The relationship between the UK and China has strengthened significantly of the years. In the past few decades China has grown to become one of the UK biggest export markets and in recent years the UK has hit new trade records with the country.

In 2019, China represented an export market worth £30.7bn to the UK and an import market worth £49bn, these record holding figures come after years of consecutive growth spurred on by huge infrastructure projects.

In addition to lively important and export markets, state owned and private Chinese run corporations also hold significant interests in British infrastructure and own majority stakes of several nuclear plants as well as having significant stakes in Thames Water and Heathrow airport. They have invested billions into acquiring UK businesses such as British Steel and carmaker Geely and many other businesses, saving thousands of jobs and helping to modernise industries in the UK.

Chinese technology companies like Huawei have also been heavily investing in the UK since the early noughties and are heavily involved in the countries basic telecoms infrastructure, inextricably linking the economic interests of the UK and China. The recent announcement that Huawei will no longer be involved in rolling out 5G technology in the UK has caused some strain to the relationship between the countries, but it’s unlikely to have a negative or lasting impact on the strong trade relationship between the nations.

Chinese students also make up a significant portion of the student body of universities in the UK, with many reliant on the revenue they earn from the tuition fees that they bring in. With China’s emerging market continuing to grow, many experts are predicting that the trend of increasing trade between the countries will continue and the UK will no doubt see yet more records for Chinese imports and exports.

Burton Blake is a leading UK store specialising in the sale of luxury lifestyle products and giftware including luxury audio brands, travel and homeware. They are also an official stockist for WOLF watch winders, a premium-quality range of watch winders that serve both a practical and aesthetic function, making for perfect luxury gifts for those who love their watches.

Below are the answers to a few questions we asked about WOLF watch winders.

For those unfamiliar with watch winders, how do they work?

A quality watch winder keeps an automatic watch turning, just as if you were wearing it, and therefore keeps the winder spring-loaded and all the other moving parts in operation. In fact, one of the key moving parts of an automatic watch is the main spring that stores power to keep the mechanism moving. If this winder spring is left loose for too long, it will become less efficient and eventually fail to result in an inaccurate watch followed by an expensive repair bill. What’s more, once the mainspring runs out of tension, the rest of the watch’s moving parts will stop, which is also considered bad for a luxury watch.

To be more clear, a quality watch winder keeps the watch wound to the same stored power level, so when you take your watch out of the winder, it should be wound to roughly the same level as when you put it in. Usually, a completely unwound watch will require approximately 30-40 standard winds to load the mainspring completely. During the day, depending on your level of activity, your watch should stay wound at the right level for optimal performance. A watch winder will keep the watch running at that level, avoiding too many extra winds of the crown.

So, by using a watch winder your watch will remain accurate for longer, the main spring and internal movement will last longer, and of course, the watch will be at the right time and date, next time, when you want to wear it.

Why do watch winders make great gifts?

The market of watch winders is increasing in the last years because their usefulness is now indisputable for owners of expensive luxury automatic watches. WOLF products are handmade with stylish vegan leather, perfect to put on a bedside table, and they are perfect even to complete any style of living room, from a contemporary style to a more classic one. Moreover, WOLF is the most reliable manufacturer for watch winders.

What are some of the exciting or unique features of the WOLF range?

WOLF is a highly regarded British family business, established since 1834. WOLF invested countless years developing the ultimate rotation system which accurately simulates real-life wrist action. This innovative system is patented by WOLF, making it unique in the market.

Consequently, not all watch winders are made equal. There are two potential problems with a cheap or poor-quality watch winder, over winding and magnetism.

1) Working with clever algorithms and state-of-the-art technology, WOLF watch winders feature counting turns-per-day, an intermittent rotation, with pause and sleep phases, and the option to pre-programme both the amount and the direction of the turns.

There is a common misconception that watches winders actually wind a watch. That is not entirely accurate. A watch winder will keep the watch wound to the same stored power level, so when you take your watch out of the winder, it should be wound to roughly the same level as when you put it in. Usually, a completely unwound watch will require approximately 30-40 standard winds to load the mainspring completely. During the day, depending on your level of activity, your watch should stay wound at the right level for optimal performance. A watch winder will keep the watch running at that level, avoiding too many extra winds of the crown.

Not only that, every WOLF Watch Winders has been designed to not overwind your automatic watch. Most of luxury automatic watches have a slip-clutch that stops over-winding. However, constant engagement with this slip-clutch could cause serious harm. So, with WOLF you have additional security that your watch will have the right amount turns-per-day, so there is no unnecessary pressure on the slip-clutch, and your automatic watch will last for many decades at top performances.

2) Regarding the second issue, the magnet in the electric motor used in the majority of watch winders can generate a magnetic field that can cause the hairspring in your watch to become magnetised and therefore sticky. This, in turn, can affect the whole watch mechanism, which will result in a loss of accuracy. WOLF through their R&D and engineering program, and in cooperation with the Japanese company Mabuchi, developed a patented process to insulate their watch winder motors against electrical emissions keeping a watch free of magnetic damage. This insulation technique, combined with high-quality nylon gears which do not grind, also ensures WOLF watch winders are silent running so they can even be kept by your bedside.

You can read more about these problems in our article: https://www.burtonblake.co.uk/blogs/news/is-a-watch-winder-good-for-a-watch

What kind of customers are most suited to a WOLF watch winder?

Owners of Rolex, an Omega, or a Tag Heuer, Patek Philippe automatic watches. So, any owner of expensive automatic watches in general. They are in greater demand by men, but many women now buy them to treat themselves (WOLF is producing collections with pastel colours suitable for a female audience) or to gift them to a loved one or partner.

Your range of WOLF watch winders is extensive, which particular models stand out?

Cub is the best seller but, Axis, Roadster and Heritage stand out as well.

Why is it advantageous to purchase from Burton Blake rather than another stockist?

We are WOLF official stockist and best sellers in the UK. We guarantee one of the widest ranges of WOLF products (not just Watch Winders, but Jewellery Boxes and Watch Boxes -not winding-) in Europe, our Customers value our service 4.9/5, offering a highly-trained customer service, always ready to advise customers, before, during and after the purchase. We always have products in stock, free express shipping for orders over £25, delivered in 1-2 days. In addition, we offer a 30-day return policy, one of the most customer-centric in the market, extended to 60 days during the Christmas Season.

Are there any special offers or promotions customers can take advantage of?

We offer one of the most attractive welcome offers on the luxury goods market, the customer can discover it by visiting Burton Blake website.