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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. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  10. Hublot Hublot
  11. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  12. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  13. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
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. Breguet Breguet
  8. Breitling Breitling
  9. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  10. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  11. Cartier Cartier
  12. Chanel Chanel
  13. Chopard Chopard
  14. Eterna Eterna
  15. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  16. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  17. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  18. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  19. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  20. Hamilton Hamilton
  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. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  33. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  34. Piaget Piaget
  35. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  36. Rado Rado
  37. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  38. Rolex Rolex
  39. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer
  40. Tudor Tudor
  41. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  42. Union Glashutte Union Glashutte
  43. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  44. 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. 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
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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 (981)
Results (981)
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Rolex GMT Master II 126710 BLRO 443466
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
GMT Master II
126710 BLRO

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€20,710
Rolex GMT Master II 126710 BLRO 435645
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
GMT Master II
126710 BLRO

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€20,710
Patek Philippe Complications 5960R-001 422205

Patek Philippe
Complications
5960R-001

Box
Papers
Year 2008
€45,780
Tudor Black Bay Chrono M79360N-0002 450194
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Black Bay Chrono
M79360N-0002

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€4,210
Tudor Pelagos FXD M25807KN-0001 450193
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Pelagos FXD
M25807KN-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€3,620
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage U23370 450192
New Price

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage
U23370

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€4,965
Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738R-001 450191
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Patek Philippe
Golden Ellipse
5738R-001

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€37,000
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris 9028170 450189
New Price

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Polaris
9028170

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€7,545
Rolex Deepsea 136660 450190
New Price

Rolex
Deepsea
136660

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€14,215
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 AB0138 450188
New Price

Breitling
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43
AB0138

Box
Papers
Year 2025
€7,310
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 RB0138 450181
New Price

Breitling
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43
RB0138

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€16,900
Rolex Datejust 126201 450180
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust
126201

Box
Papers
Year 2025
€14,040
Tag Heuer Monaco CBL2114.FC6486 450179
New Price

Tag Heuer
Monaco
CBL2114.FC6486

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€6,960
Tudor Black Bay 58 M79030B-0001 450177
New Price

Tudor
Black Bay 58
M79030B-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€3,275
Rolex Submariner 116610 LN 450176
New Price

Rolex
Submariner
116610 LN

Box
Papers
Year 2013
€10,335
Rolex GMT Master II 126720 VTNR 449219
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
GMT Master II
126720 VTNR

Box
Papers
Year 2026
€16,380
Rolex Datejust 41 126300 445835
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126300

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€9,900
Cartier Roadster W62004V3 430148

Cartier
Roadster
W62004V3

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€3,450
Omega Speedmaster Racing 3552.59.00 449957
New Price

Omega
Speedmaster Racing
3552.59.00

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€3,985
Rolex Datejust 41 126333 449956
New Price

Rolex
Datejust 41
126333

Box
Papers
Year 2002
€11,230
Breitling Navitimer Chronograph GMT 46 A24322 449955
New Price

Breitling
Navitimer Chronograph GMT 46
A24322

Box
Papers
Year 2026
€5,645
Breitling Navitimer Automatic 41 U17329 449954
New Price

Breitling
Navitimer Automatic 41
U17329

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€5,790
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 126000 449953
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
126000

Box
Papers
Year 2026
€8,775
Breitling Navitimer GMT AB0441 449952
New Price

Breitling
Navitimer GMT
AB0441

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€6,960
Tudor Black Bay M7941A1A0RU-0003 449951
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Black Bay
M7941A1A0RU-0003

Box
Papers
Year 2024
€3,745
Rolex Milgauss 116400 GV 449950
New Price

Rolex
Milgauss
116400 GV

Box
Papers
Year 2008
€9,945
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 124300 449948
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
124300

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€8,190
Cartier Calibre De Cartier W7100041 449949
New Price

Cartier
Calibre De Cartier
W7100041

Box
Papers
Year 2011
€4,155
Rolex Deepsea 136660 449947
New Price

Rolex
Deepsea
136660

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€13,805
Cartier Santos 100 W20073X8 449235
New Price

Cartier
Santos 100
W20073X8

Box
Papers
Year 2016
€5,790
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279384 RBR 428259

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279384 RBR

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€18,250
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279161 403500

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279161

Box
Papers
Year 2021
€10,435
Rolex Submariner 16800 449712
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Submariner
16800

Box
Papers
Year 1987
€8,775
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279173 422433

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279173

Box
Papers
Year 2018
€13,745
Rolex Day-Date 118209 408524

Rolex
Day-Date
118209

Box
Papers
Year 2007
€28,020
Omega Seamaster Boutique Editions 511.13.40.20.06.001 449711
New Price

Omega
Seamaster Boutique Editions
511.13.40.20.06.001

Box
Papers
Year 2025
€7,955
Rolex Submariner 114060 449710
New Price

Rolex
Submariner
114060

Box
Papers
Year 2019
€10,530
Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic 8002520 449709
New Price

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Geophysic
8002520

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€14,330
Rolex Datejust 41 126300 449708
New Price

Rolex
Datejust 41
126300

Box
Papers
Year 2020
€8,130
Rolex Datejust 126234 449707
New Price

Rolex
Datejust
126234

Box
Papers
Year 2025
€11,585
Omega Seamaster Diver 300m - James Bond Edition 210.90.42.20.01.001 449705
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Seamaster Diver 300m - James Bond Edition
210.90.42.20.01.001

Box
Papers
Year 2022
€7,955
Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 210.30.42.20.10.001 449704
New Price
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Seamaster Diver 300m
210.30.42.20.10.001

Box
Papers
Year 2026
€5,440

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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