Combining longevity with quality craftsmanship, an automatic watch never goes out of style. Add a little class to your collection by exploring Michael Hill’s timeless range.
An automatic watch (also known as a self-winding watch) is a mechanical watch that derives its energy from the movements of the wearer's wrist.
Often seen as a symbol of luxury, sophistication and elegance, automatic watches come in a beautiful assortment of styles to suit all tastes, including gold toned, silver toned and rose gold toned watches.
A ladies automatic watch can offer a sleek and stylish feel to both chic casual wear or stunning formal wear, either as a statement piece or as a subtle accent. Automatic watches for men, meanwhile, can have a bold, magnetic feel when paired with streetwear, or add a classic touch of cool to a suit and tie by wearing one with leather straps.
Unlike quartz watches, women's and men's automatic watches do not have electrical circuits, nor do they require batteries.
Instead, an automatic watch is powered by a metal weight called a rotor. Every time you move your wrist, the rotor will spin, which is transferred into energy that helps wind the mainspring, where power inside the watch is stored.
This energy gradually builds up and starts a chain reaction, moving through multiple gears into the escapement, which regulates watch speed and accuracy. This is where the energy is measured into equal parts, helping to balance the wheel beat back and forth at a hard and fast pace. And with every beat, the gears convey this measured energy to the watch hands.
Both automatic and mechanical watches maintain time using a complex network of gears, springs and other mechanisms. (Some timepieces, known as a skeleton watch, have these gears and springs on display within the watch face).
Where they differ, however, is their power source. While an automatic watch uses a self-winding mechanism powered through a wearer's movements, a mechanical watch is hand-wound and uses a mechanical movement to keep time.
Automatic watches for women and men are generally low maintenance, requiring no battery. This means that it'll never run flat (as long as it's worn), with an energy reserve that lasts a few days. They are loved for their classic design and intricate beauty, with most watches featuring a glass window on either the front or back of the case that lets you watch the cogs and gears turn.
Mechanical watches provide a link to the past with their vintage appeal, celebrated for their timelessness and superior craftsmanship. Like automatic watches, they are also prized for their durability and long life, running without the need for batteries.
A mechanical watch (like a chronograph, for example) is a great timepiece and comes with a rich legacy in watchmaking dating back centuries. Some people even form an emotional attachment to their mechanical watch, often passing them down as heirlooms.
Seiko offers two types of watches: Automatic winding and hand winding. While an automatic watch does not require manual winding, an automatic mechanical watch will require regular hand winding in order for it to work.
According to the official Seiko manual, the mainspring of the watch becomes fully wound when it's worn for 12 hours a day for 3-5 consecutive days. In the event that your Seiko automatic divers watch or other Seiko watch runs out of power, wind it up by slowly turning the crown clockwise or by swinging it from side to side until the small second hand starts moving, then set the date and time. Once wound, your Seiko automatic watch will function for the next 45 hours.
