3 July 2026
Automatic or manual: the real difference
Not only how you wind it. What it means for the watch, for daily wear, and for service.
The rotor
An automatic carries a rotor that spins with wrist motion and winds the mainspring. It adds about 2mm of thickness and gives a watch that is always ready.
The ritual
A hand-wound movement wants twenty turns of the crown each morning. For some people that is exactly what they want from a watch.
Service
Both need a service every five years. The hand-wound is simpler and therefore slightly cheaper to maintain.