What’s An Automatic Wooden Watch?

We get the question frequently, what’s an automatic wood watch from watch lovers who are researching their next watch – we we put together this quick summary and detailed overview to help explain the details of automatic movements in a wooden watch.

See our Automatic Wooden Watches

Quick Answer About Automatic Wood Watch

With an auto movement, instead of using a battery to power the movement of your watch, it uses a set of counter weights and gears to power your watch.

So, no batteries needed! Your auto watch will be powered naturally by the movement of your wrist.

automatic watch visible counterweight inside
This picture shows the rotating counterweight (inside the automatic watch) that powers the movement.

These types of automatic movement watches may also be referred to as a mechanical movement as well. They are essentially the same thing with 2 different names.

Automatic movements are not limited to wooden watches. In fact many different types of watches ranging from Rolex to Farer and steel bands to leather bands can all have an automatic movement if the watch designer chooses.

Is An Automatic Watch The Same As A Skeleton Watch?

Great question! The short answer is no, an automatic movement is not the same as a skeleton movement.

An automatic movement refers specifically to what powers the whole watch. It uses the movement of the wearer INSTEAD of a battery.

A skeleton watch refers to the design of the watch face. A skeleton wood watch means that the face of the watch is made of glass or another see through material so that you can see the gears and insight workings of the watch mechanics.

Very frequently watches with automatic movements also have skeleton faces so that you can see all the minute details and interesting workings inside the watch.

So it’s totally understandable that people often confuse automatic with skeleton – but they often overlap, even though they are different meanings.

mens automatic wooden watch with skeleton face to see gears
In these men’s automatic wooden watches, you can see the gears inside that power the movement because they have a skeleton style face.

Pros Of An Automatic Watch

  • Never needs batteries / battery replacement
  • Unique and interesting feature of the watch
  • Often feature high-quality movements
  • Usually have ornate faces and windows to view the gears inside the watch

Cons Of An Auto Watch

  • Requires regular wearing or watch winder to keep it wound
  • Will begin to lose time or pause and need resetting if not charged after 24-72 hours
  • More expensive to repair
  • Can be slightly less accurate over a very long period of time

How Much Is An Automatic Wood Watch?

Automatic wooden watches usually cost between $75 to $200 with a few of the more exclusive, high end ones costing as much as $500.

But if you want a good quality, great looking men’s wooden watch with an automatic or mechanical movement you have some great options in the $75-$130 range.

So, can you get a quality automatic wooden watch for around $100? Yes! In fact, check out the popular automatic watches below. Some feature fully wooden cases and wood bands while others use wood accents with steel cases and leather bands.

Our Most Popular Customer Choices

mens red automatic movement wood watch

Burnham Red Sandalwood Auto Movement

Featuring both red sandalwood and ebony wood this watch really stands out in a crow. It also features a skeleton face that shows the gears inside.

Shop this red wood automatic wooden watch


wooden watch with automatic movement and leather strap

Automatic Watch With Gold Gears & Brown Leather Strap

Similar to the watch above, this watch has a golden skeleton face, but actually uses a steel case paired with a leather band for a more classic style.

Shop this skeleton automatic watch


zebrawood automatic watch with white face and sub-dials

Zebrawood Auto With White Face And Sub-Dials

This watch blends the stylish looks of a white face with the more modern zebrawood look. Additionally it features chronograph sub-dials and tourbillon face.

Shop this zebrawood automatic men’s wood watch


Ebony Wood Chronograph With Auto Movement

This is the same watch design as above, but with a different color set. This pairs a dark ebony wood with zebrawood accents and black face.

Shop this ebony wood automatic movement watch


solid wood watch with auto gears and open face

Zebra & Ebony Wood Solid Wood Auto

Adhering strictly to the wooden watch mantra, this features an all wood case and all wooden band paired with silver gears visible through the skeleton face.

Shop this solid wood auto skeleton wristwatch

Why Choose An Automatic?

What type of movement you choose for your watch is entirely personal preference.

Some people choose auto-mvmt watches because they like the engineering of the design and the knowledge that the watch is self -powered.

Some people like the look of the gears and counterweight inside the watch if it’s visible through a skeleton face.

Some people just hate replacing batteries!

From our perspective you never need to justify the desire to buy such a wonderful, and luxurious piece of engineering for your wrist.

Are Men’s And Women’s Versions Different?

On the whole, there is no difference between the basics of a men’s automatic wood watch and a women’s auto movement. They follow the same basic mechanics of having a rotating counter weight that charges a power reserve which then powers the gears that keep time.

The difference would be in the total size of the movement that the watch can fit. Since mechanical movements require a counter weight and space to rotate it, they often cannot be made as small as many battery powered watches. This can limit the options for a women’s version, since women’s wood watches tend to have smaller faces.

Not Sure An Automatic Timepiece Is For You?

No problem, we totally understand and recommend you explore our complete wooden watch collection!

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