It’s fair to assume most people prefer not to wind their watch every day. Putting it on without worrying about setting the time or winding it first is part of why automatic watches became so mainstream in the first place. Still, despite decades of innovations that have made mechanical timepieces more convenient, many collectors still appreciate the charm of winding a watch by hand.
Why is that, though? Part of it comes from an ever-growing watch-collecting community and the growing interest in watchmaking that comes with it. Smaller wristwatches, vintage-inspired watches, and independent brands are trending, and while they don’t always use hand-wound movements, they suggest a greater appreciation for traditional watchmaking in general. That is where hand-wound watches come in.
Before Automatic Watches, There Were Hand-Wound Movements
The market might be dominated by convenient automatic movements today, but before innovations like Rolex’s Perpetual rotor in 1931 or Breguet’s Perpétuelle centuries earlier in 1780, manual-wind movements were the standard in mechanical watchmaking.
Watch movements, also commonly called “calibers,” need energy to keep time. In mechanical movements, that energy is stored in a mainspring, which is wound either by hand in a manual-wind movement or by a rotor that swings with the motion of the wearer’s wrist in an automatic movement.
Most quartz watches are battery-powered. Automatic watches wind themselves using a rotor that responds to the wearer's movements. Manual-wind watches work only because they’re hand-wound. It’s an intentional practice that anyone who values watchmaking in its purist form can appreciate. It adds to the overall experience of watch ownership, even if it takes a few extra moments to wind the watch by hand.
Of course, there are a few downsides. Many collectors, me included, forget to wind their watches, despite having a deep appreciation for mechanical timepieces. It’s okay. It happens to the best of us and is completely understandable, especially in a world where everything from ordering at McDonald's to kitchen appliances is automated.
Over time, though, winding a watch starts to become a regular habit, and perhaps even one collectors look forward to before starting their day.
A Better View of the Movement and a Thinner Case
Another reason to love hand-wound movements? No oscillating rotor means a clearer view of the bridges and other components that make up the movement on models with exhibition case backs. Sometimes, they’re even beautifully decorated with hand- or machine-made finishes like the uniform stripes of “Côtes de Genève” or overlapping circular graining of “perlage.” Sometimes, the movement is almost as appealing as the dial itself.
The Baltic Prismic is powered by the manual-wind La Joux-Perret D100 movement, visible through the exhibition case back.
That brings us to case thinness. The rotor in a conventional automatic movement adds to its overall height, although some movements use smaller micro rotors that are recessed into the movement itself, allowing for a thinner overall profile. Without a rotor, manual-winding movements can be thinner, making them a popular choice for some of the slimmer, dressier watches on the market. However, thicker manual-wind movements still certainly exist, particularly those with multiple complications or unique movement architectures.
The Maen Manhattan 39 Ultra Thin is powered by the La Joux-Perret D101 hand-wind movement and is slim at only 6.9mm thick.
Oversized watches aren't as popular as they once were, either. The market for larger watches still exists, but we're seeing renewed interest in smaller, classically elegant designs and vintage-inspired watches. That preference for more understated proportions also helps explain the appeal of slimmer manual-wind movements, particularly in traditional dress watches.
Why Hand-Wound Watches Still Matter
Automatic watches are convenient, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. However, convenience isn’t always the point of watch collecting. For many enthusiasts, much of the appeal of a manual movement comes from interacting with it, appreciating its craftsmanship and decoration, and even the chance to pause for a moment during the day to wind their watch.
