Wrist fit first
Will it fit my wrist?
Automatic · 100 m
Measure your wrist, enter a watch's case diameter and lug to lug, and see whether it is likely to sit right before you order.
Check the fit
Open the full calculator →Fit passport
Fits
The lugs should sit inside the flat top of your wrist.
- Wrist
- 7.00 in / 178 mm
- Flat top (30%)
- about 53 mm
- Edge (32%)
- about 57 mm
- Lug to lug
- 48 mm
- Usual case size
- 40 to 44 mm
- Your case
- 40 mm, in range
A common guideline, not a rule. Case thickness, how the strap or bracelet curves, and personal taste also matter.
Seven references
From choosing a first automatic to keeping it running. Each topic has its own page with the facts that matter.
- Ref. 01Choosing an automaticWhat an automatic watch is, what it costs to own, and which lineups give the most watch per dollar.8 notes · 4 guides
- Ref. 02Fit and sizingWrist size, case diameter, lug to lug and bracelet sizing, so the watch you order actually fits.8 notes · 2 guides
- Ref. 03Dive watchesWater resistance ratings, ISO 6425, bezels and lume, plus the divers worth buying at each budget.7 notes · 4 guides
- Ref. 04Field, dress and GMTEveryday styles beyond the diver: rugged field watches, slim dress pieces and travel GMTs.7 notes · 3 guides
- Ref. 05Brand lineupsSeiko, Orient, Citizen, Tissot, Hamilton, Bulova and the Swiss value brands, model by model.14 notes · 8 guides
- Ref. 06Winders and boxesWhether you need a watch winder, how to set turns per day, and where to keep a growing collection.6 notes · 4 guides
- Ref. 07Care and fixesWinding, setting, servicing and fixing an automatic that stops, runs fast or loses time.10 notes · 0 guides
Read a spec sheet in five numbers
Lug to lug and thickness decide how a watch wears more than diameter does.
Tools and charts
Calculators and decoders that do the working out for you.
Watch and winder guides
Narrow guides to one kind of watch or accessory, compared by what the listings state.
- Best watch winders with storageFive watch winder and storage boxes from DUKWIN, Versa and Wolf compared by watches wound, storage spaces, TPD settings, rotation directions and power.Guide
- Best watch winders for automatic watchesEight watch winders from $150 compared by watches wound, turns per day settings, rotation directions, power source and motor, as stated on each listing.Guide
- Best watch winders for luxury watchesSeven high-end watch winders compared by turns per day settings, direction control, cuff or lock type, capacity and power, from Wolf, Barrington and Orbita.Guide
- Best Tissot automatic watches: PRX, Seastar, Le Locle and moreSeven Tissot automatics, from the PRX and Seastar 1000 to Le Locle, Gentleman, Visodate and Heritage 1938, compared by size, thickness and water resistance.Guide
- Best Swiss automatic watches under $1,000Eight Swiss automatics under $1,000 from Tissot, Hamilton, Certina and Mido, compared by case size, thickness, movement, reserve and water rating.Guide
- Best skeleton and open heart watchesSeven skeleton and open heart automatics from Orient, Seiko, Bulova, Hamilton and Tissot compared by dial type, case size, movement and water resistance.Guide
- Best single watch windersEight single watch winders compared on stated turns per day, rotation direction, power source, watch fit and cover, from Wolf, Barrington and Orbita.Guide
- Best Seiko Presage watches: Cocktail Time, Style 60s and GMTSeven Seiko Presage watches compared by caliber, case size, power reserve and water rating, covering Cocktail Time, Style 60s, GMT and open-aperture models.Guide
Comparisons
Two watches or two lineups side by side, by case size, movement and what the listings state.
- Tissot PRX vs Seiko PresageTissot PRX vs Seiko Presage compared: integrated bracelet vs patterned dial, movement, reserve, water resistance and price, from real listings.
- Tissot PRX vs Orient BambinoTissot PRX vs Orient Bambino for a first nice watch: steel sport vs classic dress automatic, size, movement, water resistance and price from listings.
- Tissot PRX vs Citizen TsuyosaTissot PRX vs Citizen Tsuyosa compared: sizes, movements, water resistance, crystals and price for two integrated bracelet automatics.
- Tissot PRX quartz vs Powermatic 80Tissot PRX quartz vs Powermatic 80 automatic: power source, seconds hand sweep, thickness, reserve and price, with what the listings actually confirm.
- Seiko vs Citizen automaticsSeiko vs Citizen automatic watches compared lineup by lineup, from Seiko 5 vs Tsuyosa to Prospex vs Promaster divers, using listing specs only.
- Seiko 5 Sports vs ProspexSeiko 5 Sports vs Prospex compared: diver's ratings, screw-down crowns, crystals and movements, using real SRPD59, SRPK01 and SRPL11 listings.
How-tos and explainers
- Why some dive watches have helium valvesWhat a helium escape valve does, why saturation divers needed one, the difference between automatic and manual valves, and why most owners never use it.
- What is the Tissot Powermatic 80The Powermatic 80 is a Swatch Group automatic with an 80-hour power reserve. How it gets there, Nivachron and silicon versions, and which brands use it.
- What is Seiko 5 and why is it called thatSeiko 5 is named for five attributes: automatic winding, day-date, water resistance, a recessed 4 o'clock crown and a durable case. Here is what today's line offers.
- What makes a real dive watch: ISO 6425 explainedISO 6425 sets the tests a watch must pass to say DIVER'S on the dial: at least 100 m, an overpressure test, a timing bezel, night legibility and more.
- What is an automatic watch and how does it workHow an automatic watch works in plain terms: the rotor, mainspring, gear train, escapement and balance, plus why it needs no battery and how it differs from quartz.
- What is a field watchWhat makes a watch a field watch: military roots, simple high-contrast dials, 24-hour tracks and lume. Plus sizes, movements and how they compare with dive watches.
Fixes
An automatic that stops overnight, runs fast or will not change the date: the usual causes in checking order.
- Winder not rotatingWatch winder not turning? Check power, batteries, mode, rest cycles, lid sensors and the cushion before you assume the motor is dead or buy a new winder.
- Watch suddenly gaining minutesHow to tell if your automatic watch is magnetized with a simple compass test, how to use a demagnetizer safely, and how to keep it from happening again.
- Gaining or losing timeWhy an automatic watch runs fast or slow: magnetism, resting position, low power reserve or due service. How to check it and when regulation makes sense.
- Automatic watch stops overnight or off the wristWhy an automatic watch keeps stopping, overnight or when not worn: low activity, partial winding, magnetism or a worn mainspring, checked in order of likelihood.