Mechanical watches: automatic or manual winding: advantages and disadvantages at a glance

Mechanical watches can be divided into two categories: hand-wound watches and automatic watches. Both variants have their advantages and disadvantages, which you should know before buying a mechanical watch.

Mechanical watches: advantages and disadvantages of manual winding

These watches are wound over the crown winding mechanism, which was invented by the Patek Philippe manufacturer. Previously, a key was needed to wind these clocks.

• In order for a mechanical watch of this type to reliably display the time, you must wind it up regularly. To do this, turn the crown until the spring that drives the movement is fully tensioned.
• Hand-wound watches are especially preferred by lovers of the old watch tradition. For them, regular wind-up is not a must, but rather a pleasure.
• If you forget to wind up, the watch will stop. Such a watch usually runs for around 40 hours when it is fully wound. So you should raise them once a day.
• The disadvantage is that the winding spring can lose its tension over time. This affects the accuracy of the time measurement. As a rule, you have to correct the time display manually after a few days or weeks.
• Hand-wound watches have a flatter case than automatic watches. Some watch wearers see this as a plus and as the more chic design.

Automatic watch: advantages and disadvantages

You don't have to wind an automatic watch. You just have to keep your arm in motion and the watch "recharges" itself.

• There is a rotor in an automatic watch. It turns as soon as you move the clock. All you have to do is wear the watch. The resulting rotations of the rotor tension the spring. The automatic watch winds up on its own.
• One advantage of this mechanism is that the spring cannot be overstressed, as is the case with manual winding. This guarantees a longer accuracy of automatic watches and makes them last longer.
• An automatic watch runs between 40 and 60 hours when it is no longer worn. If it is not moved, it remains stationary and stands.
• In order for the mechanics to work well in the long term, an automatic should not remain unworn for too long. By the way: There are special watch winders for such cases.
• The disadvantage: the necessary rotor means that a really slim design is not possible, as is the case with a hand-wound watch. This is viewed by many watch lovers as an optical shortcoming.

Watches come in all possible price ranges. In our next article we will tell you which is the most expensive watch in the world. A little hint: it's not a Rolex.