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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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Popular Brands
  1. Rolex Rolex
  2. Breitling Breitling
  3. Omega Omega
  4. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  5. Panerai Panerai
  6. IWC IWC
  7. Tudor Tudor
  8. Cartier Cartier
  9. Hublot Hublot
  10. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  11. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  12. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  13. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
All Brands
  1. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  2. Ball Ball
  3. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  4. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  5. Breitling Breitling
  6. Bremont Bremont
  7. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  8. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  9. Cartier Cartier
  10. Chanel Chanel
  11. Chopard Chopard
  12. Eterna Eterna
  13. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  14. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  15. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  16. Graham Graham
  17. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  18. H. Moser and Cie H. Moser and Cie
  19. Hamilton Hamilton
  20. Hublot Hublot
  21. IWC IWC
  22. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  23. JeanRichard JeanRichard
  24. Longines Longines
  25. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  26. Montblanc Montblanc
  27. Omega Omega
  28. Oris Oris
  29. Panerai Panerai
  30. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  31. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  32. Perrelet Perrelet
  33. Rado Rado
  34. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  35. Richard Mille Richard Mille
  36. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  37. Rolex Rolex
  38. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  39. Tissot Tissot
  40. Tudor Tudor
  41. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  42. Zenith Zenith
Series
Case Size
The size of a watch is very important for style and comfort. If you prefer an oversized watch like a Panerai Luminor, you’ll probably want Large. If you’re looking for something more discreet like a Rolex Lady Datejust, you’ll want Small. For everything in between, Medium.
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Stock Type
  1. Stock Stock
Case Material
  1. Bronze Bronze
  2. Carbon Carbon
  3. Ceramic Ceramic
  4. Platinum Platinum
  5. Rose Gold Rose Gold
  6. Silver Silver
  7. Steel Steel
  8. Steel & Rose Gold Steel & Rose Gold
  9. Steel & Rose Gold Plated Steel & Rose Gold Plated
  10. Steel & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  11. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  12. Steel & Yellow Gold Plated Steel & Yellow Gold Plated
  13. Titanium Titanium
  14. White Gold White Gold
  15. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
  16. Yellow Gold Plated Yellow Gold Plated
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  1. Bracelet Bracelet
  2. Fabric Fabric
  3. Leather Leather
  4. Rubber Rubber
Box and Papers
  1. Original box Original box
  1. Original papers Original papers
Movement
A mechanical watch is powered by a spring. Manual mechanical watches must be hand wound. Automatic watches are also mechanical, and are wound by a weight that spins with the wearer's movements. A quartz watch is battery powered and extremely accurate.
  1. Automatic Automatic
  2. Manual Manual
  3. Quartz Quartz
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  1. Limited Edition Limited Edition
Reset Results (1078)
Results (1,078)
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Breitling SuperOcean II 44 A17392 276998

Breitling
SuperOcean II 44
A17392

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£2,850
Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 AB0136 270316

Breitling
Super Chronomat B01 44
AB0136

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,475
Breitling Avenger II Seawolf M17331 266171
Limited Edition

Breitling
Avenger II Seawolf
M17331

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£2,640
Cartier Calibre De Cartier W7100046 252453

Cartier
Calibre De Cartier
W7100046

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£6,095
Breitling Avenger II A13381 269877

Breitling
Avenger II
A13381

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£3,260
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 AB0121 253864

Breitling
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43
AB0121

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£4,120
Breitling Chronomat Automatic 36 A10380 240839

Breitling
Chronomat Automatic 36
A10380

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£3,650
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic 36 A17377 271448

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic 36
A17377

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£3,360
Breitling SuperOcean II 44 A17392 280863

Breitling
SuperOcean II 44
A17392

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£2,595
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage II A13312 278040

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage II
A13312

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£3,625
Breitling Avenger Automatic 43 A32397 273007

Breitling
Avenger Automatic 43
A32397

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£3,250
Breitling Aviator 8 AB0119 270612

Breitling
Aviator 8
AB0119

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£5,235
Breitling Chronomat B01 42 AB0134 270605

Breitling
Chronomat B01 42
AB0134

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,950
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic M17368 281719

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic
M17368

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£2,450
Breitling Avenger II A13381 272674

Breitling
Avenger II
A13381

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,325
Breitling Avenger Chronograph 45 A13317 278004

Breitling
Avenger Chronograph 45
A13317

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£3,600
Breitling Transocean Chronograph AB0510 255354

Breitling
Transocean Chronograph
AB0510

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,000
Breitling Navitimer 8 A17314 272995

Breitling
Navitimer 8
A17314

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£2,065
Breitling SuperOcean II A13341 266602

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A13341

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£2,850
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage Chronograph 44 A13313 281641

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage Chronograph 44
A13313

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,365
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic 42 N17375 258049

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic 42
N17375

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£4,550
Breitling Chronomat 44 AB0110 275810

Breitling
Chronomat 44
AB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,470
Breitling Avenger Automatic 43 A17318 271499

Breitling
Avenger Automatic 43
A17318

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£2,750
Breitling Aviator 8 AB0119 258329

Breitling
Aviator 8
AB0119

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£4,510
Breitling Avenger Automatic GMT 45 Night Mission V32395 277097
Limited Edition

Breitling
Avenger Automatic GMT 45 Night Mission
V32395

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£3,685
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic A17366 280068

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic
A17366

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£2,135
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic A17367 282920

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic
A17367

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£2,050
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage II U13313 282766

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage II
U13313

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,400
Breitling Chronomat 44 AB0110 262879

Breitling
Chronomat 44
AB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£4,145
Breitling Aviator 8 AB2040 274581

Breitling
Aviator 8
AB2040

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£2,710
Breitling Avenger Bandit E13383 278013

Breitling
Avenger Bandit
E13383

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£2,820
Breitling Premier B01 AB0118 266617

Breitling
Premier B01
AB0118

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£4,900
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage II 44 AB2030 280105

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage II 44
AB2030

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£3,225
Breitling Chronomat 44 AB0110 262647

Breitling
Chronomat 44
AB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2015
£3,480
Breitling Chronomat 44 AB0110 274410

Breitling
Chronomat 44
AB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£3,145
Breitling Navitimer 01 AB0121 269514

Breitling
Navitimer 01
AB0121

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£4,870
Breitling Super Avenger II A13371 253086

Breitling
Super Avenger II
A13371

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£3,395
Breitling Chronoliner Y24310 282944

Breitling
Chronoliner
Y24310

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£4,150
Breitling Avenger Blackbird V17311 261427

Breitling
Avenger Blackbird
V17311

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£3,250
Breitling Chronomat 44 CB0110 275184

Breitling
Chronomat 44
CB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£5,890
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic A17316 275819

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic
A17316

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£2,020
Breitling Avenger Blackbird V17310 280104

Breitling
Avenger Blackbird
V17310

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£3,200

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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