Manual Mechanical vs Automatic Watches: What Actually Separates Them

Anyone who has spent more than a minute researching watches must have come across the terms "mechanical vs automatic watch" and walked away confused. The terminology is rather vague and gets thrown around a lot without actual insights into the topic. This blog is an attempt to clear that mess. 

The short version: all automatic watches are mechanical watches, but not all mechanical watches are automatic. Rotoris has a series of automatic watches for you to choose from.  

What Is a Mechanical Watch

Any watch that runs on a system of springs, gears, and levers rather than a battery is a mechanical watch. A spring unwinds slowly to release energy through gears that ultimately drive the hands on the dial. 

No battery, no circuit board, no quartz crystal is needed to tell you time. It’s all pure mechanics and engineering. The entire system is purely physical, which is why mechanical watches for men have held their appeal for centuries.

Manual Mechanical Watches

This type of watch needs to use the crown on the side of the case by the wearer.. This tightens the mainspring, storing energy. This might need to happen daily or every couple of days depending on the movement. Most traditional mechanical watches for men fall into this category.

The drawback is obvious. Forget to wind it and the watch stops. 

Automatic Watches: The Same Engine, Self-Winding

Now the same manual mechanical watch that you had learned about earlier, gets an extra component. A rotor. It is a semi circular weight that moves around freely on an axle. 
When the wearer moves their wrist during normal daily activity, the rotor swings. That swinging motion is converted through a series of gears into energy that tightens the mainspring automatically.

The movement itself is identical to a mechanical watch in principle.

This self winding is a practical advantage. An automatic watch worn daily essentially never needs attention. 

How They Actually Feel Different on the Wrist

The rotor in automatic watches adds a small amount of weight and, in some movements, creates a soft spinning sensation when you move your wrist quickly. Some wearers love this. It is a physical reminder of what is happening inside the case. 

Automatic movements also tend to be slightly thicker than manual movements because of the rotor mechanism.

Accuracy

Neither manual nor automatic mechanical watches are as accurate as quartz. A well-regulated mechanical movement typically runs within plus or minus a few seconds per day. Quartz runs within around 15 to 20 seconds per month. 

In practice, most automatic watch owners set their time once a week and find the variation entirely manageable. The appeal of a mechanical or automatic watch was never accuracy in the modern sense. It is the craft, the longevity, and the relationship between the object and the person wearing it. A quartz watch is more accurate. A mechanical watch is more interesting. 

Power Reserve: What the Numbers Mean

Both watches have essentially a set power reserve that dictates how long it will last. Most automatic watches offer somewhere between 38 and 50 hours. In a mechanical watch, the power reserve can only be charged with the crown and in an automatic it can be charged by the crown as well as the motion of the wearer. 

Rotoris Automatic Watches 

The Monarch runs on the RSGB02 automatic movement at 28,800 vibrations per hour with 32 jewels and a 42-hour power reserve. It carries a moon phase, calendar, and power reserve complication. 

The Auriqua uses the RSGA01 movement at 21,600 vibrations per hour with a 45-hour power reserve and 25 jewels. At 42mm with 10ATM water resistance and an FKM rubber strap.

The Manifesta uses the RSGA01 with an open-heart complication that lets you see the movement working in real time. It comes in 3 distinct dial colors, Blue Aventurine, Mother of Pearl, and Black Onyx.

Manual Mechanical vs Automatic Watch: Which Should You Actually Buy

The honest answer depends on one question: are you buying a watch to wear every day, or to wear occasionally?

If it is going on your wrist most mornings, an automatic watch makes obvious sense. The self-winding rotor keeps the power reserve topped up through normal wear. The Auriqua and Monarch from Rotoris are built exactly for this kind of daily relationship. If you are buying a watch to rotate in a collection or wear on special occasions, a manual mechanical watch rewards the winding ritual and often achieves a slimmer case profile.

For most people buying their first serious mechanical watch, automatic is the right starting point. It delivers everything that makes a mechanical watch worth owning, the craft, the movement, the longevity, without requiring daily maintenance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What's the actual difference between mechanical and automatic?

Ans. Both run on a mainspring, no battery involved. The difference is just how that spring gets wound. Manual means you do it. Automatic means the rotor does it as you wear the watch.

Q2. Are automatics better than manuals?

Ans. Better for daily wear, yes. Manual watches are often slimmer and some people prefer the ritual of winding. Neither is objectively superior, it comes down to how you use a watch.

Q3. How long do these types of watches last?

Ans. Decades, if you service them properly. The movement is built to run a very long time with basic maintenance.

Q4. Do automatic watches need a battery?

Ans. Never. They're entirely mechanical. The movement of your wrist powers the rotor, the rotor winds the watch.

Q5. Can you manually wind an automatic?

Ans. Yes. Turn the crown a few times if the watch has stopped, it'll get it running again without needing to wear it first.