Collection: Men's Automatic Watches

How men’s automatic watches differ

An automatic is a mechanical watch that winds itself as you wear it: an oscillating weight turns with the motion of your arm and winds the mainspring, and there’s no battery anywhere. The automatics here come from Bulova, Citizen and Caravelle, and they differ most in how long they run off the wrist, how much of the movement you can see and how much water they can take.

How long it runs off the wrist

Many of these movements list a power reserve of about 42 hours, enough to sit out a night on the dresser and start the day running. Citizen’s calibres 8310 and 8322, in the Tsuyosa 60 and the Tsuyosa Small Second, list about 60 hours, so the watch is still going after a weekend off. The Citizen Tsuyosa line puts its automatics in a 37 or 40 mm case with an integrated bracelet. If any automatic stops, give it a gentle swirl, set the time and it runs again.

Seeing the movement

Bulova makes a point of showing its automatics. The 43 mm skeleton models in the Bulova Sutton line open up the dial and the caseback, so the 21-jewel movement shows from both sides, and the Maquina and Octava take the same idea into a sportier or more decorative case. An open-heart dial is subtler: a window shows only the balance beating, as on the octagonal Marc Anthony Surveyor. Our skeleton and open-heart watches page gathers both styles. The standard Bulova Surveyor keeps its dial closed and puts the detail into a faceted 39 mm case.

Accuracy, magnetism and water

A mechanical movement is less precise than quartz. Citizen rates calibre 9051, in its titanium Promaster Dive Automatics, at −10 to +20 seconds a day and builds it to resist magnetism. Bulova’s calibres 82S0 and 82S5 have a hack feature: pull out the crown and the seconds hand stops, so you can set the watch to the second. For water, the Promaster Dive Automatics are rated Diver’s 200m for scuba, while the Bulova Marine Star Series A and the Caravelle Sea Hunter are rated 200 metres for swimming and snorkelling. Some dressier automatics, such as the Surveyor and the 40 mm Sutton, are rated 30 metres: fine in the rain, but take them off to swim.

Questions

Automatic, quartz or Eco-Drive? An automatic suits someone who wears the same watch most days and enjoys a mechanical movement. Our guide to automatic, quartz or Eco-Drive compares all three.

Does an automatic need servicing? A mechanical watch benefits from a service every few years, following the maker’s advice. In the meantime, keep it away from strong magnets, such as speakers and the magnetic clasps on bags.