Automatic Work (Selfwinding Wristwatch)

[watchmaker]

I have noticed in a few posts that people give Rolex credit, and indeed Rolex profess to have invented the selfwinding watch.

Just thought I would point out it was old technology when Rolex got their hands on it.

Abraham-Louis Perrelet invented a self-winding mechanism in 1770 which was then improved upon by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1780. While these were for pocket watches, am man called John Harwood desiged a bumper mechanism for wristwatches in 1923.

It wasnt until 1930 that Rolex got their hands on it and made a prototype that became the commonly used automatic work.

[Lion]

Thanx for the info, very interesting!!!

[bodybump]

Thanks for sharing very excellent info...

[f16570]

Rolex marketing. The best in the world.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by watchmaker

I have noticed in a few posts that people give Rolex credit, and indeed Rolex profess to have invented the selfwinding watch.

Just thought I would point out it was old technology when Rolex got their hands on it.

Abraham-Louis Perrelet invented a self-winding mechanism in 1770 which was then improved upon by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1780. While these were for pocket watches, am man called John Harwood desiged a bumper mechanism for wristwatches in 1923.

It wasnt until 1930 that Rolex got their hands on it and made a prototype that became the commonly used automatic work.

Have to agree Rolex did not make everything in this watch world today but they would like you to think they did.Well Perrelet invented the first self winding mechanism around 1770,later Breguet improved it and called his winding system perpetuelles.Now perhaps this is where Rolex got the idea to call there automatics Perpetual.But like you say John Harwood from the Isle of Man UK, in 1923 took out a UK patent for the first truly automatic winding wrist watch.Now he went on with backing to produce many thousands of these watches,but mainly owing to the depression in the mid 1920s to 1930s in the UK he went bust.Now old Hans of Rolex being a very clever but very shrewd man bought and took up this auto-winding patent for the Rolex Watch Company. And in the very early 1930s incorporated it into the oyster design case another one of Hans acquired patents,and also with the newly acquired waterproof screw down crown patent.And with the Oyster case and this acquired patent auto wind mechanism but in those early days it only wound around 300 degrees.Now Rolex did improved the design by the help of Hans brother in-law.Who made it more efficient by winding a full 360 degrees,and a power reserve then of around 36 hours.After the auto watch and the oyster case Rolex really took off the rest is just pure marketing genius by Hans.