manual wind watches or automatic watches?what is the problem?

[Dary]

hi there, as long as i see that you all here can totally provide some logical information about different topics, there is something that i would like to understand better.
here is the deal.. since i started to go on with watches and to just find more and more about them, there was a subject that used to make me feel weird about.
The idea of going with automatic watches or manual wind watches. All of my friends that are into watches are always telling me not to go with self-winding watches and to always go with automatic.
when I ask why there are just always going with the same idea... the manual winding watches are always a pain in the ass, you have to go systematically and change the batteries. So all of them, and I mean it ALL of my friends are going for automatic watches..

I just don't get it, is it just because of this? What if you really like one model and you just can't find it as automatic? You are just going to blow it off just because of this??? It feels to stupid for me? Maybe there are some other things that I just don't get. please help me understand.. do you choose automatic over self-winding? if yes, then why>?

 

[Fornamessits]

I don't think that your friends had something else to add than just the fact that you have to change the batteries from time to time. This is all that they needed you to know. Somehow, adding some extra care or taking some extra time to take care of a watch is becoming a little bit annoying for some people.


The only negative thing about manual winging is that you can wake up one day and decided to wear that watch and it simply doesn't work. This means that you have to take it to the watchmaker and change the batteries. This is the only reason that makes it so annoying. You never know when you have to do it. There is not a time elapse that is going to show you, " look after 4 weeks you have to change the battery". No, you just go on living your life and you wake up one day just seeing that you need to do something and to take your time to go to the watchmaker.

 

[Dary]

I don't think that your friends had something else to add than just the fact that you have to change the batteries from time to time. This is all that they needed you to know. Somehow, adding some extra care or taking some extra time to take care of a watch is becoming a little bit annoying for some people.


The only negative thing about manual winging is that you can wake up one day and decided to wear that watch and it simply doesn't work. This means that you have to take it to the watchmaker and change the batteries. This is the only reason that makes it so annoying. You never know when you have to do it. There is not a time elapse that is going to show you, " look after 4 weeks you have to change the battery". No, you just go on living your life and you wake up one day just seeing that you need to do something and to take your time to go to the watchmaker.

just the idea that you need to take care of your watch by taking it to the doc makes you wanna lose the manual winding?
i get what you mean. but for me, it is still too strange. It is like you know, you like something but you dont get it just because it is too much to dela with.. sounds like a loser thing...

 

[Whiseed]

you are asking really really too easy questions on this
My thing about this topic just finished in the moment when I asked so many times people around me why even these two types exist.
I mean... wasn't it easier to just make it all automatic? you never need to go with batteries and it is good for the environment.
typically there are too many answers to this and at the end you never know what actually is the truth. Just the idea that not everybody wants to make it automatic? It is not possible for all the models? -Doubt it!. Maybe they want us to buy batteries?
sound too stupid. And now, you are here even talking about why others don't want manual winding. Cause it sucks at every level..

 

[Fornamessits]

you are asking really really too easy questions on this
My thing about this topic just finished in the moment when I asked so many times people around me why even these two types exist.
I mean... wasn't it easier to just make it all automatic? you never need to go with batteries and it is good for the environment.
typically there are too many answers to this and at the end you never know what actually is the truth. Just the idea that not everybody wants to make it automatic? It is not possible for all the models? -Doubt it!. Maybe they want us to buy batteries?
sound too stupid. And now, you are here even talking about why others don't want manual winding. Cause it sucks at every level..

pretty interesting question dear.
You just made me think about this and I really need an answer. I think i may get a little deeper into it to find out which one is the right answer. Maybe I can find some info and I'll provide it to you too.

 

[Encantadore59935]

it depends on the type of "watch enthusiast" you are...

there are some watch lovers who consider watches as their "holy grail". they would take them for extra care every 3-5 months and they get pleasure from caring for the accessories. also, they don't mind "playing" with the crown winding it and contemplating the sound and mechanism of the watch and with its winding mechanism.., there is something satisfying in this process...

so, on the other side, there are those who don't give much damn on their watches. just put them on the wrist and they are gone for adventures. they love watches just because they add a boost to their look and their style. but they don't really have anything to do with the horology in its deep sense.

so don't complicate yourself too much. take what is closest to your style and to your understanding of watches. probably ALL of your friends like mostly the easygoing things and manual winding is not for their level of watch perception

 

[BenStone]

I think it depends more on the type of watch and the way you wear it... for me and for my daily needs, it's more comfortable to go with autos. if you are active along the day autos are a great way to go because they charge by themselves. but if aesthetically a manual is closer to you, I don't see any problem. the problem with automatics is when the owner barely moves and stays in bed all day.... they are people like that, I know them personally... in that case, there are no chances that the watch will charge by itself .... I see the manual ones as more sophisticated and dressy somehow. I, at least, wear them on more special occasions

 

[Michelangelo]

I totally agree that it depends on the watch

for example, if we are talking about preferences for a stunningly aesthetic movement, then it is a manual wind without any doubt. if it's about minimalist dress watches, without special functions and complications, then it's also a manual, as their case is thinner, which adds a spectacular aesthetic.


as for sporty guys, I can't imagine it being a manual one for my daily activities and necessities. for a screws-down timepiece, the automatic movement is the most comfortable way to go

