In the world of watches, two popular timepieces stand out: quartz vs mechanical watch. Both are highly sought after because of their exceptional craftsmanship and precise timekeeping. Watch enthusiasts can easily distinguish between the two. But with the watch terms automatic vs mechanical watch, there is some confusion or misunderstanding. This is because these mechanical watch movements look similar, yet have some differences. Understanding the difference between mechanical vs automatic watch is one of the best ways to gain insight into watch movements. Put, an automatic watch uses a self-winding mechanism that is powered by the movement of the wearer’s wrist and does not need to be wound manually. Mechanical watches are timekeeping devices that use a mechanical movement to track the passage of time. They don’t require any electronics or batteries like quartz watches, but use a spring-powered mechanism.

Automatic watch

What is an automatic watch

An automatic watch, also known as a self-winding watch or simply an automatic watch, is a mechanical watch. When the wearer moves his wrist, the rotor connected to the movement will rotate with it, and the mainspring of that watch winds up, and the mainspring stores energy to provide power for the watch to drive the hands to move. So when the mainspring is fully wound, the watch will last for a long time before it needs to be wound again. For example,the Miyota 9015 movement has a power reserve of about 40 hours.

If your automatic watch has a sapphire glass case back, you can always see the oscillation of the rotor.

How to wind an automatic watch

Automatic watch may sound simple to operate, but automatic watches do not mean that they are fully automatic and do not need to be wound manually. You need to manually wind an automatic watch that hasn’t been worn for a while in order to restart it. And to wind an automatic watch needs to comply with certain rules and steps, otherwise it is easy to damage the movement mechanism of the automatic watch.

Step 1

Take off the automatic watch. It is important not to wind the automatic watch while it is being worn, as this can confuse the watch mechanism.

Step 2

Locate the crown, which is a small button on the right side of the case. The first thing is to determine the style of the automatic watch.

If it is a regular automatic watch, just pull out the crown to set the time and date. The crown has 3 positions. The first position is when the watch crown is in the normal position and the watch operates normally. The second position is when the crown is pulled halfway down and is used to set the time or date. When you pull the crown out completely, it is in the third position used to set the time or date.

If it is an automatic diving watch, the crown is usually screw down. Here, the crown needs to be screwed in anti-clockwise 3 or 4 times until it pops out, then continue to screw it in clockwise 30 times to charge it. Finally, press down on the crown to restore it to its original position.

Step 3

Turn the crown clockwise until you feel resistance and stop winding immediately. And we must always set the time forwards. This is because the watch moves the hands forwards to set the time.

Tips:

Do not set the date when the watch is close to 12 o’clock, as this may damage the date wheel.

If you have a screw down crown, be sure to screw the crown back into place. To do this, push the crown back into the winding position, push it in once more, and then turn it clockwise to lock it in place.

The crown should be turned gently and winding should cease upon encountering resistance.

The hands can accidentally move if the crown is fully pulled out. If this happens, promptly move the hands forward and reset the time to reach the correct time again.

Mechanical watch

What is a mechanical watch

Mechanical watches use a winding mechanism to measure time, with the mainspring winding to maintain power to power the balance wheel, and gearing to transmit power to move the hands forward at a constant rate. Quartz watches are powered by batteries. Generally mechanical watches are also equipped with jewels, which are used to reduce friction inside the movement and extend the life of the watch movement parts. We can see the jewels on the movement through the sapphire glass back.

How to wind a mechanical watch

For manual mechanical watches, winding is a necessity. The first step to wind is to remove the watch, hold it in your left hand and unscrew the crown with your right hand. Pull the crown to the first position and rotate the crown clockwise, turning 20 to 40 turns until resistance is felt, representing the completion of the winding.

Mechanical vs automatic watch

Automatic mechanical movements and manual movements don’t have battery. Both mechanical and automatic watches comprise a variety of important parts, including the mainspring, balance wheel, jewels, escapement and gears. These complex components work together to drive the hands and keep accurate time. There are also a variety of functions that can be found on automatic watch, such as chronograph, GMT and tourbillons – enhancing the complexity of a mechanical watch.

Watch movement parts

In terms of movements with the same functions, automatic movements are more complex, have more accessories, and are thicker than manual mechanical movements. It is important to note that automatic movements have one more rotating weight (rotor) than manual, mechanical watch movements.

Power source

As mentioned earlier, automatic movements have one more rotor than manual mechanical movements. An automatic watch relies on the movement of the wearer’s wrist to transfer energy to the mainspring to keep it wound, whereas a mechanical watch does not have an automatic rotor and needs to be wound manually.

Accuracy

Both movements can have a high accuracy. But automatic movements have a higher accuracy because we can keep automatic watches running at full wind speed. Many high-end luxury watch brands prefer automatic movements because of the greater precision and convenience.

Maintenance

Both of Mechanical watches require regular maintenance, including cleaning, lubrication and change, usually once every 3 to 5 years. However, the movement of the wearer’s wrist facilitates the ability of an automatic movement watch to keep running smoothly, so a manual mechanical movement requires more maintenance.

Price

As mentioned earlier, automatic movements have more accessories and more complicated craftsmanship, so automatic movement watches are more expensive.

Power reserve

Manual mechanical movements offer a longer power reserve. Typically, a fully wound automatic watch has a power reserve of 36 to 42 hours, however, a manually wound watch can have a power reserve of 48 to 15 days.

Know more about automatic vs mechanical

Are automatic watch better than mechanical?

Both automatic and mechanical movements can achieve high precision. In terms of ease of operation, automatic watches are more convenient. The manual mechanical movement is more appealing to watch enthusiasts or collectors who appreciate manual winding. Watchessy can provide customers with mechanical movements from Chinese Seagull, Japanese Miyota and TMI, as well as Swiss brands such as Ronda and Sellita, etc. We can choose the right movement according to customers’ budget.

Conclusion- mechanical watch vs automatic

In conclusion, both automatic watch vs mechanical have their unique attributes and charm. Automatic watches offer the convenience of self-winding, powered by the wearer’s motion, while mechanical watches embody traditional craftsmanship and require manual winding. Ultimately, the choice between the two comes down to preference, style, and budget. Whether you opt for the precision of a mechanical watch or the effortless winding of an automatic watch, both exemplify the artistry and mastery of watchmaking.

As a professional watch manufacturer, Watchessy can provide different grade automatic and mechanical movement which is from China, Swiss or Japan to meet our customer’s request. And we can help our customer to build their own watch brand.

FAQ

Can you overwind an automatic watch

Automatic watches cannot be over-wound, as over-winding may put too much tension on the mainspring, which can lead to damage or breakage.

Do automatic watches have batteries

Automatic watches are powered by the movement of the wrist, which drives the watch to keep time. Therefore, these automatic watches do not contain batteries. When the watch is worn on the wrist, the movement of the wrist causes the rotor to rotate, which automatically winds around the mainspring, which in turn holds energy in the mainspring, thus powering the watch. Depending on the type and style of automatic movement, the power reserve is typically 24 to 48 hours..

How to set an automatic watch

When the second hand reaches the 12 o’clock position, immediately pull out the crown to the second position. Then, turn the crown clockwise and set the time forward until you reach the exact time. If you have a watch winder, you can place your automatic watch on the winder each night, which will reduce the frequency of setting the watch.