You can find your way into the watch through history, movie or through Horror workmanship takes place in NBA tunnels across the land, but no matter how much you love watches, at some point you will probably find yourself wondering what exactly makes them work. The answer, nine times out of ten (at least where luxury watches relevant) is an automatic movement. While the precise construction of the small gears, springs, and countless other components of a watch is quickly becoming nerd high end (we’ll save the conversation on that). escapement design and perfecting guilloché for another day), you don’t need a degree from MIT to appreciate the fundamentals behind automatic watches. And while you certainly don’t need to know how your watch works to enjoy wearing it, there’s actually some pretty cool stuff going on in there. Here’s the basic list, along with our top picks for men’s automatic watches for every budget — from sleek watch and vintage and Swiss made chronographs diving watch and classic stainless steel.
What is automatic motion?
Mechanical watch movements fall into two basic categories: manual and automatic. Before the invention of the automatic wristwatch in the 1920s (and long before the invention of the battery-powered quartz movement in the 1960s), all watches were hand-wound. That means you need to manually wind your watch every day to keep it going. An automatic watch (also called a self-winding watch) does not require this because it automatically winds according to the movement of your body when you wear it.
How does that work correctly?
Most automatic watches wind themselves through a weighted rotor, you should be able to tell if your watch has a transparent back (that’s the semicircle piece right at the top). As you put your watch on and move around, the rotor wraps a spring that turns the hands, date wheel, and everything else that moves on the watch. To keep your watch from stopping when you’re sitting still (or when you take it off at night), the automatic movements also store excess energy and slowly release it over several hours. hours or days while the rotor is stationary. This is called the “power reserve” and it typically ranges from 40 to 80 hours, with some going up to a week or more. They are useful if you don’t wear your watch every day and don’t want to have to reset the date and time every time you put it on – especially with complicated settable annual or perpetual calendar models.
Is there a downside to automatic watches?
Not a drawback in themselves, but they do need maintenance. Unlike a quartz watch that requires only a few years of battery replacement, a mechanical watch is a fine-tuned movement consisting of many small, precisely calibrated parts. Watchmakers have made great strides in shock resistance and water resistance over the years, but there are still too many abuses that a mechanical movement can inflict. And that’s the problem: automatic watch repairs can be expensive.
What’s the best way to keep my auto number in good shape?
If you stick to the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule (it will need to be overhauled and lubricated every 4 to 10 years, depending on the make and model) and aren’t in the habit of wearing it in the bathroom steam, then you’ll probably get well. Whether it’s a $200 Amazon special watch or a $200,000 complication, automatic watches are designed to be worn, so the best way to care for your watch is to wear it as much as possible.
