Modern Preferences For Automatic Over Manual Wind Movements

[WillFly]

It's a fascinating exercise to go through the specifications of modern mechanical watches and look at the availability of various kinds of movements. Something I do from time to time. (As you can see, I've got far too much time on my hands - no pun intended).

 

As far as mechanical movements are concerned, the choice is predominantly automatic - perhaps 96% or so - and I wonder why. Is it because they're less complex  and thus easier to service than a hand-wound movement? Less likely to go wrong? Impossible to break the mainspring? Just the current fashion?

 

I only have two autos in my collection - simply because I prefer the more obvious "availability" in visual terms - of a hand-wound movement, so I'm not a huge collector of these watches.

 

Comments welcomed!

 

Cheers,

 

Will

[anilv]

I've wondered about this as well..

Most mechanical watches now are lifestyle accessories and there's nothing simpler than grabbing a no-date hand wind, winding it up and wearing it for a day!

Elegant on the wrist and equally at home in the office or at social events. I also enjoy the tactile pleasure of winding up a quality handwind. I currently have a dress Longines on my wrist as I'm writing this.. The case and dial have seen better days but the cal.280 winds butter smooth. I haven't timed it as its not worth the effort as I only wear it for a day or so but its accurate enough to get me thru the day!

Once i'm done for the day.. Back in the box it goes until the next time.

Autos only make sense if you wear it every day..

This brings me to Seiko's... While I love their designs and the quality of their movements is good, the lack of handwind facility is a pain, when I want to wear one of my Seiko's I have to shake it for something like a good minute to build some power up!

Anil

[Geo]

  On 6/7/2015 at 11:41 AM, WillFly said:

As far as mechanical movements are concerned, the choice is predominantly automatic - perhaps 96% or so - and I wonder why. Is it because they're less complex  and thus easier to service than a hand-wound movement? Less likely to go wrong? Impossible to break the mainspring? Just the current fashion?

Hi Will.

From a performance point of view, an automatic watch should keep marginally better time than a manual if it is worn everyday. The force supplied to the movement should be more constant due to the spring continually being wound.

I can't agree with two parts of your statement "less complex" and "less likely to go wrong". By virtue of the fact that there are more working components, and that these components are having to perform under relatively heavy load compared to the rest of the movement, both reliability and mechanical failure are greater. I do agree that the spring itself is less likely to give fail.

Unlike yourself my watch collection is probably split 50/50 manual to auto.

[clockboy]

If you wear every day all day/night then auto or quartz makes sense. it does for me anyway

[WillFly]

Ah, they weren't statements of fact, Geo - just genuine questions!

[Geo]

I know Will. I was only giving my view relative to what you had written. :)