What is Better? Manual Wind vs Automatic Wind Watches

[@LifeontheWrist]

Apologies for the image issue about halfway through the video!

[@ChefTom777]

Manual wind pros & cons Pros: 1.) Thinner (good for dress watch) 2.) Lighter (good for dress watch) 3.) Have more control in center spring not to fully wind it all the time so the coil spring will have longer life. Cons: 1) Prone to overwind (it depends if the owner is a newbee) 2) Prone to loose the oring inside the crown due to daily winding it & can cause water damage. (not good for a dive watch) 3) Have to wind it atleast 1 to 2 times a day. Automatic Pros & cons Pros: 1) Never have to manually wind it. 2) Don't have to operate the crown except if you adjust the time which maintainss the oring in good condition for water resistant. (good for dive watch). Cons: 1) Thicker (not good for dress watch) 2)Havier (not good for dress watch) 3)The center spring for power reserve is always fully wind which can cause it to wear out faster than a manual wind... 4) Frequent winding of the rotor if the owner is having plenty of activities can cause too much friction on metal parts so the oil in the jewel wore faster & also the metal parts will wear out faster because the rotor is uncontrollable inside it.. I wish there is a movement that can stop the rotor inside if the center spring is fully wound up then starts to rotate again if it is half wound up.. Vedict: Manual winding for a dress watch. Automatic for a dive watch.

[@LifeontheWrist]

Great summary! Thanks for watching

[@barreltech8949]

Manual also makes a great field movement

[@street2030]

having to wind it is not a con that is the biggest pro

[@gcm22490]

Question: which is better, the ETA 2836? Or the Sellita SW210? I’m thinking which to get. Thank you!

[@newsigmundfreud3023]

A more practical reason manual wind vs automatic is the constant moving of rotor wears it out faster. Another win manual vs automatic is that the watch can be made thinner.

[@LifeontheWrist]

Very true! And if you have it in a watch winder it will wear it even quicker

[@ChefTom777]

yes but for a dive watch the automatic is better because it prevents the wear out of oring inside the crown.. manual winding can cause issue to water resistance due to frequent winding of the crown.. so for a dress watch manual winding is better.. For a dive watch automatic is a must..

[@aleksandramakari]

I like how Jonathan Harker talked about his wristwatch in Dracula. He would always wind it before going to bed. And then the one time he didn't wind it was I think when he almost got eaten by the 3 sisters. And that's how he came to the conclusion that happened. And it also tells you that wristwatches existed in the 1890s instead of him using a pocketwatch. And typewriters were a new invention too. Cool history learned from reading old books.

[@street2030]

I'm new to watches and it took me while to learn what I like. Manual wind up watches is what i like.

[@gcm22490]

Why?

[@fifty9forty3]

All I had for years were manual wind before the quartz came out. I don't remember having to wind the manual more than once in a day, usually morning. Sometime I would wind the watch during the day only because I had to fidget with something, but I don't remember it being necessary. They were mostly Timex watches. I ordered 5 auto/manual today, all low price, just for the variety. I have a collection of 2 dozen quartz watches of various prices from 25 to 300$.

[@street2030]

its all about the fidget for me :)

[@jimrees1778]

I have many of each in my collection, and I like them all.

[@LifeontheWrist]

Best way to be! They each have something you can enjoy about them

[@Dakiniwoman]

I feel quite ignorant now that I realize I bought an automatic self-winding watch and didn't know it... I wanted a "skeleton" watch for many years and finally found one I liked online. It was at a good sale price for a high-quality watch but when I got it, it seemed to not work. As the idiot I am, I thought, oh, it needs a new battery. Well two years later I finally got the watch out to take it in for a new battery and wow... it was working! Sitting in a box for two years and I could have worn it all that time! Now I am learning about this... because it stopped working again after one day ... but a bit of moving it and it starts again... so... learning now...

[@MettaLovingKindness]

Exactly.. I have developed a personal bond with my Bermi Vintage watch just like Kaladin the Storm blessed's connection with Syl. Love it

[@LifeontheWrist]

Thanks for sharing!

[@spoudaois4535]

I like manual much more. If you have multiple watches its so easy to wind them quickly and keep them going. Some how I feel more connected to them. For dive watches where one needs a screw in crown the automatic is better.

[@LifeontheWrist]

I love manual wind too. Thanks for watching!

[@morrissey07]

Manual wind watches are for me. I have the Hamilton Khaki Field, Junghans Max Bill, Seagull 1964 and the Timex Marlin to name a few.

[@LifeontheWrist]

I think they are my favourite too! What do you think of the Max Bill? I think it’s one of the best watches out there

[@morrissey07]

@@LifeontheWrist the max bill is a thing of beauty. A word thrown around a lot when describing it is 'understated' and that is due to the size. It's a simple, elegant watch that always gets a lot of respect for true watch aficionados.

[@AJ88874]

I’m considering a manual since I don’t wear a watch too often.

[@LifeontheWrist]

Awesome!

