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  1. MK1965 Jan 25, 2015

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    Guys, just continuing my education...

    Is this purely just a personal preference (like manual v auto cars), or is there a lot more you should be considering and weighing up when making your decision?

    Apologies if it's a daft question I'm asking,

    Mike.
     
  2. ErikR Jan 25, 2015

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    I prefer automatic watches mainly because i wear my watches enough to avoid needing to wind them manually. So me its just the practical aspect.

    Might not be true, but i always thought manual winding movements are somewhat more robust. Winding a watch every day for 10 years (before service) = 365*10*30* (*rounds to wind the watch)= 110.000 rounds of the stem. Thats a lot of wear on the movement..
    The automatic movements however are designed to be winded by the rotor (which has ball bearings) and the manual winding feature is a nice bonus to the automatic watch, but the watch cant handle the same wear as a manually wound watch.
     
  3. STANDY schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector Jan 25, 2015

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    Manual wind for me but have that many watches it is a even mix i would say. I wear a speedy or seamaster 861 most days and don't mind the winding.

    Most at work get confused at morning meetings when i take my watch off and start winding.

    The more vintage you go there is no choice.
     
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  4. Psych Jan 25, 2015

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    Winding a Speedmaster every day is part of my routine and I love it. I read once that : "You don't have to wind a manual Speedmaster, you get to wind it". It sounds pretentious, but it certainly works for me. Enjoy your watches.
     
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  5. datniche27 Jan 25, 2015

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    I really like the winding ritual. Though 2/3 of my main current watches are auto. Also manual often loses some case thickness which can be nice.
     
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  6. Darlinboy Pratts! Will I B******S!!! Jan 25, 2015

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    Generally speaking, I don't have a preference and own both. Robustness is not a function of manual vs. auto, rather the engineering and execution of production.

    I enjoy picking up, winding, and wearing my watches - which I do with both manual and automatic movements, BTW.

    What I don't particularly enjoy is setting a non-quickset date. And the date must be set correctly. ;)
     
  7. Stewart H Honorary NJ Resident Jan 25, 2015

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    The vast majority of pre-1970s automatics die not have ball bearings for the oscillating weight so wear on the axles is quite a common issue.
     
  8. NT931 Jan 25, 2015

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    +1. For dress watches especially!

    Just like most people here, I have both auto and manual, but for dress watches I like them thin. That means no-date, manual winding, 2 or 3 handers. The rotor of an auto adds unwanted thickness. And besides, like many, I like winding them manual watches!
     
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  9. gaczr7s Jan 25, 2015

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    Manual wind for vintage no dates. Love breathing life into a watch but hate setting the date.
     
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  10. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Jan 25, 2015

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    I have some neato automatics but am generally a little more keen on manual winding models. Manual winding watches need you in a way that the daily-worn automatic or quartz doesn't.

    Any vintage mechanical watch has a "soul" that the quartz watch is simply is without.
     
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  11. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Jan 25, 2015

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    If you look at the reversing wheels in an automatic watch (part of the automatic winding system), the text used in watchmaking schools called The Theory of Horology states that reversing wheels in an automatic will change direction between 1 million and 10 million times per year if worn daily. The parts that do turn in an automatic as you wear it day in and day out turn far more than 110,000 times over 10 years. Remember the watch is being wound all the time when you wear it, not just for 30 turns in the morning before you strap it on.

    This sort of generalization is typically not very useful though - if you look at say an ETA 2801 and the ETA 2824-2, they are the manual wind and automatic versions of one movement. Most of the parts in the manual winding portion of the 2801 are the same as in the 2824-2. But the main weakness in the 2824-2 (the crown wheel boss on the barrel bridge) is different in the 2801, so it does not suffer from the same problems that the 2824-2 does when being hand wound.

    The bottom line is that watches can have weak areas in different spots and it depends on how sharp the designers were who came up with the specifics of the movement. If those are related to manual or automatic winding is really coincidence more than anything.

    Cheers, Al
     
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  12. bvertz Jan 25, 2015

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    Having bought a manual wind last year (Speedy 3592.50), I find that I don't wear it quite as often as my automatics (Connie DeLuxe, Marui, Conquest and SeaDweller). Winding a watch is great, but setting the time bothers me. So, here's an interesting challenge. Consider which automatic Speedy would be most likely to have lasting value?

    The Reduced is a smaller case (38mm) and movement, with a 3220 piggyback that is far different from the authentic Moon Watch 321 or 861, and reputedly expensive to service. The Co-Axials are generally larger (44mm) than the Moon Watch but the movements (3313 and 9300) are more likely to be robust and serviceable than the 3220. Some people don't like the date window in place of the hours subdial at 6 o'clock. The Speedy racing (3330) and Schumacher (1141) watches are another option. Their dials, bands and movements vary from the reliable Moon Watch. I would guess that the 3330 is the better choice. I wonder what others more experienced than me might think.
     
  13. flyingout Jan 25, 2015

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    For me, autos work best when primarily wearing one watch. Manuals are better when alternating. As mentioned, morning winding is a pleasure.

    I do have a such afflicted 2824-2 (my rarely worn travel beater) that I plan to have serviced. Just hoping service isn't cost prohibitive, given the value of the watch. Good to know about its weakness.
     
  14. aralph Jan 25, 2015

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    I prefer manual wind so much that I took the rotors out of my current auto and turned it into a hand winder.
     
  15. Drawarms Jan 26, 2015

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    matters what you like, I like the stress freeness of manual winding your watch
     
  16. JimInOz Melbourne Australia Jan 27, 2015

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    Cool bananas, what sort of auto have you got with more than one rotor?
     
  17. Poday Jan 27, 2015

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    Maybe this old Buren?
     
    BurenMovement.jpg
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  18. JimInOz Melbourne Australia Jan 28, 2015

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    Ah Yes!

    The good old Buren 1001A Quadrotor.

    It was cancelled though, didn't even reach production after initial test wearers found out that the four rotors together set up a harmonic frequency that caused all of the rotors to enter a self perpetuating loop which created such bad vibrations that a few wrists were badly injured.
     
  19. 250scr Jan 29, 2015

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    I thought I liked being lazy and having an auto, but I really like winding my speedmaster. As far as driving, I like an auto as I like being able to relax and not having to do anything and having my other hand free to do as I wish.
     
  20. Paedipod Feb 1, 2015

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    This one is not really a multi-rotor, three weights going around the center but cool to watch. image.jpg