Table of Contents
Why an automatic to begin with?
Choosing your first automatic watch is more than a purchase: it’s a rite. We discover an object that lives without a battery, moved by your gesture, whose mechanics breathe on the wrist. In a world saturated with screens, an automatic reminds us that time can still be read by the movement of a pendulum, by the whisper of a rotor. This guide is for the man who wants a watch with soul, a companion in style and history — a piece that doesn’t just tell the time, but tells something about you.
Understanding the automatic: the beating heart
An automatic watch is wound using a rotor, an oscillating mass that turns with your movements. No battery, but a power reserve — often between 38 and 80 hours — stored in a spring. Is this accurate? Yes, enough for daily life, even if an automatic is not an atomic clock. Expect a reasonable drift (around ±10/20 s per day on good models), while a certified stopwatch will tend to be around −4/+6 s.
And above all, an automatic is experienced: we barely hear it, we sometimes feel it vibrate; it ages, is adjusted, revised, transmitted.
Defining your style: look before caliber
Before the technical sheets, ask the question of aesthetic DNA. The first automatic watch must carry you as much as you wear it.
- Sporty-chic in steel: the everyday watch, from the office to the weekend, often on an integrated bracelet, brushed dial, versatile look.
- Toolwatch: diver or field watch, legible, robust, screw-down crown, follows you in the rain or when traveling.
- Dressy classic: fine hands, refined dial, discreet silhouette under the sleeve, heir to the Bauhaus or 60s style.
- Chronograph: racing spirit and piano needles, thicker, more assertive.
- Vintage or neo-vintage: charm of contained proportions (36-38 mm), eggshell tones, retro typographies.
If this is your first watch, think versatility. A dark dial (blue, black, gray), a steel case, and a timeless design will go with as many outfits as possible.
Size and ergonomics: the measure that changes everything
Size is not just a matter of diameter. Two 40mm watches can wear very differently depending on lug-to-lug length and thickness.
- Thin wrist (≤16.5cm): aim for 36-39mm, lug-to-lug ≤47mm, contained thickness (<12mm).
- Average wrist (17–18 cm): 38–41 mm, lug-to-lug ≤49 mm.
- Wide wrist (≥18.5 cm): 40–44 mm if the design remains balanced.
Also look at the dial opening (a thin bezel “enlarges” the watch), the lug width (20 mm is very versatile for changing straps), and the ergonomics of the lugs. The in-store test remains decisive.
The movement: ETA, Sellita, Miyota or manufacture?
Don’t let yourself be hypnotized by the word “manufacture” for a first piece. A good, well-adjusted supplier movement is better than a capricious in-house caliber. Safe values:
- ETA 2824/2836 and derivatives, Sellita SW200/SW300: reliable, repairable anywhere, parts available.
- Miyota 9xxx: thin, efficient, good power reserve.
- Seiko/NH35 and 6R: robust, excellent value for money.
Useful everyday functions: manual winding, stop-seconds (hacking) to set the time with a quarter turn, quick date. A power reserve of at least 40 hours is comfortable for alternating between weekdays and weekends.
Budget and value: buy better, not more
Your first automatic doesn’t have to be the watch “of a lifetime”. It should make you want to wear it, and understand what you really like. Some benchmarks:
- Up to €500: very good entry points (Seiko 5 Sports, Orient Kamasu, Citizen NJ, some European micro-brands).
- €500–1,000: beautiful finishes, sapphire, proven movements (Tissot PRX Powermatic 80, Hamilton Khaki Field, certain Longines on sale).
- €1,000–3,000: move upmarket, more elaborate bracelets and dials, finer adjustments.
Look at the warranty (2 years minimum), the availability of serious after-sales service, and think about the maintenance cost: a simple service generally varies from €150 to €400 depending on the brand. Be wary of “bargains” without papers or history.
Details that matter: everyday life under the microscope
- Glass: sapphire resists scratches better; anti-reflective treatment improves readability.
- Water resistance: 100 m and screw-down crown to cope with rain, the occasional swimming pool; 50 m is enough for a dress watch.
- Dial and hands: applied indexes, sunburst, grained or lacquered finish, well-calibrated luminova.
- Straps: steel (strong and versatile), leather (elegant), rubber (sporty). A good lug system makes changes easier.
- Weight and balance: a well-distributed watch is forgotten, even in steel.
Try, compare, feel
Take the time. In the store, test several diameters, play with the light on the dial, listen to the soft ticking. Check the closure of the bracelet, the softness of the crown, the fineness of the winding. A first watch is chosen by reason – but is confirmed by heart. If you’re unsure between two, sleep on it. The next day, one will impose itself.
Three inspiring ideas to get started
The sporty chic steel
- Why: Perfect balance between office and weekend, contemporary silhouette, textured dials.
- To look at: Tissot PRX Powermatic 80, Citizen Tsuyosa, micro-brands with integrated design.
- Who is it for: the man who wants one watch to do it all.
The everyday toolwatch
- Why: robustness, readability, adventurous spirit; fears neither rain nor escapades.
- Watch: Hamilton Khaki Field Auto, Seiko 5 Sports, Orient Kamasu for a diver’s touch.
- For whom: the pragmatic man, between tailor and tarmac.
The minimalist classic
- Why: finesse, sobriety, charm of contained proportions, a watch that crosses fashions.
- To look at: Junghans Max Bill Auto, Baltic MR01, some heritage-style Longines.
- For whom: the lover of pure lines and sartorial wardrobe.
Maintenance and rituals: making the pleasure last
An automatic likes to be carried. Alternate if you have several watches or give it around twenty turns of the crown before an important day. Avoid shocks, magnets (iPad cases, bag clasps); an adjustment or demagnetization can be done quickly by a watchmaker. A complete service is planned every 5 to 8 years depending on usage. Rinse the watch in fresh water after the sea, and change a gasket if there is the slightest doubt about its watertightness.
By way of conclusion: to choose is to tell yourself
Your first automatic watch is not a destination, it’s a departure. It will set standards – comfort, style, sound – which will then guide your eye. Take it for what it is: a tool that expresses your taste for things well done, a discreet sign that time, sometimes, deserves to be experienced mechanically. This guide gives you pointers; it’s up to you to write history on your wrist.
