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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. Panerai Panerai
  2. IWC IWC
  3. Rolex Rolex
  4. Omega Omega
  5. Breitling Breitling
  6. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  7. Hublot Hublot
  8. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  9. Cartier Cartier
  10. Tudor Tudor
  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. Ball Ball
  5. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  6. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  7. Blancpain Blancpain
  8. Breguet Breguet
  9. Breitling Breitling
  10. Bremont Bremont
  11. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  12. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  13. Cartier Cartier
  14. Chanel Chanel
  15. Chopard Chopard
  16. Corum Corum
  17. Eterna Eterna
  18. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  19. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  20. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  21. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  22. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  23. Hamilton Hamilton
  24. Hermes Hermes
  25. Hublot Hublot
  26. IWC IWC
  27. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  28. Jaquet Droz Jaquet Droz
  29. Longines Longines
  30. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  31. Montblanc Montblanc
  32. Omega Omega
  33. Oris Oris
  34. Panerai Panerai
  35. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  36. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  37. Perrelet Perrelet
  38. Piaget Piaget
  39. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  40. Rado Rado
  41. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  42. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  43. Rolex Rolex
  44. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  45. Tudor Tudor
  46. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  47. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  48. 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. Aluminium Aluminium
  2. Bronze Bronze
  3. Carbon Carbon
  4. Ceramic Ceramic
  5. Platinum Platinum
  6. Rose Gold Rose Gold
  7. Silver Silver
  8. Steel Steel
  9. Steel & Rose Gold Steel & Rose Gold
  10. Steel & Rose Gold Plated Steel & Rose Gold Plated
  11. Steel & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  12. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  13. Titanium Titanium
  14. White Gold White Gold
  15. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
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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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IWC Portofino Chronograph IW391008 268465

IWC
Portofino Chronograph
IW391008

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€3,065
IWC Ingenieur IW378405 253109

IWC
Ingenieur
IW378405

Box
Papers
Year 2013
€3,345
IWC Ingenieur IW322404 244392
Limited Edition

IWC
Ingenieur
IW322404

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€6,880
IWC Portugieser Chrono IW390404 244423

IWC
Portugieser Chrono
IW390404

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€4,530
IWC Portugieser Chrono IW371616 281614

IWC
Portugieser Chrono
IW371616

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€4,585
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Reveil 163842A 244117

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Grande Reveil
163842A

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€10,810
IWC Portugieser Yacht Club IW326606 243899
Limited Edition

IWC
Portugieser Yacht Club
IW326606

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€6,345
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW389101 282128

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW389101

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€6,845
IWC Portugieser Chrono IW371447 283669

IWC
Portugieser Chrono
IW371447

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€3,780
IWC Big Pilot's IW501012 244190
Limited Edition

IWC
Big Pilot's
IW501012

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€7,980
Jaeger-LeCoultre Extreme World Chronograph 1768470 272103

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Extreme World Chronograph
1768470

Box
Papers
Year 2008
€5,920
IWC Big Pilot's IW501005 243969
Limited Edition

IWC
Big Pilot's
IW501005

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€7,655
IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500109 283667

IWC
Portugieser Automatic
IW500109

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€6,245
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW502105 244432

IWC
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
IW502105

Box
Papers
Year 2010
€13,160
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW389101 283207

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW389101

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€6,640
Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Night and Day 3442420 266977

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Rendez-Vous Night and Day
3442420

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€12,220
IWC Pilot's Double Chrono IW379901 272289

IWC
Pilot's Double Chrono
IW379901

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€6,900
IWC Aquatimer IW379502 256176

IWC
Aquatimer
IW379502

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€6,910
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW389108 244303

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW389108

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€7,115
IWC Pilot's Double Chrono IW377801 244776

IWC
Pilot's Double Chrono
IW377801

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€3,805
IWC Ingenieur IW381701 243852

IWC
Ingenieur
IW381701

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€22,715
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW371714 244424
Limited Edition

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW371714

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€4,815
IWC Pilot's Double Chrono IW371803 244416
Limited Edition

IWC
Pilot's Double Chrono
IW371803

Box
Papers
Year 2010
€3,185
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Reveil 163842A 283397

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Grande Reveil
163842A

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€12,125
Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX5 193J430 244590
Limited Edition

Jaeger-LeCoultre
AMVOX5
193J430

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€5,755
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
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Chronograph 205L570 244408

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Compressor Chronograph
205L570

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€5,745
Cartier Santos De Cartier WSSA0037 277735

Cartier
Santos De Cartier
WSSA0037

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€7,105
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW503301 244314

IWC
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
IW503301

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€20,135
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
Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX Alarm 1908470 265382

Jaeger-LeCoultre
AMVOX Alarm
1908470

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€3,380
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 Tank MC W5330002 243834

Cartier
Tank MC
W5330002

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€9,645

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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