parts list with me?? I'm sure it will be awhile before I am able to do more than light up some LEDs, but it'll give me something to work with. Again, well done.


Yes, no problem, just e-mail me at [email protected]. Thanks!


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## smee

Look up also raspberry pie. It is more capable if you are versed in python/linux.


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## toffee67

Such a great project, this will have to go on my "to-do" list as well!


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## sblantipodi

Why you used two Arduino and not one ?

Thanks


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## ExpiredWatchdog

for(i=0, j==0; i==ONEDAY; i++)
if(i<MOREWINDSTHANINEED)
if(jmod1==0)
MoveCCW();
else
MoveCW();
j++;


You can thank me later.

(Damn indents didn't come through, use your imagination)


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