BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR FIRST AUTOMATIC

WHAT NOBODY
TELLS YOU

Automatic watches work differently from anything battery-powered. Here's what you need to know before you buy.

HOW AN AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT WORKS

Inside the watch is a weighted rotor — a semicircular metal disc that pivots freely. Every time your wrist moves, the rotor swings. That swing winds the mainspring, which stores energy and releases it through the gear train.

The escapement regulates the release of that energy — the ticking mechanism. The balance wheel oscillates back and forth, dividing time into equal parts. This is mechanical timekeeping: no battery, no quartz crystal, no electronics.

POWER RESERVE

Every automatic has a power reserve — the amount of time it can run without being worn. On Valusis watches: the SW200 holds 38 hours, the NH70 holds 41 hours. Worn daily, the watch generates more than enough energy and never needs manual winding.

If you leave it in a drawer for over 40 hours, it will stop. This is completely normal. Pull the crown to position 2, set the time, push it back in. One movement from your hand and it's running again.

ACCURACY

Automatic watches are not as accurate as quartz. The Sellita SW200 is rated ±10-15 seconds per day under normal conditions. That sounds like a lot — it's about 5 minutes per month. You may need to set the time occasionally.

This is a known and accepted characteristic of mechanical watchmaking. Some collectors see it as part of the experience. If you need atomic accuracy, use your phone. If you want a watch with a soul, wear an automatic.

WHAT VALUSIS RECOMMENDS

For a first automatic: choose the Volt White or Volt Black Automatic. Clean textured dial, date window, SW200-1 movement. All the capability, none of the complexity.

For those who want to see the movement: the Volt Skeleton or Volt Open-Heart. NH70 movement, visible mechanics, same 10ATM water resistance. Your first automatic and your last watch for a long time.