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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. Breitling Breitling
  3. Omega Omega
  4. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  5. Tudor Tudor
  6. Cartier Cartier
  7. Panerai Panerai
  8. IWC IWC
  9. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  10. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  11. Hublot Hublot
  12. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  13. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
All Brands
  1. A. Lange and Sohne A. Lange and Sohne
  2. Arnold and Son Arnold and Son
  3. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  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. Corum Corum
  16. Fortis Fortis
  17. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  18. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  19. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  20. Graham Graham
  21. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  22. Hamilton Hamilton
  23. Hublot Hublot
  24. IWC IWC
  25. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  26. Longines Longines
  27. Louis Erard Louis Erard
  28. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  29. Montblanc Montblanc
  30. Nomos Glashutte Nomos Glashutte
  31. Omega Omega
  32. Oris Oris
  33. Panerai Panerai
  34. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  35. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  36. Rado Rado
  37. Rolex Rolex
  38. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  39. Tudor Tudor
  40. U-Boat U-Boat
  41. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  42. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  43. 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
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  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 & 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
  16. Yellow Gold Plated Yellow Gold Plated
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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
Reset Results (1892)
Results (1,892)
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Rolex Explorer 124270 429951
New Price

Rolex
Explorer
124270

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£6,750
Tudor Black Bay 58 M79030N-0001 430045

Tudor
Black Bay 58
M79030N-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£3,315
Tudor Ranger M79950-0003 431339
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Ranger
M79950-0003

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£2,400
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 26401RO.OO.A002CA.02 429191

Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Offshore
26401RO.OO.A002CA.02

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£26,950
Rolex Sea-Dweller 126603 427475

Rolex
Sea-Dweller
126603

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£13,150
Baume et Mercier Riviera M0A10619 430283

Baume et Mercier
Riviera
M0A10619

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£1,650
Bremont Airco Mach 1 AIRCO MACH 1/BK/R 426901
Manufacturer's Warranty

Bremont
Airco Mach 1
AIRCO MACH 1/BK/R

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£2,100
Cartier Santos WSSA0039 430555

Cartier
Santos
WSSA0039

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£6,250
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 278274 429721

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
278274

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£9,500
Tag Heuer Autavia CBE2110.FC8226 429792

Tag Heuer
Autavia
CBE2110.FC8226

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£3,250
Tudor Pelagos M25610TNL-0001 430036

Tudor
Pelagos
M25610TNL-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£3,150
Tudor Black Bay 58 M79030B-0001 430046
New Price

Tudor
Black Bay 58
M79030B-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£2,805
Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79230G 429315
New Price

Tudor
Heritage Black Bay
79230G

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£3,000
Tudor Black Bay GMT M79830RB-0001 430040
New Price

Tudor
Black Bay GMT
M79830RB-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£2,965
Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 220.12.41.21.02.002 429607
New Price

Omega
Aqua Terra 150m Gents
220.12.41.21.02.002

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,305
Tudor Black Bay M79250BA-0001 430768
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Black Bay
M79250BA-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£2,950
Breitling Chronomat 44 AB0110 424227
Manufacturer's Warranty

Breitling
Chronomat 44
AB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£3,400
Rolex Datejust 116233 429041

Rolex
Datejust
116233

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£8,645
Tudor Black Bay 58 M79030N-0001 429402

Tudor
Black Bay 58
M79030N-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£3,175
Rolex Deepsea 126660 - D-Blue 428634

Rolex
Deepsea
126660 - D-Blue

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£10,450
Breitling Avenger Hurricane XB0180 424016

Breitling
Avenger Hurricane
XB0180

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£4,250
Breitling Navitimer Heritage A13324 428788

Breitling
Navitimer Heritage
A13324

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£3,950
Tag Heuer Carrera CAR2014.BA0799 427051

Tag Heuer
Carrera
CAR2014.BA0799

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£2,165
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage UB0156 420235
Manufacturer's Warranty

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage
UB0156

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£6,950
Cartier Tank Americaine WSTA0018 424437
Manufacturer's Warranty

Cartier
Tank Americaine
WSTA0018

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,450
IWC Pilot's Chrono IW388101 428301

IWC
Pilot's Chrono
IW388101

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£4,750
IWC Pilot's Mark XVI IW325505 428737

IWC
Pilot's Mark XVI
IW325505

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£3,275
Vacheron Constantin Egerie 8005F/120A-B497 422941
Manufacturer's Warranty

Vacheron Constantin
Egerie
8005F/120A-B497

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£18,500
Bremont Supermarine S502-DLC-BAMFORD-L-S 430586

Bremont
Supermarine
S502-DLC-BAMFORD-L-S

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£2,990
Rolex GMT Master II 126710 BLRO 429987

Rolex
GMT Master II
126710 BLRO

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£18,500
Tag Heuer Carrera CBN2A1B.BA0643 428756

Tag Heuer
Carrera
CBN2A1B.BA0643

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,250
Bvlgari Octo 103486 429784

Bvlgari
Octo
103486

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£5,500
Rolex Explorer II 226570 430540
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer II
226570

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£8,665
Tudor Black Bay 58 M7939A1A0NU-0002 430556
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Black Bay 58
M7939A1A0NU-0002

Box
Papers
Year 2026
£4,095
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178240 429565

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
178240

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£6,500
Rolex Datejust 126200 430180

Rolex
Datejust
126200

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£6,950
Rolex Sea-Dweller 126600 423924

Rolex
Sea-Dweller
126600

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£9,875
Rolex Explorer 40 224270 427607
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer 40
224270

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£6,885
Patek Philippe Complications 5205G-001 412049
Manufacturer's Warranty

Patek Philippe
Complications
5205G-001

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£26,950
Cartier Santos De Cartier WSSA0037 415181

Cartier
Santos De Cartier
WSSA0037

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£6,500
Hublot Big Bang 441.DS.1170.NR.GAS22 430032
Manufacturer's Warranty

Hublot
Big Bang
441.DS.1170.NR.GAS22

Box
Papers
Year 2026
£13,950
Rolex Submariner 126613 LB 405316

Rolex
Submariner
126613 LB

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£14,360

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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