Mens Automatic Watches.... All You Need to Know

Mens automatic watches or self winding watches are the perfect choice for men interested to wear their watch on a daily basis.

It is designed to never need a battery and it relies on its winding mechanism which works because of the motion of the human wrist.

These watches are the perfect choice for men who wear their watches on a daily basis. However, if a self winding watch is not worn for a few days, it will wind down.

Automatic watches are also known as self winding watches or perpetual watches, because of the way they work. It is actually a mechanical watch with a self-winding mechanism.

The movement of the wrist causes the rotor, a metal weight attached to a winding mechanism, to pivot freely on its staff in the centre of the movement.

Even the slightest action of the wrist will cause the rotor to rotate back and forth, in a circular motion.

The rotor’s motion then winds the mainspring to power the watch. Once fully wound, they should be able to run for about thirty-six to forty-eight hours.

There is a mechanism within all automatic watches that prevents over-winding and breaking the mainspring once it is fully wound.

It makes use of a special part called bridle to block attempts of over-winding. If there is damage in this area the watch servicing will be a tough one because special lubricants are required to maintain good operation in the future.

The fascinating technology of the rotor system was patented in 1931 by Rolex. It was implemented in the Rolex Perpetual system of self-winding watches.

Specifically it was the Oyster line as the Oyster Perpetual in 1931. To date, Emile Borer, Rolex’s technical chief at the time, is credited with its invention.

The patent ended in 1945 and from then onwards many watch makers copied this automatic watch system.

However, the idea of a self-winding watch was first truly invented by Abraham-Louis Perrelet (1729-1826), one of Switzerland's greatest watchmakers.

He is considered to be the father of the chronometers. Believe it or not, several of his automatic watches are still working to this day.

The self-winding mens watches have attracted many because there is no need to change batteries. Delays in changing batteries can lead to leaking batteries that can damage the mechanical components within the watch.

So having an automatic movement relies on a simple and clean method of powering your watch which is only via your wrist motions.

If mens automatic watches have not been worn for some time, then it is advisable to manually wind it up with 15 to 20 turns of the crown. It will help to power up the watch properly before wearing it.

Return from Mens Automatic Watches back to Mens Watches Guide