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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
Dial Colour
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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
Promotion
Limited Edition
  1. Limited Edition Limited Edition
Reset Results (1078)
Results (1,078)
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Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 277423

Rolex
Sea-Dweller
16600

Box
Papers
Year 2004
£7,790
Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 269744

Rolex
Sea-Dweller
16600

Box
Papers
Year 1999
£8,440
Rolex Explorer 214270 271720

Rolex
Explorer
214270

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£5,990
Rolex Explorer 124270 283571
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer
124270

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£6,875
Rolex Submariner 5513 238888
Vintage

Rolex
Submariner
5513

Box
Papers
Year 1986
£9,730
Rolex Explorer 14270 274386
Vintage

Rolex
Explorer
14270

Box
Papers
Year 1992
£5,095
Rolex Sea-Dweller 126600 271300

Rolex
Sea-Dweller
126600

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£10,030
Rolex Explorer 1655 270269
Vintage

Rolex
Explorer
1655

Box
Papers
Year 1981
£22,585
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114300 267947

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114300

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£6,345
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114300 275858

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114300

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£6,570
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114200 280764

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114200

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£5,295
Rolex Explorer 124270 278855
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer
124270

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£6,565
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114200 258815

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114200

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£4,265
Rolex Explorer 14270 265514

Rolex
Explorer
14270

Box
Papers
Year 2000
£5,835
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114300 253691

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114300

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£6,490
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 14208M 268644

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
14208M

Box
Papers
Year 2000
£10,950
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114200 268476

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114200

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£4,265
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 67480 269807

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
67480

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£3,525
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 77080 275333

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
77080

Box
Papers
Year 1999
£4,510
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114200 273278

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114200

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£5,385
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 116000 282490

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
116000

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£5,280
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 116000 271939

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
116000

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£5,165
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114300 275664

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114300

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£6,540
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 77080 251676

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
77080

Box
Papers
Year 2001
£2,980
Rolex Day-Date 18038 256420
Vintage

Rolex
Day-Date
18038

Box
Papers
Year 1981
£12,750
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114200 258565

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114200

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£5,385
Rolex Day-Date 118238 272927

Rolex
Day-Date
118238

Box
Papers
Year 2002
£21,515
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 116000 273919

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
116000

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£6,155
Rolex Day-Date 118209 269297

Rolex
Day-Date
118209

Box
Papers
Year 2003
£19,920
Rolex Day-Date 18038 275828
Vintage

Rolex
Day-Date
18038

Box
Papers
Year 1985
£12,350
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114200 262367

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114200

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£5,285
Rolex Daytona 116520 - APH Dial 246203

Rolex
Daytona
116520 - APH Dial

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£32,500
Rolex Day-Date 118205 273785

Rolex
Day-Date
118205

Box
Papers
Year 2005
£20,405
Rolex Day-Date 18078 250144
Vintage

Rolex
Day-Date
18078

Box
Papers
Year 1988
£12,885
Rolex Day-Date 118296 268720

Rolex
Day-Date
118296

Box
Papers
Year 2002
£23,390
Rolex Daytona 126509 277429
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Daytona
126509

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£44,950
Rolex Daytona 116500 LN 277339

Rolex
Daytona
116500 LN

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£22,170
Rolex Daytona 116500 LN 282488

Rolex
Daytona
116500 LN

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£20,875
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 116000 272417

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
116000

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£5,335
Rolex Daytona 116500 LN 282633

Rolex
Daytona
116500 LN

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£24,250
Rolex Daytona 116523 270278

Rolex
Daytona
116523

Box
Papers
Year 2005
£13,695
Rolex Daytona 116503 280233
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Daytona
116503

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£17,295

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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