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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. Omega Omega
  4. Breitling Breitling
  5. IWC IWC
  6. Tudor Tudor
  7. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  8. Cartier Cartier
  9. Hublot Hublot
  10. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  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. Arnold and Son Arnold and Son
  3. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  4. B.R.M Watches B.R.M Watches
  5. Ball Ball
  6. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  7. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  8. Blancpain Blancpain
  9. Breguet Breguet
  10. Breitling Breitling
  11. Bremont Bremont
  12. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  13. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  14. Cartier Cartier
  15. Chanel Chanel
  16. Chopard Chopard
  17. Christian Dior Christian Dior
  18. Corum Corum
  19. Eterna Eterna
  20. F.P. Journe F.P. Journe
  21. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  22. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  23. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  24. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  25. Graham Graham
  26. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  27. H. Moser and Cie H. Moser and Cie
  28. Hamilton Hamilton
  29. Hermes Hermes
  30. Hublot Hublot
  31. IWC IWC
  32. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  33. Jaquet Droz Jaquet Droz
  34. JeanRichard JeanRichard
  35. Laurent Ferrier Laurent Ferrier
  36. Longines Longines
  37. Louis Erard Louis Erard
  38. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  39. Montblanc Montblanc
  40. Nomos Glashutte Nomos Glashutte
  41. Omega Omega
  42. Oris Oris
  43. Panerai Panerai
  44. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  45. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  46. Perrelet Perrelet
  47. Piaget Piaget
  48. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  49. Rado Rado
  50. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  51. Richard Mille Richard Mille
  52. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  53. Rolex Rolex
  54. Romain Jerome Romain Jerome
  55. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  56. Tudor Tudor
  57. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  58. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  59. 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. 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. Steel & Yellow Gold Plated Steel & Yellow Gold Plated
  15. Titanium Titanium
  16. White Gold White Gold
  17. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
  18. Yellow Gold Plated Yellow Gold Plated
Dial Colour
Black
Blue
Bronze
Brown
Champagne
Diamond
Green
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Ivory
Mother of Pearl
Orange
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Specialised
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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 (2223)
Results (2,223)
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Rolex Oyster Perpetual 124300 217637

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
124300

Box
Papers
Year 2021
$17,555
Rolex Explorer 14270 266372

Rolex
Explorer
14270

Box
Papers
Year 2001
Product Location
$8,185
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Explorer 124270 275134
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer
124270

Box
Papers
Year 2022
$9,205
Rolex Explorer 14270 256514

Rolex
Explorer
14270

Box
Papers
Year 2002
Product Location
$7,885
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 16523 275695
Vintage

Rolex
Daytona
16523

Box
Papers
Year 1996
Product Location
$19,445
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116503 271490

Rolex
Daytona
116503

Box
Papers
Year 2017
Product Location
$22,610
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Submariner 14060M 245932

Rolex
Submariner
14060M

Box
Papers
Year 2011
Product Location
$13,535
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Explorer 14270 281640
Vintage

Rolex
Explorer
14270

Box
Papers
Year 1998
Product Location
$8,000
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Submariner 116610 LNXXTEST 273667

Rolex
Submariner
116610 LNXXTEST

Box
Papers
Year 2016
Product Location
$13,090
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116500 LN 279387

Rolex
Daytona
116500 LN

Box
Papers
Year 2016
Product Location
$31,895
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116520 233361

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2009
Product Location
$38,885
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Submariner 14060 245883
Vintage

Rolex
Submariner
14060

Box
Papers
Year 1997
Product Location
$11,585
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Explorer 114270 232181

Rolex
Explorer
114270

Box
Papers
Year 2004
$6,830
Rolex Daytona 116500 LN 227714

Rolex
Daytona
116500 LN

Box
Papers
Year 2017
$32,980
Rolex Daytona 116523 269801

Rolex
Daytona
116523

Box
Papers
Year 2002
Product Location
$15,105
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Submariner 16610 265490

Rolex
Submariner
16610

Box
Papers
Year 2008
Product Location
$11,780
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116520 277343

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2010
Product Location
$26,510
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 16523 228117
Vintage

Rolex
Daytona
16523

Box
Papers
Year 1996
$19,275
Rolex Air-King 14010 265154
Vintage

Rolex
Air-King
14010

Box
Papers
Year 1994
Product Location
$6,505
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116520 274562

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2005
Product Location
$25,070
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 16523 227887

Rolex
Daytona
16523

Box
Papers
Year 1998
$20,580
Rolex Daytona 116523 252175

Rolex
Daytona
116523

Box
Papers
Year 2013
Product Location
$28,005
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Air-King 14010 276084

Rolex
Air-King
14010

Box
Papers
Year 2005
Product Location
$4,670
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116520 217212

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2005
Product Location
$32,345
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116520 246210

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2004
Product Location
$35,450
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 16520 189092

Rolex
Daytona
16520

Box
Papers
Year 2000
$44,700
Rolex Air-King 14010 262786

Rolex
Air-King
14010

Box
Papers
Year 1999
Product Location
$6,315
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 16520 230049

Rolex
Daytona
16520

Box
Papers
Year 1999
$19,500
Rolex Daytona 116523 268534
Vintage

Rolex
Daytona
116523

Box
Papers
Year 1997
Product Location
$19,340
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116520 256653

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2014
Product Location
$24,695
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116523 275138

Rolex
Daytona
116523

Box
Papers
Year 2014
Product Location
$17,655
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Air-King 114234 266121

Rolex
Air-King
114234

Box
Papers
Year 2008
Product Location
$6,735
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Air-King 14000M 262699

Rolex
Air-King
14000M

Box
Papers
Year 1999
Product Location
$5,495
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Air-King 114200 271248

Rolex
Air-King
114200

Box
Papers
Year 2010
Product Location
$5,700
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Air-King 14000 275342

Rolex
Air-King
14000

Box
Papers
Year 1999
Product Location
$5,790
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Daytona 116528 224030

Rolex
Daytona
116528

Box
Papers
Year 2001
$55,320
Rolex Air-King 14000 275201
Vintage

Rolex
Air-King
14000

Box
Papers
Year 1996
Product Location
$5,440
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Air-King 114210 261058

Rolex
Air-King
114210

Box
Papers
Year 2009
$5,640
Rolex Air-King 114210 275724

Rolex
Air-King
114210

Box
Papers
Year 2009
$5,150

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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