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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. Omega Omega
  3. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  4. Panerai Panerai
  5. Cartier Cartier
  6. IWC IWC
  7. Breitling Breitling
  8. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  9. Tudor Tudor
  10. Hublot Hublot
  11. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  12. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  13. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
All Brands
  1. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  2. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  3. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  4. Blancpain Blancpain
  5. Breguet Breguet
  6. Breitling Breitling
  7. Bremont Bremont
  8. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  9. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  10. Cartier Cartier
  11. Chanel Chanel
  12. Chopard Chopard
  13. Corum Corum
  14. Eterna Eterna
  15. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  16. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  17. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  18. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  19. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  20. H. Moser and Cie H. Moser and Cie
  21. Hamilton Hamilton
  22. Hublot Hublot
  23. IWC IWC
  24. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  25. Jaquet Droz Jaquet Droz
  26. Longines Longines
  27. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  28. Montblanc Montblanc
  29. Omega Omega
  30. Oris Oris
  31. Panerai Panerai
  32. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  33. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  34. Piaget Piaget
  35. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  36. Rado Rado
  37. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  38. Rolex Rolex
  39. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  40. Tudor Tudor
  41. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  42. Union Glashutte Union Glashutte
  43. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  44. 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. Watchfinder Watchfinder
Case Material
  1. Bronze Bronze
  2. Carbon Carbon
  3. Ceramic Ceramic
  4. Platinum Platinum
  5. Rose Gold Rose Gold
  6. Steel Steel
  7. Steel & Rose Gold Steel & Rose Gold
  8. Steel & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  9. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  10. Steel & Yellow Gold Plated Steel & Yellow Gold Plated
  11. Titanium Titanium
  12. White Gold White Gold
  13. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
  14. 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
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  1. Limited Edition Limited Edition
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Panerai Radiomir Automatic PAM00214

Panerai
Radiomir Automatic
PAM00214

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€5,690
IWC Pilot's Mark XX IW328206

IWC
Pilot's Mark XX
IW328206

Box
Papers
Year 2025
€5,175
Tag Heuer Carrera Ladies WV2411.BA0793

Tag Heuer
Carrera Ladies
WV2411.BA0793

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€1,380
Rolex Explorer 124270
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer
124270

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€7,200
Rolex Datejust 16233
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16233

Box
Papers
Year 1995
€7,015
IWC Portugieser Yacht Club IW390212
New Price

IWC
Portugieser Yacht Club
IW390212

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€5,750
Bvlgari Octo 101963

Bvlgari
Octo
101963

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€16,955
Chopard Alpine Eagle 295387-9001

Chopard
Alpine Eagle
295387-9001

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€22,940
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15450BA.OO.1256BA.01

Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak
15450BA.OO.1256BA.01

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€57,500
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde J003034201

Jaquet Droz
Grande Seconde
J003034201

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€10,290
Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars 26380BC.OO.D002CR.01

Audemars Piguet
Jules Audemars
26380BC.OO.D002CR.01

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€14,200
Piaget Altiplano G0A29120

Piaget
Altiplano
G0A29120

Box
Papers
Year 2006
€8,025
Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM00525

Panerai
Luminor Chrono
PAM00525

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€14,890
Panerai Luminor Marina PAM01112

Panerai
Luminor Marina
PAM01112

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€18,685
Panerai Submersible PAM00974

Panerai
Submersible
PAM00974

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€17,090
Hublot Big Bang 341.PB.131.RX

Hublot
Big Bang
341.PB.131.RX

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€15,600
Zenith Pilot 87.2430.4035/21.C721

Zenith
Pilot
87.2430.4035/21.C721

Box
Papers
Year 2014
€24,090
IWC Portofino Automatic IW356516

IWC
Portofino Automatic
IW356516

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€9,775
IWC Portofino Automatic IW458106

IWC
Portofino Automatic
IW458106

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€10,635
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW502121

IWC
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
IW502121

Box
Papers
Year 2010
€22,940
Blancpain Villeret 4040-1542-55

Blancpain
Villeret
4040-1542-55

Box
Papers
Year 2003
€10,385
Rolex Datejust Lady 6917
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust Lady
6917

Box
Papers
Year 1981
€9,750
Rolex Datejust 116139

Rolex
Datejust
116139

Box
Papers
Year 2005
€12,810
Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68278
Vintage

Rolex
Mid-Size Datejust
68278

Box
Papers
Year 1986
€13,740
Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68279
Vintage

Rolex
Mid-Size Datejust
68279

Box
Papers
Year 1999
€15,235
Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68279
Vintage

Rolex
Mid-Size Datejust
68279

Box
Papers
Year 1989
€13,710
Rolex Pearlmaster 80339

Rolex
Pearlmaster
80339

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€13,000
Rolex Submariner 16808
Vintage

Rolex
Submariner
16808

Box
Papers
Year 1981
€27,600
Rolex Day-Date 18238
Vintage

Rolex
Day-Date
18238

Box
Papers
Year 1994
€24,090
Rolex Day-Date 118339

Rolex
Day-Date
118339

Box
Papers
Year 2001
€30,000
Rolex Day-Date 18238
Vintage

Rolex
Day-Date
18238

Box
Papers
Year 1990
€21,850
Rolex Day-Date 18238
Vintage

Rolex
Day-Date
18238

Box
Papers
Year 1994
€27,900
Rolex Day-Date 1803
Vintage

Rolex
Day-Date
1803

Box
Papers
Year 1968
€10,170
Rolex Day-Date 18238
Vintage

Rolex
Day-Date
18238

Box
Papers
Year 1997
€15,525
Rolex Day-Date 118239
Vintage

Rolex
Day-Date
118239

Box
Papers
Year 2001
€24,090
Cartier Rotonde De Cartier W1556241

Cartier
Rotonde De Cartier
W1556241

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€13,225
Cartier Rotonde De Cartier W1556252

Cartier
Rotonde De Cartier
W1556252

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€16,040
Cartier Pasha WGPA0007

Cartier
Pasha
WGPA0007

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€10,235
Girard Perregaux 1966 49534-53-711-BK6A

Girard Perregaux
1966
49534-53-711-BK6A

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€10,105
Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5975G-001

Patek Philippe
Grand Complications
5975G-001

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€67,000
Hublot Big Bang 301.PB.131.RX

Hublot
Big Bang
301.PB.131.RX

Box
Papers
Year 2009
€12,650
Patek Philippe Calatrava 5153R-001

Patek Philippe
Calatrava
5153R-001

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€31,625

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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