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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. Panerai Panerai
  3. IWC IWC
  4. Omega Omega
  5. Breitling Breitling
  6. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  7. Cartier Cartier
  8. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  9. Hublot Hublot
  10. Tudor Tudor
  11. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  12. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  13. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
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. Tissot Tissot
  46. Tudor Tudor
  47. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  48. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  49. 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. 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
Dial Colour
Black
Blue
Bronze
Brown
Champagne
Diamond
Green
Grey
Ivory
Mother of Pearl
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Specialised
White
Strap
  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 (619)
Results (619)
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Panerai Luminor Regatta PAM00332 276437
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Regatta
PAM00332

Box
Papers
Year 2010
€8,190
Panerai Submersible PAM01305 266137

Panerai
Submersible
PAM01305

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€5,705
Panerai Luminor 8 Days PAM00786 - 8 DAYS SET 243947
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor 8 Days
PAM00786 - 8 DAYS SET

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€10,270
Panerai Radiomir Automatic PAM00343 270687
Limited Edition

Panerai
Radiomir Automatic
PAM00343

Box
Papers
Year 2010
€6,830
Panerai Luminor Due PAM00927 282793

Panerai
Luminor Due
PAM00927

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€6,610
Baume et Mercier Classima Executives M0A08689 279619

Baume et Mercier
Classima Executives
M0A08689

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€1,025
Baume et Mercier Clifton M0A10140 281798

Baume et Mercier
Clifton
M0A10140

Box
Papers
Year 2013
€1,130
Panerai Luminor GMT PAM01033 264337
Manufacturer's Warranty

Panerai
Luminor GMT
PAM01033

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€7,165
Panerai Manifattura Luminor PAM00270 244786

Panerai
Manifattura Luminor
PAM00270

Box
Papers
Year 2008
€7,405
Bell and Ross BR V2-94 BRV294-RS18/SCA 279411
Limited Edition

Bell and Ross
BR V2-94
BRV294-RS18/SCA

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€2,390
Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM00764 244294

Panerai
Luminor Chrono
PAM00764

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€6,415
Panerai Luminor GMT PAM00335 244407

Panerai
Luminor GMT
PAM00335

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€6,130
Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00382 244813
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Submersible
PAM00382

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€15,635
Panerai Luminor Power Reserve PAM00028 267484
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Power Reserve
PAM00028

Box
Papers
Year 2009
€5,495
Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00508 244007
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Submersible
PAM00508

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€9,535
Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00615 244547

Panerai
Luminor Submersible
PAM00615

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€7,655
Panerai Radiomir Automatic PAM00572 245281

Panerai
Radiomir Automatic
PAM00572

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€4,490
Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00193 244524

Panerai
Luminor Submersible
PAM00193

Box
Papers
Year 2009
€6,970
Panerai Radiomir Automatic PAM00391 244024

Panerai
Radiomir Automatic
PAM00391

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€8,120
Panerai Manifattura Luminor PAM00328 271392

Panerai
Manifattura Luminor
PAM00328

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€4,570
Baume et Mercier Capeland M0A10282 254748

Baume et Mercier
Capeland
M0A10282

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€5,920
Bell and Ross BR03-94 Chronograph BR0394-GR-ST/SCA 275867
Limited Edition

Bell and Ross
BR03-94 Chronograph
BR0394-GR-ST/SCA

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€2,635
Maurice Lacroix Les Classiques LC6057-SD501-17 244488

Maurice Lacroix
Les Classiques
LC6057-SD501-17

Box
Papers
Year 2014
€1,610
Panerai Radiomir Automatic PAM00287 278558

Panerai
Radiomir Automatic
PAM00287

Box
Papers
Year 2010
€3,055
Panerai Radiomir Automatic PAM00391 244262

Panerai
Radiomir Automatic
PAM00391

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€8,120
Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00616 276452

Panerai
Luminor Submersible
PAM00616

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€7,230
Bell and Ross BR03-94 Chronograph BR0394-ST-G-HE/SCA 283052

Bell and Ross
BR03-94 Chronograph
BR0394-ST-G-HE/SCA

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€2,890
Rado Golden Horse R33930355 273933
Limited Edition

Rado
Golden Horse
R33930355

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€1,395
Bell and Ross Vintage WW2 BRWW2-REG-BS/SCR 244186

Bell and Ross
Vintage WW2
BRWW2-REG-BS/SCR

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€2,370
Baume et Mercier Clifton 10436 280837

Baume et Mercier
Clifton
10436

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€1,600
Panerai Luminor GMT PAM00335 244362

Panerai
Luminor GMT
PAM00335

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€8,365
Patek Philippe Complications 5205G-013 267241

Patek Philippe
Complications
5205G-013

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€38,300
Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM01298 267406
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Chrono
PAM01298

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€8,305
Hublot Big Bang 411.ES.5119.RX 268355
Limited Edition

Hublot
Big Bang
411.ES.5119.RX

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€12,445
Bell and Ross BR03-92 BR0392-BAPE-25-CE 244052
Limited Edition

Bell and Ross
BR03-92
BR0392-BAPE-25-CE

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€3,940
Panerai Luminor GMT PAM01088 279401

Panerai
Luminor GMT
PAM01088

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€4,470
Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5059P 267397

Patek Philippe
Grand Complications
5059P

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€31,670
Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM00250 267973
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Chrono
PAM00250

Box
Papers
Year 2009
€4,560
Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5159G-001 245187

Patek Philippe
Grand Complications
5159G-001

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€30,175
Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00616 243855

Panerai
Luminor Submersible
PAM00616

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€7,220
Patek Philippe Calatrava 5153R-001 270431

Patek Philippe
Calatrava
5153R-001

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€21,800
Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Extreme PT6028-ALB11-331 244648

Maurice Lacroix
Pontos S Extreme
PT6028-ALB11-331

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€1,355

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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