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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. Rolex Rolex
  3. IWC IWC
  4. Omega Omega
  5. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  6. Breitling Breitling
  7. Cartier Cartier
  8. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  9. Hublot Hublot
  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. Nomos Glashutte Nomos Glashutte
  33. Omega Omega
  34. Oris Oris
  35. Panerai Panerai
  36. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  37. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  38. Perrelet Perrelet
  39. Piaget Piaget
  40. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  41. Rado Rado
  42. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  43. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  44. Rolex Rolex
  45. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  46. Tissot Tissot
  47. Tudor Tudor
  48. TW Steel TW Steel
  49. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  50. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  51. 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. Rose Gold Plated Rose Gold Plated
  8. Silver Silver
  9. Steel Steel
  10. Steel & Rose Gold Steel & Rose Gold
  11. Steel & Rose Gold Plated Steel & Rose Gold Plated
  12. Steel & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  13. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  14. Titanium Titanium
  15. White Gold White Gold
  16. 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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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
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control 1412430 255057

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Control
1412430

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€8,640
Cartier Rotonde De Cartier W1556252 276974

Cartier
Rotonde De Cartier
W1556252

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€16,800
IWC Aquatimer IW329005 281815

IWC
Aquatimer
IW329005

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€2,950
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW387905 266306
Limited Edition

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW387905

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€9,430
Cartier Rotonde De Cartier W1556241 244868
Limited Edition

Cartier
Rotonde De Cartier
W1556241

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€8,535
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW502213 244075

IWC
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
IW502213

Box
Papers
Year 2013
€13,105
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 IW377903 244289

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW377903

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€5,720
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW389103 253110
Limited Edition

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW389103

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€9,850
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW389001 270501

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW389001

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€7,010
IWC Pilot's UTC IW326103 244092
Limited Edition

IWC
Pilot's UTC
IW326103

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€7,815
Cartier Ballon Bleu WSBB0061 269085

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
WSBB0061

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€5,450
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW389106 267235

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW389106

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€8,765
Cartier Santos 100 W20129U2 277272

Cartier
Santos 100
W20129U2

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€2,425
Cartier Ballon Bleu WSBB0040 280588

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
WSBB0040

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€4,130
Cartier Pasha WSPA0009 266937

Cartier
Pasha
WSPA0009

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€5,190
Breitling Chronomat B01 42 AB0134 244986

Breitling
Chronomat B01 42
AB0134

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€5,090
Breitling Avenger Chronograph 45 A13317 277287
Limited Edition

Breitling
Avenger Chronograph 45
A13317

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€2,515
Jaeger-LeCoultre Extreme LAB 203T540 266139
Limited Edition

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Extreme LAB
203T540

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€19,950
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
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Geographic 1428421 277276

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Geographic
1428421

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€5,780
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
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 AB0121 275869

Breitling
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43
AB0121

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€4,040
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
Breitling Chronomat B01 42 AB0134 275077

Breitling
Chronomat B01 42
AB0134

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€4,985
Cartier Tank MC W5330007 286112

Cartier
Tank MC
W5330007

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€5,685
Breitling Aviator 8 AB0119 270612

Breitling
Aviator 8
AB0119

Box
Papers
Year 2022
Product Location
€6,020
incl. import taxes & duties
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 46 AB0137 276667

Breitling
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46
AB0137

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€4,255
Breitling Chronomat 44 AB0110 257500

Breitling
Chronomat 44
AB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€3,450

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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