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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 Heritage B01 Chronograph 44 AB0162 282283

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage B01 Chronograph 44
AB0162

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£4,115
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178274 272871

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
178274

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£6,865
Breitling Chronomat GMT AB0413 272269

Breitling
Chronomat GMT
AB0413

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£3,455
Breitling Chronomat 44 AB0110 276111

Breitling
Chronomat 44
AB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£3,175
Breitling Bentley GT II A13365 266776

Breitling
Bentley GT II
A13365

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£3,290
Breitling Datora A21330 267532

Breitling
Datora
A21330

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£3,295
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279174 253221

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279174

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£7,540
Rolex Datejust 41 126300 279776
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126300

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£7,075
Rolex Day-Date 40 228238 280692
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Day-Date 40
228238

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£27,865
Breitling Chrono Cockpit A13357 252302

Breitling
Chrono Cockpit
A13357

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£2,090
Breitling Crosswind A13355 274060

Breitling
Crosswind
A13355

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£2,135
Breitling Headwind A45355 269795

Breitling
Headwind
A45355

Box
Papers
Year 2003
£2,280
Breitling Chrono Avenger E13360 279573

Breitling
Chrono Avenger
E13360

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£2,170
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 278241 278360
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
278241

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£10,950
Breitling Top Time A25310 281386

Breitling
Top Time
A25310

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,565
Rolex Datejust 41 126301 266894
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126301

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£9,580
Breitling Bentley GT A13362 269682

Breitling
Bentley GT
A13362

Box
Papers
Year 2005
£4,255
Rolex Datejust 41 126334 278697
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126334

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£9,635
Breitling Avenger II A13381 280790

Breitling
Avenger II
A13381

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£3,260
Breitling Transocean Chronograph A41310 265578

Breitling
Transocean Chronograph
A41310

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£3,455
Breitling Chronomat Evolution A13356 268712

Breitling
Chronomat Evolution
A13356

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£2,890
Rolex Day-Date 40 228238 279388
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Day-Date 40
228238

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£29,640
Breitling SuperOcean Chrono A13340 269900

Breitling
SuperOcean Chrono
A13340

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£2,420
Rolex Yacht-Master II 116689 276163

Rolex
Yacht-Master II
116689

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£25,170
Breitling SuperOcean II A13341 270365

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A13341

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£2,405
Breitling Chronomat AB0115 267107

Breitling
Chronomat
AB0115

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,905
Breitling Chronomat AB0115 256211

Breitling
Chronomat
AB0115

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£3,145
Rolex Datejust 41 126300 277826

Rolex
Datejust 41
126300

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£7,620
Rolex Deepsea 126660 - (D'Blue) 260320

Rolex
Deepsea
126660 - (D'Blue)

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£12,225
Breitling Montbrillant A23351 272431
Limited Edition

Breitling
Montbrillant
A23351

Box
Papers
Year 2011
£3,620
Breitling Bentley Motors A25362 280406

Breitling
Bentley Motors
A25362

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£3,665
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178274 270552

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
178274

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£6,190
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 278273 273143

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
278273

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£12,380
Breitling Chronomat AB0115 262896

Breitling
Chronomat
AB0115

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£4,790
Rolex Day-Date II 218239 267700

Rolex
Day-Date II
218239

Box
Papers
Year 2011
£27,335
Rolex Deepsea 126660 - (D'Blue) 267016
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Deepsea
126660 - (D'Blue)

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£12,355
Rolex Deepsea 116660 278793

Rolex
Deepsea
116660

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£9,180
Rolex Yacht-Master II 116680 275305

Rolex
Yacht-Master II
116680

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£13,610
Breitling Navitimer A23322 266272

Breitling
Navitimer
A23322

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£3,755
Breitling Chronomat AB0115 269747

Breitling
Chronomat
AB0115

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£5,055
Rolex Explorer 40 224270 279015
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer 40
224270

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£7,250
Rolex Deepsea 116660 272219

Rolex
Deepsea
116660

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£9,180

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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