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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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  1. Stock Stock
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  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 Automatic U17368 282032

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic
U17368

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£3,790
Cartier Pasha W31015M7 253948
Vintage

Cartier
Pasha
W31015M7

Box
Papers
Year 1998
£2,055
Breitling Navitimer Heritage A13324 267137

Breitling
Navitimer Heritage
A13324

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£3,315
Breitling Chronomat 44 GMT AB0420 271067

Breitling
Chronomat 44 GMT
AB0420

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£4,280
Breitling Bentley B04 GMT EB0433 268627

Breitling
Bentley B04 GMT
EB0433

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£4,670
Breitling Super Avenger II A13371 279533

Breitling
Super Avenger II
A13371

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£3,395
Breitling SuperOcean II A13341 265340

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A13341

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£2,800
Breitling Crosswind Special A44355 271053

Breitling
Crosswind Special
A44355

Box
Papers
Year 2003
£2,230
Breitling Super Avenger II A13371 273950

Breitling
Super Avenger II
A13371

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£2,985
Breitling Bentley GMT EB0432 270375

Breitling
Bentley GMT
EB0432

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£4,395
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic A17316 271273

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic
A17316

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£2,850
Breitling Navitimer Heritage A13324 267093

Breitling
Navitimer Heritage
A13324

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,515
Breitling Navitimer Heritage A35350 278020

Breitling
Navitimer Heritage
A35350

Box
Papers
Year 2006
£3,495
Breitling Bentley Mark VI P26362 256774

Breitling
Bentley Mark VI
P26362

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£4,160
Breitling Bentley B06 AB0612 257212

Breitling
Bentley B06
AB0612

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£4,550
Cartier Pasha W31080M7 256851

Cartier
Pasha
W31080M7

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£2,465
Breitling Navitimer GMT AB0441 275652

Breitling
Navitimer GMT
AB0441

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£5,710
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage A17320 282487

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage
A17320

Box
Papers
Year 2011
£2,560
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage U23370 254175

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage
U23370

Box
Papers
Year 2015
£3,380
Breitling Avenger Skyland A13380 254456

Breitling
Avenger Skyland
A13380

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£2,350
Breitling SuperOcean II A17364 266901

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A17364

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£2,430
Breitling Super Avenger II A13371 275142

Breitling
Super Avenger II
A13371

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£2,985
Breitling Chronomat 44 CB0110 273114

Breitling
Chronomat 44
CB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£6,145
Breitling Super Avenger II A13371 281204

Breitling
Super Avenger II
A13371

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£3,480
Breitling Super Avenger II A13371 276809

Breitling
Super Avenger II
A13371

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£3,290
Breitling SuperOcean Steelfish A17390 270882

Breitling
SuperOcean Steelfish
A17390

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£1,515
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage II 42 AB2010 281397

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage II 42
AB2010

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£2,895
Breitling Chronomat GMT MB041310 255156
Limited Edition

Breitling
Chronomat GMT
MB041310

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£3,120
Cartier Santos 100 W20073X8 269115

Cartier
Santos 100
W20073X8

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£4,255
Breitling SuperOcean II A17364 271373

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A17364

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£1,900
Breitling Avenger II Seawolf A17331 268560

Breitling
Avenger II Seawolf
A17331

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£2,220
Cartier Santos WSSA0013 250794

Cartier
Santos
WSSA0013

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£5,520
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage A17320 279590

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage
A17320

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£2,550
Breitling Chronomat Evolution K13356 259377
Limited Edition

Breitling
Chronomat Evolution
K13356

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£8,950
Breitling Chronomat 41 AB0140 252474

Breitling
Chronomat 41
AB0140

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£4,490
Breitling SuperOcean A17360 277255

Breitling
SuperOcean
A17360

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£1,435
Breitling Chronomat 41 AB0140 253822

Breitling
Chronomat 41
AB0140

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£3,645
Breitling Colt Auto A13388 276231

Breitling
Colt Auto
A13388

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,085
Breitling SuperOcean II A17364 271242

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A17364

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£1,990
Breitling Datora A21330 268012

Breitling
Datora
A21330

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£3,525
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage A13320 245667

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage
A13320

Box
Papers
Year 2011
£2,700
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage A13320 256775

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage
A13320

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£3,650

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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