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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. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  4. Cartier Cartier
  5. Panerai Panerai
  6. Breitling Breitling
  7. IWC IWC
  8. Tudor Tudor
  9. Hublot Hublot
  10. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  11. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  12. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  13. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
All Brands
  1. A. Lange and Sohne A. Lange and Sohne
  2. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  3. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  4. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  5. Blancpain Blancpain
  6. Breguet Breguet
  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. Eterna Eterna
  16. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  17. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  18. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  19. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  20. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  21. Hamilton Hamilton
  22. Hermes Hermes
  23. Hublot Hublot
  24. IWC IWC
  25. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  26. Jaquet Droz Jaquet Droz
  27. Longines Longines
  28. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  29. Montblanc Montblanc
  30. Nomos Glashutte Nomos Glashutte
  31. Omega Omega
  32. Oris Oris
  33. Panerai Panerai
  34. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  35. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  36. Piaget Piaget
  37. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  38. Rado Rado
  39. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  40. Rolex Rolex
  41. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  42. Tudor Tudor
  43. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  44. Union Glashutte Union Glashutte
  45. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  46. 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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Stock Type
  1. Watchfinder Watchfinder
Case Material
  1. Aluminium Aluminium
  2. Bronze Bronze
  3. Carbon Carbon
  4. Ceramic Ceramic
  5. Platinum Platinum
  6. Rose Gold Rose Gold
  7. Steel Steel
  8. Steel & Rose Gold Steel & Rose Gold
  9. Steel & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  10. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  11. Steel & Yellow Gold Plated Steel & Yellow Gold Plated
  12. Titanium Titanium
  13. White Gold White Gold
  14. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
  15. Yellow Gold Plated Yellow Gold Plated
Dial Colour
Black
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Champagne
Diamond
Green
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Ivory
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 (1040)
Results (1,040)
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Tag Heuer Monaco CBL2111.BA0644 444776
New Price

Tag Heuer
Monaco
CBL2111.BA0644

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€5,015
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.93.44.52.03.002 444775
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.93.44.52.03.002

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€11,090
Rolex Sea-Dweller 126603 444774
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Sea-Dweller
126603

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€15,280
Rolex Submariner 14060 444773
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Submariner
14060

Box
Papers
Year 1991
€8,660
Rolex Datejust 41 126333 444772
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126333

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€15,340
Rolex Datejust 16018 444771
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16018

Box
Papers
Year 1966
€10,325
Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79250BB 444770
New Price

Tudor
Heritage Black Bay
79250BB

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€3,185
Omega Planet Ocean 2208.50.00 444767
New Price

Omega
Planet Ocean
2208.50.00

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€3,775
Rolex Explorer II 216570 444766
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer II
216570

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€9,525
Tudor Black Bay Chrono M79360N-0002 444765
New Price

Tudor
Black Bay Chrono
M79360N-0002

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€3,660
Tudor Black Bay GMT M79833MN-0003 444764
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Black Bay GMT
M79833MN-0003

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€3,480
Tudor Pelagos M25407N-0001 444763
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Pelagos
M25407N-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2025
€4,130
Rolex Datejust Lady 69173 444762
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust Lady
69173

Box
Papers
Year 1992
€6,195
Tag Heuer Carrera CAR205A.FT6087 444761
New Price

Tag Heuer
Carrera
CAR205A.FT6087

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€6,195
Tudor Black Bay GMT M79830RB-0001 444325
New Price

Tudor
Black Bay GMT
M79830RB-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€3,500
Panerai Luminor Marina ESteel PAM01356 444309
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Panerai
Luminor Marina ESteel
PAM01356

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€6,905
Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 210.32.42.20.03.001 444317
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Seamaster Diver 300m
210.32.42.20.03.001

Box
Papers
Year 2026
€4,955
Omega Speedmaster Racing 329.30.44.51.04.001 444320
New Price

Omega
Speedmaster Racing
329.30.44.51.04.001

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€6,840
IWC Big Pilot's IW500401 444334
New Price

IWC
Big Pilot's
IW500401

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€5,840
Cartier Tank Must WSTA0040 444331
New Price

Cartier
Tank Must
WSTA0040

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€4,485
Breitling Avenger Skyland M13380 444332
New Price

Breitling
Avenger Skyland
M13380

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€2,830
Rolex Explorer II 16570 444311
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Explorer II
16570

Box
Papers
Year 2001
€7,280
Rolex Deepsea 126660 444328
New Price

Rolex
Deepsea
126660

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€10,150
Rolex Datejust Lady 6917 444315
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust Lady
6917

Box
Papers
Year 1983
€4,600
Rolex Datejust 16013 444336
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16013

Box
Papers
Year 1978
€6,050
Rolex Datejust 16233 444439
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16233

Box
Papers
Year 1996
€6,490
Rolex Datejust 16234 444322
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16234

Box
Papers
Year 1997
€6,785
Hublot Big Bang 418.CX.1114.RX.MXM20 444335
New Price

Hublot
Big Bang
418.CX.1114.RX.MXM20

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€18,820
Rolex Submariner 114060 444323
New Price

Rolex
Submariner
114060

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€10,030
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 116000 444314
New Price

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
116000

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€6,660
Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 210.32.42.20.04.001 444117
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Seamaster Diver 300m
210.32.42.20.04.001

Box
Papers
Year 2026
€5,015
Rolex Submariner 16610 444116
New Price
Vintage

Rolex
Submariner
16610

Box
Papers
Year 1990
€8,675
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 15703ST.OO.A002CA.01 444115
New Price

Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Offshore
15703ST.OO.A002CA.01

Box
Papers
Year 2012
€19,765
Breitling Avenger Skyland A13380 444114
New Price

Breitling
Avenger Skyland
A13380

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€2,950
Omega Seamaster GMT 2534.50.00 444113
New Price

Omega
Seamaster GMT
2534.50.00

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€3,695
Rolex Datejust 116233 444112
New Price

Rolex
Datejust
116233

Box
Papers
Year 2006
€11,210
Rolex Datejust 116200 444109
New Price

Rolex
Datejust
116200

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€7,280
Cartier Santos Galbee 2961 444105
New Price
Vintage

Cartier
Santos Galbee
2961

Box
Papers
Year 2001
€6,785
Rolex Submariner 14060M 444104
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Submariner
14060M

Box
Papers
Year 2009
€10,090
Rolex Datejust 116200 444103
New Price

Rolex
Datejust
116200

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€6,155
Tag Heuer Monaco CAW2190.FC6437 444102
New Price

Tag Heuer
Monaco
CAW2190.FC6437

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€8,730
Rolex Datejust 116234 444101
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust
116234

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€8,850

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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