The history of the automatic watch, also known as a self-winding watch, goes back to the 1770s, when Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Perrelet designed a device which could transfer the energy created by the movement of the wearer’s hand into enough power to sustain automatic watches for up to eight days. Moving forward to present day, we find that most mechanical watches manufactured now are self-winding.

Some Facts About Automatic Wathces 

-Automatics are accurate devices. -No need for manual winding with an automatic watch.
-The second hand of a self-winding watch moves effortlessly while a battery watch makes a slight sound.
-Automatic watches are easier to maintain than battery-operated ones.
-Self-winding watches require more craftsmanship than quartz watches, making them more desirable.
-Automatic watches have a unique vintage feel that never goes out of style.
-Automatic watches hardly ever break or wear down.
-Fixing a stopped automatic is easier than fixing a stopped quartz watch, for example.
-The only maintenance self-winding watches require is oiling of parts every five years.
-Automatics have a better chance of restarting on its own than most quartz watches.
-Automatics need to be worn daily because the power reserve goes away after 36-72 hours.-Self-winding watches can lose a few seconds each day.

How Does an Automatic Watch Work?

An automatic watch is powered by a spiral mainspring that turns the gears that move the hands. As the watch runs, the spring loses energy. In a manual watch, one must wound the movement of the spring periodically by turning the crow so that it provides energy for the watch to run on. A self-winding watch, however, features a mechanism that winds the mainspring. 

The watch is made of a rotor that turns on a pivot. As the wearer’s arm moves, the rotor pivots on its balance staff, a device attached to the winding mechanism. The motion caused by the wearer’s arm is translated into a circular motion which winds the mainspring.

Automatic watches are investment pieces; they retain their value because they’re true works of craftsmanship and should be viewed and treated as such. All in all, automatics provide a lifetime of carefree service and add a touch of style to your daily outfit. Any wearer would benefit greatly from this visually-stunning and reliable timepiece.