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Automatic Watches

An automatic watch winds itself with no need for a battery. With a weighted, free-spinning rotor inside that moves as you do, you’ll keep your watch wound with every action. Browse our selection of automatic watches below.

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Rolex Air-King 116900 422808

Rolex

Air-King

116900

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 124200 380981

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual

124200

Rolex Datejust 16200 419305

Rolex

Datejust

16200

Tudor Black Bay M7941A1A0NU-0003 418963

Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor

Black Bay

M7941A1A0NU-0003

Breitling SuperOcean Chrono C13341 415311

Breitling

SuperOcean Chrono

C13341

Tudor Black Bay 58 M79030N-0001 404400

Tudor

Black Bay 58

M79030N-0001

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 134300 410132

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual 41

134300

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 134300 405824

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual 41

134300

Rolex Milgauss 116400 GV 405693

Rolex

Milgauss

116400 GV

Rolex Datejust 126234 413347

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Datejust

126234

IWC Pilot's Mark XX IW328204 402204

IWC

Pilot's Mark XX

IW328204

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Geographic 1428530 413578

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Master Geographic

1428530

Omega Speedmaster Racing 326.30.40.50.03.001 414895

Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega

Speedmaster Racing

326.30.40.50.03.001

Rolex Daytona 16520 413326

Rolex

Daytona

16520

Rolex GMT Master II 16710 401918

Rolex

GMT Master II

16710

Rolex Sky-Dweller 326934 416085

Rolex

Sky-Dweller

326934

Breitling Premier A37340 414937

Breitling

Premier

A37340

Cartier Santos De Cartier W2SA0016 411999

Manufacturer's Warranty

Cartier

Santos De Cartier

W2SA0016

Hublot Classic Fusion 525.CM.0170.RX 415495

Hublot

Classic Fusion

525.CM.0170.RX

Panerai Luminor Marina PAM00392 416736

Panerai

Luminor Marina

PAM00392

Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178274 415653

Rolex

Datejust Lady 31

178274

Tag Heuer Monaco CAW218C.FC6548 415303

Manufacturer's Warranty

Tag Heuer

Monaco

CAW218C.FC6548

Zenith Chronomaster 97.G383.400/38.C881 415843

Zenith

Chronomaster

97.G383.400/38.C881

Zenith Defy 03.9300.3620/79.I001 417158

Zenith

Defy

03.9300.3620/79.I001

Zenith Star 22.1925.692/01.C725 397577

Zenith

Star

22.1925.692/01.C725

IWC Portugieser Yacht Club IW390704 414370

Manufacturer's Warranty

IWC

Portugieser Yacht Club

IW390704

Omega De Ville Hour Vision 431.30.41.22.06.001 424111

Omega

De Ville Hour Vision

431.30.41.22.06.001

Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00389 424088

Panerai

Luminor Submersible

PAM00389

IWC Pilot's Chrono IW389101 424114

Manufacturer's Warranty

IWC

Pilot's Chrono

IW389101

Baume et Mercier Clifton 10793 424106

Manufacturer's Warranty

Baume et Mercier

Clifton

10793

Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00194 424095

Panerai

Luminor Submersible

PAM00194

Bell and Ross BR03-92 BR0392-PAF7-CE/SCA 424108

Bell and Ross

BR03-92

BR0392-PAF7-CE/SCA

Tudor Submariner 75090 424091

Tudor

Submariner

75090

IWC Big Pilot's IW329304 424089

IWC

Big Pilot's

IW329304

Bvlgari Octo BG041BSLDCH/KO 424104

Manufacturer's Warranty

Bvlgari

Octo

BG041BSLDCH/KO

Omega Seamaster 300m Mid-Size 2551.80.00 424084

Omega

Seamaster 300m Mid-Size

2551.80.00

Cartier Pasha W31037H3 387382

Cartier

Pasha

W31037H3

CHF 3’285 CHF 3’445

Rolex Daytona 116509 424094

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Daytona

116509

Audemars Piguet CODE 11.59 15210ST.OO.A348KB.01 424097

Audemars Piguet

CODE 11.59

15210ST.OO.A348KB.01

Rolex Deepsea 126660 424098

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Deepsea

126660

Zenith Pilot 03.4000.3620/21.I001 424110

Zenith

Pilot

03.4000.3620/21.I001

IWC Pilot's Chrono IW388305 424118

Manufacturer's Warranty

IWC

Pilot's Chrono

IW388305

Automatic Watches

The person largely credited with inventing the first self-winding movement powered by an oscillating weight—or rotor—is the pioneering Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Perrelet in the 1770s.