[@barreltech8949]

I love a good manual caliber, feels great waking up and winding your watch in the morning

[@street2030]

how to know what a good caliber is? Im trying to learn about watches

[@barreltech8949]

@@street2030 usually something reliable that’s been on the market that’s credible, you can’t go wrong with the Swiss calibers

[@gcm22490]

Hello, I’m thinking which to get: An ETA 2836? Or a Sellita SW210? Thanks! 🙏

[@LifeontheWrist]

Both are equally great. Cannot go wrong with either. I find myself wearing ETA movements more

[@janh3827]

I find all manual watch prices are so much more money

[@LifeontheWrist]

They can be. They range in price so you must be looking at some nice watches! Haha

[@kingdavid2785]

Was thinking of buying stowa marine watch, but idk what to choose between automatic or handwind. Handwind is 100 something more expensive. Le me know what to choose thanks. Great video

[@LifeontheWrist]

Hey! Great watch - tough choice between automatic and manual wind. I personally would go with manual wind as I enjoy winding my watches daily. If that’s the same with you, go for it! Thanks for watching!

[@kingdavid2785]

@@LifeontheWrist thank you I think I've made a decision with automatic since its a bit less expensive. Love manual watches as well! Do you think this particular watch is worth the price since I'm paying about 900$? What is your experience on it? Pros/cons? Thanks for the reply

[@gcm22490]

@@LifeontheWristhow many times/rotations/windings do you wind you manual watch? Is that the optimal number?

[@typerightseesight]

what confused me is i figured an automatic watch would change world time zones on its own.

[@gcm22490]

The “automatic” word on wristwatches is the 1900’s context of what “automatic” is, not our generation’s usage of automatic. Back then, this is a highly innovative piece of kit to just keep on winding itself as long as you wear it. As for the changing of timezones, GMT was created late 1800’s but back then, jet planes haven’t existed yet. You’d sit on a steam ship for 2 weeks to get to the other side of the Atlantic, and then change your timezones. Highly well-spec for a watch being able to be set then and there. Nowadays, this technology is obsolete for us, we just keep buying wristwatches as toys. So yes, you gotta wind and set it yourself, like what the 1900s practices were.

[@CJ_102]

If you start to collect watches its great to just pickup a watch, give it a few turns and go. Date complications and rotors and batteries are a pain. Solar is really good, especially the new tech that powers on any light.

[@LifeontheWrist]

I love solar! Another option and innovative

[@street2030]

I tried on a Radiomir Panerai and I really like how easy it was to press the crown and the clicking when winding it felt perfect. I went to Hublot and tag but they only had a couple of choices and i could barly grip the crown. Felt terrible. I havnt tried IWC yet, but looks like they are similer to Panerai crown. What else should I check out?

[@gcm22490]

Longines, Tissot, Certina, Hamilton. Rado as well. 😂

[@talkCRYPT0]

Great work…keep it up 👍👍👍

[@LifeontheWrist]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@megamega362]

New Chinese seagull hand wind especially the st2130 chronograph was venus 175 China bought in early 60s everything presses all equipment are fantastic and you cannot get better bang for your buck anywhere also shanghai manual wind excellent work horse of movement and really dependable and run for ys accuracy very good.

[@LifeontheWrist]

Good suggestion! Sure it will be helpful for those viewing this video. Thanks for commenting and watching!

[@williamthegunnut3839]

Do you have to readjust the time every day when you wind a manual watch?

[@LifeontheWrist]

If the watch stops running, you will have to readjust the time. Thanks for the good question!

[@williamthegunnut3839]

@@LifeontheWrist But can you rewind the watch while it’s running and without it stoping?

[@prod.deathwish]

@@williamthegunnut3839 depends if the watch has “hacking” then yes you can

[@williamthegunnut3839]

@@prod.deathwish Ok thanks pal. The watch I want is a laco b-uhr. It has hacking I think. So if the watch is not hackable you can’t rewind it without it stoping?

[@pwr1990]

Grand Seiko says their watch is "Automatic with manual winding". What does this mean?

[@ekolog8201]

Late answer but it is same as Vostok Amphibia watch mechanism, to start it you need to wind it but than if you wear it every day it will self wind from rotor movement. It is automatic basically, but probably wont start working unless you wind it. Also if you take it off and dont move it, you will have to wind it again in order to start it. Winding it will give a charge.

[@pwr1990]

@@ekolog8201 never too late. Thank you for the response!

[@grant_watchesblank1340]

Automatic for me.

[@LifeontheWrist]

Nice!

[@feardabeard7635]

What if your watch is a manual and an automatic? Another words do you still need to wind it If you wear it all the time?

[@yorusuyasoul69420]

You can do both winding or just simply moving no issue

[@LifeontheWrist]

Suya is correct

[@CptSlow89]

Are there any new manual watches today?

[@LifeontheWrist]

Yes! Check out Nomos. They make some great manual wind watches. Thanks for watching

[@flyingnematode]

Grand seiko omiwatari sbgy007 and sbgy013 are beautiful

[@TheWhiskyExplorer]

How much drift in a vintage manual watch?

