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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. Breitling Breitling
  4. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  5. Panerai Panerai
  6. IWC IWC
  7. Cartier Cartier
  8. Tudor Tudor
  9. Hublot Hublot
  10. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  11. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  12. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  13. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
All Brands
  1. A. Lange and Sohne A. Lange and Sohne
  2. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  3. Ball Ball
  4. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  5. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  6. Blancpain Blancpain
  7. Breguet Breguet
  8. Breitling Breitling
  9. Bremont Bremont
  10. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  11. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  12. Cartier Cartier
  13. Chanel Chanel
  14. Chopard Chopard
  15. Christian Dior Christian Dior
  16. Chronoswiss Chronoswiss
  17. Corum Corum
  18. Eterna Eterna
  19. Fortis Fortis
  20. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  21. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  22. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  23. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  24. Graham Graham
  25. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  26. H. Moser and Cie H. Moser and Cie
  27. Hamilton Hamilton
  28. Harry Winston Harry Winston
  29. Hermes Hermes
  30. Hublot Hublot
  31. IWC IWC
  32. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  33. Jaquet Droz Jaquet Droz
  34. Longines Longines
  35. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  36. Montblanc Montblanc
  37. Nomos Glashutte Nomos Glashutte
  38. Omega Omega
  39. Oris Oris
  40. Panerai Panerai
  41. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  42. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  43. Piaget Piaget
  44. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  45. Rado Rado
  46. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  47. Richard Mille Richard Mille
  48. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  49. Rolex Rolex
  50. Romain Jerome Romain Jerome
  51. Sinn Sinn
  52. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  53. Tudor Tudor
  54. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  55. Union Glashutte Union Glashutte
  56. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  57. 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. Watchfinder Watchfinder
Case Material
  1. Aluminium Aluminium
  2. Bronze Bronze
  3. Carbon Carbon
  4. Ceramic Ceramic
  5. Other Other
  6. Platinum Platinum
  7. Rose Gold Rose Gold
  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
  19. Zirconium Zirconium
Dial Colour
Black
Blue
Bronze
Brown
Champagne
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Green
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Mother of Pearl
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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
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  1. Limited Edition Limited Edition
Reset Results (4633)
Results (4,633)
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Zenith Defy 10.9001.670/80.M9000 427503
New Price

Zenith
Defy
10.9001.670/80.M9000

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€11,440
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 134300 427520
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual 41
134300

Box
Papers
Year 2026
€10,290
Panerai Luminor Due PAM01124 426698
New Price

Panerai
Luminor Due
PAM01124

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€5,460
Bell and Ross BR 03-93 BR0393-BL-ST/SCA 426691
New Price

Bell and Ross
BR 03-93
BR0393-BL-ST/SCA

Box
Papers
Year 2026
€3,390
Montblanc TimeWalker 116096 426426
New Price

Montblanc
TimeWalker
116096

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€2,700
Tag Heuer Aquaracer WBP201F.BA0632 419808

Tag Heuer
Aquaracer
WBP201F.BA0632

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€1,835
Tag Heuer Monaco CBL2111.FC6453 419229

Tag Heuer
Monaco
CBL2111.FC6453

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€4,425
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279173 428270
New Price

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279173

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€11,440
Cartier Roadster W62002V3 428269
New Price

Cartier
Roadster
W62002V3

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€3,220
Tudor Black Bay Chrono M79360N-0014 428268
New Price

Tudor
Black Bay Chrono
M79360N-0014

Box
Papers
Year 2025
€4,885
Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79220N 428267
New Price

Tudor
Heritage Black Bay
79220N

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€4,025
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178274 428266
New Price

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
178274

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€9,315
Rolex Datejust 41 126331 426718
New Price

Rolex
Datejust 41
126331

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€13,510
Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 210.22.42.20.01.002 426473
New Price

Omega
Seamaster Diver 300m
210.22.42.20.01.002

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€5,460
Rolex Explorer II 226570 426710
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer II
226570

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€10,635
Rolex Datejust 126234 428262
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust
126234

Box
Papers
Year 2025
€12,360
Tudor Pelagos FXD M2542G267NU-0002 428261
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Pelagos FXD
M2542G267NU-0002

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€4,540
Rolex Explorer II 16570 428260
New Price

Rolex
Explorer II
16570

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€7,185
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279384 RBR 428259
New Price

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279384 RBR

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€19,260
Rolex Datejust II 116333 428258
New Price

Rolex
Datejust II
116333

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€13,235
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 278240 428253
New Price

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
278240

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€8,910
Rolex Yacht-Master 126622 426708
New Price

Rolex
Yacht-Master
126622

Box
Papers
Year 2026
€13,740
Tag Heuer Carrera CBN2A1A.BA0643 426432
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tag Heuer
Carrera
CBN2A1A.BA0643

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€4,325
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46 AB0137 426711
New Price

Breitling
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46
AB0137

Box
Papers
Year 2025
€7,185
Tag Heuer Carrera Ladies WV2411.BA0793 428244
New Price

Tag Heuer
Carrera Ladies
WV2411.BA0793

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€1,380
Cartier Rotonde De Cartier W1556239 428243
New Price

Cartier
Rotonde De Cartier
W1556239

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€14,480
IWC Ingenieur IW380702 428241
New Price

IWC
Ingenieur
IW380702

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€5,345
Bvlgari Octo 101963 428239
New Price

Bvlgari
Octo
101963

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€16,955
Rolex Cellini 50519 426728
New Price

Rolex
Cellini
50519

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€13,740
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage 57 U10370 428238
New Price

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage 57
U10370

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€3,735
Zenith Pilot 96.2431.693/21.C740 428234
New Price

Zenith
Pilot
96.2431.693/21.C740

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€4,345
Grand Seiko Elegance Collection SBGA407 319083
Manufacturer's Warranty

Grand Seiko
Elegance Collection
SBGA407

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€4,770
Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars 26100OR.OO.D088CR.01 426447
New Price

Audemars Piguet
Jules Audemars
26100OR.OO.D088CR.01

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€22,940
Tag Heuer Carrera WAR201B.BA0723 421271

Tag Heuer
Carrera
WAR201B.BA0723

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€2,470
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279171 425596

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279171

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€16,675
Rolex Explorer II 16570 415923

Rolex
Explorer II
16570

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€7,070
Rolex Datejust 16220 427500
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16220

Box
Papers
Year 1991
€5,750
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15210 424895

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Date
15210

Box
Papers
Year 2004
€5,345
Rolex Submariner 16610 427498
New Price

Rolex
Submariner
16610

Box
Papers
Year 2005
€9,660
Rolex Air-King 14000 415399
Vintage

Rolex
Air-King
14000

Box
Papers
Year 2000
€5,115

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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