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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. Panerai Panerai
  4. Breitling Breitling
  5. IWC IWC
  6. Cartier Cartier
  7. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  8. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  9. Tudor Tudor
  10. Hublot Hublot
  11. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  12. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  13. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
All Brands
  1. A. Lange and Sohne A. Lange and Sohne
  2. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  3. B.R.M Watches B.R.M Watches
  4. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  5. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  6. Blancpain Blancpain
  7. Breguet Breguet
  8. Breitling Breitling
  9. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  10. Cartier Cartier
  11. Chopard Chopard
  12. Corum Corum
  13. Eterna Eterna
  14. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  15. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  16. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  17. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  18. Hamilton Hamilton
  19. Hermes Hermes
  20. Hublot Hublot
  21. IWC IWC
  22. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  23. Longines Longines
  24. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  25. Montblanc Montblanc
  26. Omega Omega
  27. Oris Oris
  28. Panerai Panerai
  29. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  30. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  31. Piaget Piaget
  32. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  33. Rado Rado
  34. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  35. Rolex Rolex
  36. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  37. Tudor Tudor
  38. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  39. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  40. 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
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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 & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  10. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  11. Titanium Titanium
  12. White Gold White Gold
  13. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
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  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 (331)
Results (331)
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IWC Aquatimer IW379502 256176

IWC
Aquatimer
IW379502

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€6,910
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Reveil 163842A 283397

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Grande Reveil
163842A

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€12,125
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Chronograph 1758470 273295

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Compressor Chronograph
1758470

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€5,990
Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX Alarm 191.T.97 269450
Limited Edition

Jaeger-LeCoultre
AMVOX Alarm
191.T.97

Box
Papers
Year 2005
€7,615
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor 172817M 269770

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Compressor
172817M

Box
Papers
Year 2014
€6,035
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris 902843J 279618

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Polaris
902843J

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€16,415
Cartier Santos De Cartier WSSA0037 277735

Cartier
Santos De Cartier
WSSA0037

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€7,105
IWC Aquatimer IW356810 279413

IWC
Aquatimer
IW356810

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€2,510
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW389101 257699

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW389101

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€6,875
Cartier Santos 100 W20095Y1 269779

Cartier
Santos 100
W20095Y1

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€14,375
Cartier Ronde Croisiere WSRN0002 272131

Cartier
Ronde Croisiere
WSRN0002

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€3,645
IWC Portugieser Chrono IW371620 269452

IWC
Portugieser Chrono
IW371620

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€8,055
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar 4142520 264627

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Calendar
4142520

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€21,045
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar 4142520 268032
Manufacturer's Warranty

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Calendar
4142520

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€18,935
Cartier Calibre De Cartier W7100041 281814

Cartier
Calibre De Cartier
W7100041

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€3,730
Cartier Rotonde De Cartier W1556252 276974

Cartier
Rotonde De Cartier
W1556252

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€16,800
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW387905 266306
Limited Edition

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW387905

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€9,430
Cartier Ballon Bleu W6920046 281269

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
W6920046

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€4,925
Cartier Roadster W62025V3 279603

Cartier
Roadster
W62025V3

Box
Papers
Year 2010
€3,000
Cartier Calibre De Cartier W7100036 280668

Cartier
Calibre De Cartier
W7100036

Box
Papers
Year 2014
€6,840
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW389001 270501

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW389001

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€7,010
Cartier Ballon Bleu WSBB0061 269085

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
WSBB0061

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€5,450
Cartier Santos 100 W20129U2 277272

Cartier
Santos 100
W20129U2

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€2,425
Cartier Pasha WSPA0009 266937

Cartier
Pasha
WSPA0009

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€5,190
Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox 2008440 275053
Limited Edition

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Memovox
2008440

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€17,030
Cartier Pasha W31077U2 277286

Cartier
Pasha
W31077U2

Box
Papers
Year 2010
€2,480
Breitling Navitimer 01 RB0127 266049
Limited Edition

Breitling
Navitimer 01
RB0127

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€13,800
Cartier Pasha W31074M7 275046

Cartier
Pasha
W31074M7

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€2,360
Cartier Santos De Cartier WSSA0047 267488

Cartier
Santos De Cartier
WSSA0047

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€6,275
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic 42 N17375 271398

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic 42
N17375

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€5,475
Cartier Tank MC W5330007 286112

Cartier
Tank MC
W5330007

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€5,685
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic V17369 264596

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic
V17369

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€4,300
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic A17366 283058

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic
A17366

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€2,575
Breitling Premier B01 AB0118 265454

Breitling
Premier B01
AB0118

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€5,345
Breitling SuperOcean 44 Special M17393 276730

Breitling
SuperOcean 44 Special
M17393

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€3,085
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 41 AB0139 280240

Breitling
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 41
AB0139

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€5,900
Cartier Pasha WGPA0007 277277

Cartier
Pasha
WGPA0007

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€10,980
Breitling Datora A21330 267739

Breitling
Datora
A21330

Box
Papers
Year 2004
€3,610
Breitling Galactic 41 A49350L 272663

Breitling
Galactic 41
A49350L

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€2,905
Breitling Premier B01 AB0118 275999

Breitling
Premier B01
AB0118

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€6,840
Breitling Chronomat 41 AB0140 274679

Breitling
Chronomat 41
AB0140

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€3,860
Breitling Barnato A41390 266481

Breitling
Barnato
A41390

Box
Papers
Year 2009
€5,230

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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