The History of the Automatic Watch: From Pocket to Wrist

Author: Funny Items Release time: 2026-08-20 03:10:49 View number: 125

A Story of Human Ingenuity

The automatic watch is one of the greatest mechanical inventions in history. From pocket watches to wristwatches, here is how it all began.

Timeline

Year	Milestone
1770	Abraham-Louis Perrelet creates the first self-winding pocket watch
1780	Hubert Sarton improves the design with a weighted rotor
1923	John Harwood creates the first automatic wristwatch
1931	Rolex develops the Perpetual rotor still used today
1959	Seiko creates the 420A Japan first automatic wristwatch
1996	Seiko SKX007 launched iconic mod platform

The Modern Automatic

Today's automatic movements like the NH35 and NH34 build on 250 years of innovation. The Perpetual rotor design from 1931 is still the standard.

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