Mechanical watches are not only a luxury item, but also displayed appreciation for genuine, honest craftsmanship. What makes these watches special is that they are not powered by batteries. They run with the help of arm movements - while the watches are on the wrist, of course - or by winding the crown.
Due to their technical nature, mechanical watches are capable of displaying the time with the utmost precision for many weeks. This fact could lead to the assumption that mechanical watches can only be bought at a very high price - but this is not the case. In fact, there are attractive offers of popular watch brands for watch lovers in every price segment.
After the enthusiasm for mechanical watches declined somewhat in the 1970s, the special timepieces for men and women experienced a renaissance starting in the 1980s, making them among the most sought-after luxury watches on the market. Special editions and vintage models from successful brands such as Patek Philippe, Sinn, Citizen Watch, Laco, Tag Heuer, Seiko, Marcello C, Nomos Glashütte and Rolex have already experienced one or two increases in value, reflecting this development.
In addition to the advantages of mechanical wristwatches, this article focuses on individual particularly popular models - in a kind of top 10 list ranging from entry-level watches to high-end watches. In this way, we provide an overview that can support the search for mechanical models that optimally fit one's own ideas - insider tips included.
Best mechanical watches - entry-level models
The following models prove that mechanical timepieces do not necessarily have to cost immensely. Each watch from the category of entry-level models is priced around 500 euros, but still meets the key criteria that distinguish a high-quality automatic watch.
Seiko Prospex "Samurai"
This Japanese watch brand has become known for producing watches of very high quality with a good price-performance ratio. Particular popularity gained Seiko's various diving watch models, which lovers of the brand nicknamed Tuna, Sumo, Turtle or Samurai. In addition to independent design, these watches thrill with professional, well-designed features such as increased water resistance up to 1000 meters, as well as practical complications.
Seiko equipped its Samurai with the in-house 4R35 automatic movement and a unidirectional rotating bezel with excellent readability. Visually, the Seiko watch impresses with its blue leather strap and stainless steel case, while the price of the automatic watch is under 500 euros.
Hamilton Khaki Mechanical
Even Elvis wore watches of the American traditional brand Hamilton. The Hamilton Khaki was equipped with a Swiss automatic movement from ETA and runs accordingly reliable to the second.
The stainless steel case has a diameter of 38 mm and fits wonderfully into the military design of the automatic watch. The sporty look of the watch is further emphasized by its black dial and brown leather strap, while the silver hands for hour, minute and second perfectly fit into the picture. Since the watch with automatic movement is partly available for as little as 500 euros, we can also speak of an extremely attractive price-performance ratio here.
Tissot Automatics III Day Date
Watches with the highest quality standards are also available from the traditional Swiss brand Tissot. In this model, an automatic movement with the ETA 2836-2 caliber was installed, which allows a power reserve of 42 hours. The watch from Tissot measures 39.7 mm in diameter and comes up with a special feature: it has a date display with day of the week. This is placed in style at the 3 o'clock point and enhances the brand watch from Tissot both visually and functionally.
The Tissot watches of the model Day Date, whose cost is approximately 500 euros, depending on the exact version, are available with bracelets made of leather and multicolored stainless steel.
Best Luxury Mechanical Watches
For many watch lovers, mechanical automatic watches are one thing above all: pure luxury. So, let's move away from the entry-level models and turn to the top models of the most prestigious manufacturers and well-known watch brands, whose price logically goes far beyond the 500 euro mark.
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph
This iconic wristwatch alludes with its name to the big date, which is typical for the watch manufacturer A. Lange & Söhne. The watch pays homage to the five-minute clock of the Dresden Semper Opera House with its digital display that can be easily seen even from a distance. One of the highlights of the timepiece from the Saxonia model line is its flyback mechanism, which makes timekeeping a breeze.
There is some variance in the design of the watch: it comes in platinum or 18-karat gold and with a dial in gray, silver or black. There's also a choice of 39 or 43.2 mm in diameter. The power reserve of the Datograph automatic watch is a proud 60 hours, and some versions come with very special complications - such as a perpetual calendar.
Rolex GMT-Master II
The Rolex GMT-Master II hardly needs to be introduced to die-hard watch lovers. Nevertheless, in our opinion, it should not be missing from this list: It is undoubtedly one of the most attractive GMT automatic watches, available in various references of white gold, Everose, Rolesor or stainless steel.
Their color combinations are also famous: the red-blue "Pepsi" variant, the red-black Rolex "Coke" or the blue-black Rolex "Batman," whose bezels have been made of Cerachrom - a scratch-resistant ceramic mixture specially developed by Rolex - since 2007, are a household name for every watch fan.
As recently as 2022, the brand introduced a left-handed version of the GMT-Master II Automatic at the Watches & Wonders watch fair. An elegant green and black bezel adorns this automatic timepiece, with the crown and date moved to the left side of the case. One of the reasons to buy this Rolex is probably the excellent home-made manufacture caliber: a movement that has taken up the banner of boundless precision and knows how to convince with a 70-hour power reserve.
