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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. Cartier Cartier
  6. Tudor Tudor
  7. IWC IWC
  8. Panerai Panerai
  9. Hublot Hublot
  10. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  11. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  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. Ball Ball
  5. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  6. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  7. Blancpain Blancpain
  8. Boucheron Boucheron
  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. Corum Corum
  18. F.P. Journe F.P. Journe
  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. Gucci Gucci
  27. H. Moser and Cie H. Moser and Cie
  28. Hamilton Hamilton
  29. Harry Winston Harry Winston
  30. Hermes Hermes
  31. Hublot Hublot
  32. IWC IWC
  33. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  34. Jaquet Droz Jaquet Droz
  35. Longines Longines
  36. Louis Erard Louis Erard
  37. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  38. Montblanc Montblanc
  39. Muhle Glashutte Muhle Glashutte
  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. U-Boat U-Boat
  58. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  59. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  60. 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. Bronze Bronze
  2. Carbon Carbon
  3. Ceramic Ceramic
  4. Other Other
  5. Platinum Platinum
  6. Rose Gold Rose Gold
  7. Silver Silver
  8. Steel Steel
  9. Steel & Rose Gold Steel & Rose Gold
  10. Steel & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  11. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  12. Steel & Yellow Gold Plated Steel & Yellow Gold Plated
  13. Titanium Titanium
  14. White Gold White Gold
  15. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
  16. Yellow Gold Plated Yellow Gold Plated
Dial Colour
Black
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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. Hybrid Hybrid
  3. Manual Manual
  4. Quartz Quartz
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  1. Limited Edition Limited Edition
Reset Results (4664)
Results (4,664)
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Cartier Santos WSSA0039 437126
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Cartier
Santos
WSSA0039

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£6,750
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde J029020270 433368

Jaquet Droz
Grande Seconde
J029020270

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£7,500
Rolex Cellini 50519 430171

Rolex
Cellini
50519

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£12,500
Rolex Datejust 41 126334 422151
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126334

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£11,495
Tudor Black Bay 58 M79030B-0001 436959
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Black Bay 58
M79030B-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2026
£3,575
Tudor Black Bay Chrono M79360N-0002 424172

Tudor
Black Bay Chrono
M79360N-0002

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£3,450
Breitling Colt Auto A17388 404574

Breitling
Colt Auto
A17388

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£1,800
IWC Portofino Automatic IW356313 433677

IWC
Portofino Automatic
IW356313

Box
Papers
Year 2011
£5,450
Rolex Datejust 16030 414164
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16030

Box
Papers
Year 1986
£5,310
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279138 RBR 423092
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279138 RBR

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£31,950
Rolex Datejust Lady 69278 415959
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust Lady
69278

Box
Papers
Year 1984
£8,750
Tudor Royal M28600-0005 427406

Tudor
Royal
M28600-0005

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£2,150
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15210 415736

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Date
15210

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£4,950
Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 220.13.38.20.01.001 410236
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Aqua Terra 150m Gents
220.13.38.20.01.001

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,200
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage B20 Automatic 42 AB2010 429957
Manufacturer's Warranty

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage B20 Automatic 42
AB2010

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£2,850
Omega Planet Ocean 215.32.44.21.06.001 437127
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Planet Ocean
215.32.44.21.06.001

Box
Papers
Year 2026
£4,950
Rolex Datejust 41 126331 429514

Rolex
Datejust 41
126331

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£14,950
Rolex Datejust Lady 79173 434866

Rolex
Datejust Lady
79173

Box
Papers
Year 2003
£6,530
Rolex Datejust Lady 79173 434192

Rolex
Datejust Lady
79173

Box
Papers
Year 2003
£6,530
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 AB0138 437121
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Breitling
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43
AB0138

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£5,890
Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 210.30.42.20.03.001 435151

Omega
Seamaster Diver 300m
210.30.42.20.03.001

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,985
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage B20 Automatic 46 AB2020 436786

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage B20 Automatic 46
AB2020

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£3,085
Tudor Black Bay Chrono M79360N-0001 437032
New Price

Tudor
Black Bay Chrono
M79360N-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£3,150
IWC Big Pilot's IW329301 414468
Manufacturer's Warranty

IWC
Big Pilot's
IW329301

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£5,055
Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 210.92.44.20.01.002 424551

Omega
Seamaster Diver 300m
210.92.44.20.01.002

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£5,500
Rolex Explorer 40 224270 434452

Rolex
Explorer 40
224270

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£6,885
Tudor Monarch M2639W1A0U-0001 436805
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Monarch
M2639W1A0U-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2026
£4,950
Tag Heuer Carrera CBN2A1B.BA0643 436190

Tag Heuer
Carrera
CBN2A1B.BA0643

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,250
Tudor Black Bay 39 M79660-0002 436797
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Black Bay 39
M79660-0002

Box
Papers
Year 2026
£2,930
Tudor Black Bay 58 M79030N-0001 426810

Tudor
Black Bay 58
M79030N-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£3,100
Tudor Black Bay Chrono M79360N-0002 434905

Tudor
Black Bay Chrono
M79360N-0002

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£3,555
Breitling Chronomat B01 42 PB0134 436826

Breitling
Chronomat B01 42
PB0134

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£6,100
Bremont ALT1 ALT1-P2 BLUE 436475

Bremont
ALT1
ALT1-P2 BLUE

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£3,050
Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa PAM01096 437360
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Panerai
Luminor Luna Rossa
PAM01096

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£7,950
Tudor Black Bay Chrono M79360N-0024 436292
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Black Bay Chrono
M79360N-0024

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£7,520
Omega Constellation Globemaster 130.20.39.21.03.001 437458
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Constellation Globemaster
130.20.39.21.03.001

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£7,150
Omega Planet Ocean 215.30.44.21.01.002 434784

Omega
Planet Ocean
215.30.44.21.01.002

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£4,405
Omega Planet Ocean 215.30.46.51.01.002 409509

Omega
Planet Ocean
215.30.46.51.01.002

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£5,400
Omega Planet Ocean 215.32.44.21.01.001 435170

Omega
Planet Ocean
215.32.44.21.01.001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£3,850
Omega Planet Ocean 215.92.46.21.01.001 435658
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Planet Ocean
215.92.46.21.01.001

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£6,750
Panerai Submersible PAM00959 436516

Panerai
Submersible
PAM00959

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£5,795
Rolex Datejust 126200 435245
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust
126200

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£8,750

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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