 

[Perpetual]

it's no problem... it's about how much you prefer to get involved in the watch you have... personally, I see autos as more practical, there is no room for interpretation here... in the daily activity regime and running around, it's not the most pleasant thing to stop everything and wind your watch manually...

manual is for contemplation, beauty, aesthetics of design and mechanism... precisely for that it does not really fit into the crazy rhythm of daily activities. that's why the world chooses versatility and practicality

manuals are for those who value time through horological science and love to contribute to it, in some way, I don't know how else to call it... I hope you got my point

 

[Grigio]

personally, I love manual watches, but in natural mode, they ended up being associated with formal events and official environments... maybe it's wrong that I ended up with such an association. but for routine days, the automatic suits me from all points of view. especially since I am very active and they wind up by themselves just by my movement....

I admit that I have 2 manual winding watches. but they are so classic that they don't suit me for my daily activities, especially since my daily style is sports and casual, so not fitting into thr context much.. instead, when I go to a dating, I put on the manual ones.... I think unconsciously I want to somehow impress the potential victim

 

[GeorgeClintonBiden]

why should there necessarily be a problem with this?))) it's about personal preferences and not a problem at all)

besides everything that was said previously in the comments, I can add one more thing
the lifestyle in the era of manual watches was slower, more subdued, less energetic. people enjoyed every moment and there was no eternal rush ... so these watches were somehow in the context of life at that time... the wearers liked to wind them manually as it fit into their lives somehow....

today, the lifestyle has changed. everything is about speed, running, lack of time, etc... as such, watches have evolved accordingly and have become more operable and automated... thus, it's not that manual ones are seen as a pain in the ass , it's just that they served their purpose at the right time. today, they remain as a tribute to those times. automatic watches, on the other hand, are in step with the modern era

 

[Myryopod]

I have always liked manually wound watches. these mean pure horology. yes, it makes you more responsible and I don't understand why everyone finds manual winding so disturbing... as if it takes years to wind them... it takes a few seconds and I ces't tout!!!

automatic-yes, they are more comfortable. but I don't see a big deal in them. just some cute accessories that tell the time. the value of a manual watch lies in its mechanism and its interaction with the wearer. it is a special connection. the automatic ones capture only through functions and design. the manual ones - through the horological spirit in them

 

[CityBreak]

today we live in the era of consumption, technology, and speed. as such, it's normal to tend to the optimization of accessories and gadgets. automatic watches are a response to today's trends of doing everything conveniently, quickly and hustle free. bro, it's not our fault that we were born in this era) we grabbed what was offered to us) if we were born decades ago, we wouldn't have imagined any other type of watches than manual ones) so, these are impressive, but they belong to other eras)

 

[Steve]

For me, the automatic ones are simply more affordable. I love manual watches, they have a special place in me. but dude, their prices are beyond my means)

 

[RoyaInk]

if manual-winding watches were more accessible, I think that many of the watch lovers would have specifically opted for them. The automatic ones are somehow more accessible in price. And few of us can afford an expensive watch. Therefore, I think that the price is also an important variable in your question @Dary. As for the value, the manual ones are certainly much more valuable than the automatic ones, I guess

 

[Eugene]

not my kind... got used so much to autos, no stress and fuss, just put them on and go... manuals i guess are for a specific audience. I understand that they are the horological foundation and all stuff like that, but from the point of view of comfort, the autos r more suitable

 

[MiracuLuis]

same thing wondering... I don't understand why people prefer autos, they are kinda "soulless". manual ones are true art embodiment. more solid, and more craftsmanship in them... does time-saving matter so much? is it really fussy to wind the watch manually?! oh god, that's so satisfying. no auto can provide this

 

[StevenOhio]

I don't think that those who choose autos somehow disregard manual watches. it's more about practicality, nothing more. autos is more practical; it works autonomously and this solves a lot of time lost for adjusting the time. personally, I often forget to put my Apple Watch on charge and remember myself with it completely discharged. so it is a certain dependence. the same thing happens with the maual ones - you always have to be alert to wind it properly. I love manual watches, indeed. but, I admit that I'm not the most responsible watch lover to wind it regularly. precisely for this reason automatic watches are more to my taste

 

[SpiceEric]

well, it's a tough one... I don't think there is anyone who would devalue manual watches here. everything is more about the purpose of the watch. obviously the manuals have a more valuable essence. But for daily needs, I think they don't fit in the same way as an auto does. Personally, I was happy to wear a manual CW C65 TD during the pandemic. Simply, my car auto not have enough movement to charge fully. So, I left my SW220 aside and contemplated the rare beauty of the CW C65 TD. For such watches, I think the right circumstances are needed. Here the covid was a suitable circumstance I guess, despite the depressions in the mass that it caused to people

 

[SonReir671]

I'm the guy who doesn't accept an auto instead of a manual. call me a purist, whatever
I don't really resonate with the justification like you just put a quartz on your wrist, and you're set to go. A watch, I believe, must be in connection with its owner. both quartz and autos are somehow detached from the one who wears them, namely this miinterraction somehow bothers me...

oh, that interaction betqeen the owner and a manual wound watch... pure art... pure horology... no auto anf no quartz have that dignity that a hand-wound watch has