Here I wanted to make a really cheap and easy to power watch winder using a Chinese solar powered turntable as a basis.

Step 1: Parts Needed

So I had a thought about adapting a solar powered turntable into a watch winder for automatic watches. For this project I bought such a turntable from Ebay, they cost around £3 and wanted to see how they tick (sorry).

Step 2: Solar Turntable

Inside the turntable all 4 solar cells are connected in parallel with the motor/gearbox. The output from the cells in good light is around 3.4 volts. A test with USB power was also successful.

Step 3: The Watch Holder Part

I took the perspex turntable, an old fish food container and a small square of packing sponge. After drilling some holes in the base of the container I attached it to the Perspex turntable with some screws and nuts. The sponge was cut to allow a watch to be fitted over it and then I pushed the sponge and watch deep into the container.

Step 4: USB Cable Attachement

I don't have a picture for this step but I took an old USB cable and connected the Vcc and Ground wires to the red and black in the back of the turntable. Thereby powering the motor from any convenient USB socket.

Step 5: Add a Support Bracket

Taking the base I again drilled and using screws and nuts attached a bracket I had available. I also added an adjustable screw to the front to change the angle of the assembly. You may find this necessary to reduce the cyclic load on the motor and hence the noise as it turns the watch.

Step 6: All Done

On my test the Seiko didn't wind very well, the rotor inside does need a little shock to make it move, and the steady motion of the turntable just didn't give it any nudges. This may work better on other brands of watches. Though for around 3 or 4 quid and some bits and pieces I had available, this was a good, cheap little project.