What is an automatic watch?

A mechanical watch is made up of 5 core areas, which we will now look at in a little more detail.

1. Energy

The energy source of the watch consists of a spring and a winding mechanism. By winding the spring or turning the crown – it will be wrapped around the spring core. When the spring is released, it gives energy to the gear train. The fulcrum in the middle of this picture transmits the energy to the wheels.

1. wheels

the gear train then transmits the energy to the escapement.

1. Escapement

The escapement ensures that the energy is not discharged all at once. The escapement wheel moves only step by step due to a built-in locking mechanism.

1. controller

The gear control by pendulum in the outer ring swings back and forth when the escapement wheel turns.

1. Indicator

this is the part you know, the dial on which you can read the time.

How does a self-winding watch work?

Now that we understand how the basic inner mechanics of a mechanical watch work, we also understand that the spring must be tensioned for the entire mechanism to work. Watches made before 1920 were self-winding, so owners had to rewind their watch every few days, either via the crown or with a watch winder.

After 1920 the self-winding or automatic mechanism was invented. It is an ingenious mechanism that consists of a swivel weight that is activated by the movements of the wearer of the watch. Every time the owner moves his arm, whether it is to read the time or just in normal everyday life, this movement makes the watch wind itself.

How to wind a self-winding watch

Even if your watch winds itself, you may have to help it along from time to time. The mechanism requires movement to work correctly. If you have more than one watch or a watch collection, the watch may not get the daily exercise it needs.

Many newcomers to automatic watches think their watch is broken when it stops ticking. This is a common misconception.

If this happens to you, then you now know that the watch is not broken, but simply needs to be rewound!

There are two ways to wind the watch. You can wind the watch wind up manually via the crown. Pull the crown to the first position and rotate 20 to 30 times until you can feel a slight tension. Be careful not to overwind, as you could damage the clock.

The second option is a watch winder. It is up to you alone to decide whether you want to buy a watch winder or not. If you decide to use it, here are three recommendations for you.

The top 3 watch winders

Price Conscious

Versa automatic double watch winder in black – 50 €

Of course, you always get what you pay for, but if you want to try out an inexpensive watch winder first, this is a decent entry-level product.

Medium price category

Orbita sparta black single watch winder – 220 €

If you want to spend a little more, you will find a reliable, robust and quiet watch winder here. Everything you need in a watch winder. It is only suitable for a watch and is not made in the highest design quality, but in terms of mechanical functionality it will deliver.

For avid collectors

WOLF roadster triple watch winder – $969

Beautiful and efficient, this is our recommendation for the premium program. On this level, function and design go together perfectly. This model winds three watches simultaneously, making it the perfect choice for mechanical watch collectors.