self-winding watch

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

A self-winding watch is a mechanical watch that does not require manual winding. It is powered by the motion of the wearer's wrist, which winds the mainspring through an automatic mechanism, typically a rotor that spins with movement. This stored energy then drives the watch's internal components to keep time. The first patent for a self-winding pocket watch was issued in 1780.12

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Mechanical watches
The first patent on the self-winding pocket watch was taken out in London in 1780. An English invention patented in 1924, the self-winding wristwatch by Louis Recordon, contains a swinging weight pivoted at the centre of the movement, coupled to the barrel arbor through reduction wheels and gears. A more…
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The first patent on the self-winding pocket watch was taken out in London in 1780. An English invention patented in 1924, the self-winding wristwatch by Louis Recordon, contains a swinging weight pivoted at the centre of the movement, coupled to the barrel arbor through reduction wheels and gears. A more…
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perpetual motion
An example is the self-winding clock that derives energy from changes in the temperature or pressure of the atmosphere. It depends upon the energy delivered to the Earth by the Sun and is not, therefore, a perpetual-motion machine.
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An example is the self-winding clock that derives energy from changes in the temperature or pressure of the atmosphere. It depends upon the energy delivered to the Earth by the Sun and is not, therefore, a perpetual-motion machine.
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