The Breitling Watch Source Forums

are all breitlings considered manual wind watches? and whats the major difference between manual and automatic?

from my understanding the manuals you have to wind but run off the motion of our writsts but automatics you just wear. am i on the right track here?

Automatics use the motion of your wrist to wind the spring.

Manuals use the motion of your fingers turning the winding stem to wind the spring.

Automatics can also be hand wound.

Most modern Breitlings are automatics, although they have made many manual winds watches in the past.

so even though my bentley motors t needs to be wound up when it dies....its considered a automatic correct?

Correct. It's a pity Breitling doesn't make more display backs so this would be more obvious!

so do manual wind watches just die even when you do wear them? in other words there is no power reserve on them correct? i guess you just wind everyday.

Manual watches have a power reserve also. Panerai and JLC make manual wind watches with 8 day power reserves. Most others have reserves in the 40-50 hour range.

its funny the reason i asked is i was just calling to enquire about some pam's that i liked at my local AD and i felt like a complete idiot when she asked me if i preferred manual or automatics.

so with manual watches when you wind them they are good for 40-50 hrs (eg. Panerai and JLC) but with automatics you can wind them and if you wear it on the daily there is no real need to rewind.

Thanks for the clarification and dropping some knowledge dhalem

Correct.

To simplify the answer a litttle... All mechanical watches have to be wound. A manual will run down and need wound again in 40-50 hours (or more for certain 3 or 8 or 10 day manual watches). An automatic MECHANICAL, is the same thing with the addition of a "rotor" weight. The rotor spins around on the movement as your wrist / arm moves about and does the same thing as winding the crown. After winding fully, an active person who wears an automatic all day, wont find the need to wind the crown (the watch stays wound AUTOMATICALLY).

Clear as mudd, huh?

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Breitling Steelfish(black)
Breitling Steelfish(silver)
Panerai PAM 312
Bell & Ross BR03-92 Phantom
Steinhart BreitlingSource LE #5/15

A manual wind will always have to be manually rewound even if it never leaves your wrist.

An automatic wind might never have to be manually rewound if it never leaves your wrist.

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SHARKMAN

thanks again guys for the clarification.