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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. Cartier Cartier
  6. Tudor Tudor
  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. 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. Breitling Breitling
  8. Bremont Bremont
  9. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  10. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  11. Cartier Cartier
  12. Chanel Chanel
  13. Chopard Chopard
  14. Corum Corum
  15. Fortis Fortis
  16. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  17. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  18. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  19. Graham Graham
  20. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  21. Hermes Hermes
  22. Hublot Hublot
  23. IWC IWC
  24. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  25. Longines Longines
  26. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  27. Montblanc Montblanc
  28. Nomos Glashutte Nomos Glashutte
  29. Omega Omega
  30. Oris Oris
  31. Panerai Panerai
  32. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  33. Piaget Piaget
  34. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  35. Rado Rado
  36. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  37. Rolex Rolex
  38. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  39. Tudor Tudor
  40. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  41. 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. 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
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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 (1827)
Results (1,827)
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Omega Speedmaster Two Counters 332.10.41.51.01.002 409924
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Speedmaster Two Counters
332.10.41.51.01.002

Box
Papers
Year 2026
Presale
Panerai Luminor Marina PAM00049 412546

Panerai
Luminor Marina
PAM00049

Box
Papers
Year 2002
Presale
Vacheron Constantin Overseas 49150/B01A-9095 410824

Vacheron Constantin
Overseas
49150/B01A-9095

Box
Papers
Year 2018
Presale
Cartier Tank Francaise WSTA0067 367207

Cartier
Tank Francaise
WSTA0067

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£3,795
Breitling Super Avenger II A13371 380937

Breitling
Super Avenger II
A13371

Box
Papers
Year 2015
£3,375
Omega Aqua Terra 150m Ladies 220.10.38.20.02.002 388559
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Aqua Terra 150m Ladies
220.10.38.20.02.002

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£4,250
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279381 RBR 359947

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279381 RBR

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£17,950
Rolex Datejust 16030 385818
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16030

Box
Papers
Year 1979
£5,850
Rolex Datejust 41 126334 416288
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126334

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£11,250
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 14203 236555
Vintage

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
14203

Box
Papers
Year 1994
£4,850
Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow 3581.50.00 417969

Omega
Speedmaster Broad Arrow
3581.50.00

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£3,250
Omega Speedmaster 38 324.30.38.50.06.001 411963
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Speedmaster 38
324.30.38.50.06.001

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£4,125
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 AB0121 396974
Manufacturer's Warranty

Breitling
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43
AB0121

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£4,950
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage B20 Automatic 42 AB2010 399106
Manufacturer's Warranty

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage B20 Automatic 42
AB2010

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£3,350
Omega Speedmaster Date 3211.30.00 414940

Omega
Speedmaster Date
3211.30.00

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£2,535
Breitling Cockpit Gents A49350 410352
Manufacturer's Warranty

Breitling
Cockpit Gents
A49350

Box
Papers
Year 2002
£2,250
Omega Aqua Terra 150m Ladies 220.10.34.20.53.001 401822
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Aqua Terra 150m Ladies
220.10.34.20.53.001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£4,250
Rolex Datejust 126234 421194
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust
126234

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£10,500
Rolex Datejust 16233 372737
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16233

Box
Papers
Year 1997
£6,500
Zenith Chronomaster 03.3119.3600/56.M3100 390716

Zenith
Chronomaster
03.3119.3600/56.M3100

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£7,450
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 116000 418336

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
116000

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£6,485
Rolex Datejust 116200 390238

Rolex
Datejust
116200

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£5,515
Rolex Datejust 41 126331 353513

Rolex
Datejust 41
126331

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£12,400
Rolex Daytona 126500 LN 419723
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Daytona
126500 LN

Box
Papers
Year 2026
£24,000
Rolex GMT Master 16700 178273
-6%

Rolex
GMT Master
16700

Box
Papers
Year 1997
£9,250 £9,900
Rolex Yacht-Master 126655 398087
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Yacht-Master
126655

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£22,950
Rolex Datejust Lady 79174 223878
-5%
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust Lady
79174

Box
Papers
Year 2000
£4,490 £4,750
Breitling Super Avenger A13370 404860

Breitling
Super Avenger
A13370

Box
Papers
Year 2002
£2,700
Cartier Ballon Bleu WSBB0002 381922

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
WSBB0002

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£3,350
IWC Big Pilot's IW329701 395848
Manufacturer's Warranty

IWC
Big Pilot's
IW329701

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£5,250
Rolex Datejust Lady 179171 387283
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust Lady
179171

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£8,100
Omega Speedmaster Racing 329.30.44.51.01.003 408053
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Speedmaster Racing
329.30.44.51.01.003

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£8,600
IWC Pilot's Le Petit Prince IW377714 411653

IWC
Pilot's Le Petit Prince
IW377714

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£4,350
Hublot Classic Fusion 511.NX.1171.LR 413435

Hublot
Classic Fusion
511.NX.1171.LR

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£5,150
Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200m 227.32.55.21.03.001 419457
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Seamaster Ploprof 1200m
227.32.55.21.03.001

Box
Papers
Year 2025
£8,395
Rolex Air-King 114200 - Domino's Pizza 416147

Rolex
Air-King
114200 - Domino's Pizza

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£6,250
Rolex Air-King 114200 - Domino's Pizza 409235
New Price

Rolex
Air-King
114200 - Domino's Pizza

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£6,150
Rolex Datejust 126200 412481

Rolex
Datejust
126200

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£7,950
Ball Engineer M Skindiver III DD3100A-S1C-BE 359066

Ball
Engineer M Skindiver III
DD3100A-S1C-BE

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£3,075
Tag Heuer Aquaracer WBP2150.FT6210 419316
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tag Heuer
Aquaracer
WBP2150.FT6210

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£3,250
Tudor Fastrider Chronograph 42000CR 415091

Tudor
Fastrider Chronograph
42000CR

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£2,945
Tudor North Flag M91210N-0002 386507

Tudor
North Flag
M91210N-0002

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£2,950

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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