Automatic Watches

An automatic watch has a mechanism in the movement that automatically winds the watch through the movements of the wearer. This in contrast to quartz watches, which run on batteries.

What is the difference between an automatic and a mechanical watch?

An automatic watch is a mechanical watch; that is, the watch is not powered by electricity. Another type of mechanical watch is a hand-wound watch that you wind by turning the crown.

Most of the time you can recognize an automatic watch by the word "automatic" printed on the dial. Usually automatic watches also have a glass case back through which the movement with the winding mechanism (the 'rotor') is visible.

You can read more information about how an automatic watch works and the difference between quartz and automatic in our blog: “Quartz or automatic? The pros and cons explained”.

Winding an automatic watch

If you wear your automatic watch every day, the watch will continue to run because it is wound automatically. If you don't wear the watch for a day, this is no problem. Most automatic watches - depending on the movement and the strength of the winding spring - will run for between 24 and 72 hours. This is called power reserve. The specifications of the watches on our site under the heading 'Movement information' state what the power reserve of the watch is. Some automatic watches even have an indicator on the dial that shows how long the watch will continue to run.

Automatic watch has stopped

If your automatic watch does come to a standstill, you can wind it up again by gently moving the case back and forth (do not shake!) about 10 times until the second hand starts running again. With some automatic watches it is also possible to manually wind the spring. If so, it will be listed in the watch user's manual.

Do you want to make sure that your automatic watch will keep running? Then you can store your automatic watch in a watch winder. This is a device that mimics the movements of your wrist to keep your watch running.

How long does an automatic watch last?

A good quality automatic watch can, in principle, last a lifetime, provided you maintain it properly.

Automatic watch maintenance

Because an automatic watch is completely mechanical, the parts of the movement and the sealing gaskets will wear out over time. The oil that has been used can also thicken over time. Take your automatic watch to the watchmaker every 5 to 10 years for a service to prevent damage to the movement and to make sure your automatic watch will last you a lifetime.

What are the best automatic watches?

Are you looking for the best automatic watch for men or women, then the choice at Watch.co.uk is huge. For example, you can opt for a chic Swiss watch from Edox, or a more affordable automatic watch from Orient. Seiko also has high-quality automatic watches in its collection. The Seiko 5 series for example, consists of several basic models, the Prospex line offers special divers models with high water resistance and the Presage series excels in style.

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