Patek Philippe Chronograph
Patek Philippe does not take a pioneering role among watch brands for nothing. The Geneva-based manufacture probably has every conceivable variant of a chronograph in its range and is now known worldwide for outstanding (automatic) movements and timeless designs. The Complications collection alone includes automatic watches with flyback or simple stopwatch function; complications such as annual calendar, pulsometer on the dial, multi-scale display or world time display.
Although the brand has many years of experience around the clock, it was not until the early 2000s that it introduced manufacture calibers - i.e. movements made in-house. Before that, raw movements from Lemania were sometimes used, but they were significantly modified and refined. In addition to a precise movement, a more than satisfactory power reserve and interesting complications, a watch from Patek Philippe naturally also inspires in terms of appearance and wearing comfort.
Best mechanical watches with manual winding
Mechanical movements are multi-stage gears that receive energy for wheel movement from an energy storage device. Unlike grandfather clocks, which require you to regularly pull up weights to do so, wristwatches and pocket watches can be wound with the help of mainsprings via crowns or keys designed for the purpose.
Louis Audemars was one of the first companies to produce crown-wound pocket watches. Nowadays, brands like Nomos, Junghans, Tag Heuer, Jaeger-LeCoultre or Patek Philipp still produce mechanical watches with hand-wound calibers that enjoy great popularity.
Best Mechanical Watches with Automatic Hand Winding
When automatic winding was invented, it revolutionized the way mechanical watches worked. Namely, these could now wind on their own while being worn, making the everyday winding of the wristwatch obsolete.
The function of an automatic watch is made possible by the oscillating weight inside the case. This rotates in the case of the watch with automatic movement and thereby winds the mainspring of the barrel.
Among the advantages of mechanical watches with automatic caliber is clearly that they do not need to be constantly wound and also do not require batteries. This also makes them more environmentally friendly than, for example, a quartz watch. They are even more precise than manual winding calibers, because the mainspring is constantly retensioned by the oscillating weight, so that the automatic watch never reaches the "limit" of its power reserve. This constant torque has a positive effect on the amplitude - i.e. the oscillation amplitude of the balance - of automatic watches.
As for the quality of the movements, the manufacture movements of the watch brand Rolex are among the best that the market has to offer - which should not surprise anyone.
Features of a mechanical watch
Due to the fact that the mechanics that keeps the watches with automatic movement or manual winding alive is so complex, before buying such a watch, you should take into account that strong shocks (for example, during sports) can affect the function of the same.
Moreover, even if batteries are not required, watches need regular check-ups, especially if the accuracy of the time display noticeably decreases. As a rule, regular winding prevents the lubricants from clumping and also ensures lasting accuracy of the watch in this way.
However, the accuracy that a movement can achieve ultimately depends on a number of factors. For example, time is gained or lost if the watch remains in only one position due to gravity. In order to compensate for time loss in the various positions, a high-quality model uses a so-called balance wheel.
A (vintage) watch that is properly adjusted and has a high quality movement should function within its specifications without any problems, even when worn daily. If you take the watch off at night, you can test different placements afterwards and observe how this affects the time loss. Placing the watch flat and with the dial facing up has so far worked well for automatic watches from many manufacturers and well-known watch brands.
It should be additionally considered that the temperature also plays an important role. Modern watches in the category of "mechanical automatic" are often designed to independently compensate for minor temperature fluctuations. However, extreme weather conditions and changes are excluded from this. The good news is that even in the case of weather extremes, simple adjustments are often enough to compensate for an automatic watch.
Conclusion on the best mechanical watch
Mechanical watches are absolute masterpieces of craftsmanship, but they need a little help when it comes to precision. A rate deviation of a few seconds per day is perfectly acceptable, whereby the target range for COSC-certified chronometers is -4 to +6 seconds per day. Manufacturers like Omega, Tudor and Rolex set their own standards for rate accuracy. Accordingly, their mechanical automatic watch models often run a little more precisely than the typical market average.
Still very popular are automatic watches of renowned watch brands, whose appeal lies in the high accuracy, the long power reserve and the completely trouble-free operation without batteries. And, of course, in the fact that they seem to effortlessly transport the stylish design and elegance of a traditional craft into the present.
One thing is certain: whether iconic classic or lesser-known models, mechanical watches have their very own charm. This does not necessarily have to be reflected in an insanely high price - as numerous Top 5, Top 10 or Top 20 rankings by scene experts prove. There are certainly watch brands - for example Laco, Citizen, Certina, Tissot or Seiko - where a solid mechanical automatic watch can be had for around 500 euros. If, on the other hand, you look specifically for products from a high-end watch brand, you will get to know the expensive side of the watch world, which comes up with mechanical watches that really amaze you.