[@LifeontheWrist]

I think it depends on the watch!

[@sylviayan5261]

I have a new mechanical watch but I don't wear it that much. Should I just leave it or should I wind it daily?

[@LifeontheWrist]

You probably don’t need to wind it daily! I wind my watches weekly, but you could go a couple of weeks before you would need to wind it. Just to keep the oils moving

[@sylviayan5261]

@@LifeontheWrist thank you for your advice

[@LifeontheWrist]

No problem!

[@jessemusquiz4619]

Thank you for the video, any relation to Willem Dafoe?? I would do the ancestry thing because you probably have a relative in that direction look alot like the awesome actor.

[@LifeontheWrist]

Haha I have heard that before! Thanks for watching and commenting

[@spoudaois4535]

The vintage Rolex precision is a great manual wind watch.

[@street2030]

is it?

[@street2030]

i checked on chrono and prices are high for that watch

[@LifeontheWrist]

They are! Thanks for watching

[@tomobedlam297]

My question is an esoteric academic one: Does a winding automatic watch weigh the same as a fully wound automatic watch?

[@jermainejohn4557]

Manual watches are better for sure

[@ChromeMan04]

So automatic watches are basically like mechanical watches since they both use gears to operate, expect, with autos u don’t have to wind right? Also do auto watches tell accurate time?

[@LifeontheWrist]

Yup you got it! And yes, automatic movements do keep time very well, just like manual wind watches

[@ChromeMan04]

@@LifeontheWrist wow thanks

[@Lavi-Aemilia-Astori]

Non is better, it is just different

[@LifeontheWrist]

Good perspective!

[@jacc88888]

I would love to have a modern, manual wind watch between 38-41mm but can’t find any for my budget ($500 and below). Seems like 99% of manual wind watches in this price bracket are smaller, vintage ones.

[@LifeontheWrist]

I’m not sure the style of watch you are looking for but check out Junghans! They have some manual wind watches around your budget

[@jacc88888]

Life on the Wrist I’m looking for a field/pilot’s watch but also like dress watches. I did try on the Junghans Meister hand winding in a store a year or so ago but it was out of my budget. Guess I could always try the used market... Thanks for the reply!

[@mickbloemendal6724]

@@jacc88888 maybe have a look at the seagull 1963

[@jacc88888]

Mick B Oh yes, that’s a classic. A bit too “Chairman Mao-esque” for my taste but a fantastic looking chronograph movement and a lot of watch for the money.

[@waleedmnaeem9946]

Have a look at atto verticale beautiful watches.

[@yorusuyasoul69420]

Auto for active people Manual for office people

[@LifeontheWrist]

Interesting way to look at it!

[@gcm22490]

Dang it now I need to sell my new collection and get the manual winds 😅

[@Yoko.Kurama]

Can't you just manually wind a automatic watch?

[@LifeontheWrist]

You can if the movement is set up that way! It has become fairly standard especially with modern watches

[@glennet9613]

What do you when don’t wear a manual watch for a few days, or longer, or when you don’t take it on a trip, do you just let it run down and stop? What do you do with an automatic, I know you can get boxes which keep rotating them, but is it worth it?

[@LifeontheWrist]

I personally do not use a watch winder for my automatic watches. If you do not get the right ones, they can just cause a lot of wear on the movement. For manual wind watches, I just let them run down. It’s important to wind them and not leave them for long periods of time because you want to make sure the oils are still flowing around the movement

[@spoudaois4535]

I hate those winder boxes. Its a ridiculous idea.

[@popoymotmot]

But you can also manually wind an automatic watch right?

[@LifeontheWrist]

Yes, it depends on the watch! Some older automatics you cannot wind. But the majority of new watches you can!

[@tcphll]

You can on some watches, but there's many you can't, even some newer watches. Plus, you never know when it's done winding. There's a satisfaction you get when the crown stops spinning and you know you're fully wound. There's also some opinions that winding an automatic by the crown wears the watch faster since it wasn't designed to be wound regularly by the crown.

[@R3aperCr3W]

@@LifeontheWrist yup I like dual mode watch automatic with manual wind watch if you are not wearing it . That's the functionality of it.

[@R3aperCr3W]

Showing your watch collection might be more interesting as oppose to showing pictures of watches.

[@LifeontheWrist]

Thanks for the feedback! I find educational videos a lot of fun to make, so I will most likely continue what I am doing. Thanks again though!

[@jamest3164]

What about quartz?!

[@LifeontheWrist]

I did leave that out didn’t I! Haha

[@jimrees1778]

Quartz watches are for people that have no knowledge of watches.

[@Lavi-Aemilia-Astori]

@@jimrees1778 or somebody that need to track time and don't really care about watch

[@jimrees1778]

@@Lavi-Aemilia-Astori I agree Hinata

[@gopalkrishnaambig5791]

Pirangge😂😂

[@LifeontheWrist]

??

[@patrickreddy9058]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@LifeontheWrist]

Glad you enjoyed it!