Hubert Sarton and the great Abraham-Louis Breguet were two of several watchmakers who further developed the technology over the following century before a Parisian watchmaker called Leon Leroy came up with the idea of a self-winding wristwatch in 1922, making a small batch for a private client.

A year later, an English watch repairer by the name of John Harwood developed his own version of an automatic wristwatch that could be mass-produced. His design used a centrally mounted oscillating weight—or rotor—much like the automatic watches of today.

Rolex, together with its movement maker Aegler, took Harwood’s invention and improved it, unveiling the self-winding ‘perpetual’ movement in 1931. The resulting Oyster Perpetual—the world’s first water-resistant automatic watch—is now considered the foundation for Rolex’s success. The Eterna company was also key to progressing this technology. In 1948 it introduced the Eterna-matic movement which featured a ball-bearing-mounted rotor that reduced wear and tear.

Within a decade or so, most brands were manufacturing some kind of self-winding watch alongside manual-wind ones. These days, automatic watches are far more commonly available.

How they work

In this section, we'll delve into the mechanics of automatic watches and discuss how they differ from manual watches.

An automatic watch, or self-winding watch, is a sophisticated timepiece that doesn't require manual winding or a battery. The watch harnesses the natural movement of the wearer's arm to power its functions. As the arm moves, it spins a rotor within the watch which winds the mainspring, storing energy to power the timepiece.

The movement, or calibre, is the heart of an automatic watch. It comprises several key components like the mainspring, rotor, escapement mechanism, balance wheel, and gears. The rotor winds the mainspring, the mainspring stores energy, and the escapement mechanism regulates the release of energy from the mainspring for precise timekeeping.

The power reserve is another important feature of automatic watches. It indicates how long the watch can run without additional winding, sometimes displayed on the dial or the case back. A longer power reserve allows the watch to run for several days without wearing it, ensuring it remains accurate and ready to wear. The power reserve on most watches tends to be between 38 and 70 hours, although one Vacheron Constantin watch has an incredible 65-day power reserve.

Most modern automatic watches are equipped with a mechanism to prevent overwinding. Once the mainspring is fully wound, the mechanism disengages to prevent excessive tension on the spring.

The main difference between automatic and manual watches lies in convenience. Automatic watches, with their self-winding mechanism, only need to be wound if the watch hasn’t been worn for some time and has stopped. If you keep wearing the watch, it will keep ticking.

A manual-wind watch, however, must be hand-wound every day or so to keep ticking, regardless of whether it is on your wrist or not. Should you forget to wind it, the watch will eventually stop.

Maintenance and lifespan

Automatic watches require proper maintenance and care to ensure their longevity. Here are some tips for winding, preventing overwinding, and caring for your automatic watch.

Wearing your automatic watch daily generates enough kinetic energy to wind the mainspring and power the watch. However, if the watch has stopped running, you can manually wind it by turning the crown clockwise a few times—around twenty revolutions should suffice.

The lifespan of an automatic watch can vary based on the quality of the watch movement, regular maintenance, the wearer's activity level, and environmental factors. High-quality movements can keep accurate time for decades, while lower-quality ones may require more frequent servicing and have a shorter lifespan.

Brands that make automatic watches

All major luxury watch brands now have automatic models in their collection. Some brands, such as Rolex, use self-winding movements exclusively, having discontinued their manual-wind models. Manual-wind watches tend to be far less common in modern watchmaking, although there are still plenty of options available.

Automatic movements power all kinds of watches, from chronographs to dress watches, and the movements are often visible through an exhibition case back. It’s common for the components of the movement to be finely engraved, with the oscillating rotor often fashioned from gold and decorated or skeletonised for aesthetic appeal.

Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe make some of the most beautifully decorated automatic movements.

At Watchfinder, we provide a range of pre-owned automatic watches from a wealth of prestigious brands. Our collection includes both vintage and modern timepieces, from chronographs to dive models, ensuring every taste is covered.

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