The evolution of the automatic watch movement is a fascinating chapter in watch history, often overlooked outside of specialist circles. It's a story of innovation, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of perfection. But it's also a tale of human ingenuity and the power of a single idea to change the course of an industry. In 1926, a British watchmaker named John Harwood and a Swiss manufacturer called Fortis revolutionized mechanical watchmaking with the invention of the automatic wristwatch movement. This was no small feat, as the wristwatch was still a relatively new concept, and reliability was a major challenge. Every watch required daily manual winding, which was a cumbersome and unreliable process. The crown, a necessary component, was also a liability, as it exposed the movement to dust and moisture, leading to wear and tear over time. Harwood, however, had a novel idea: what if the watch didn't need a crown for winding? After years of experimentation, he arrived at an answer - a wristwatch that could generate energy for itself through the natural movement of the wearer's wrist. This was the birth of the automatic wristwatch movement, and it changed everything. The partnership between Harwood and Fortis was instrumental in turning this patent concept into a real product. Fortis had the manufacturing infrastructure and engineering capability to bring the automatic wristwatch to serial production, while Harwood provided the invention. The result was a watch that could power itself without daily attention, a game-changer for the industry. The technical challenges were significant, as the oscillating system had to survive constant motion on the wrist and the stresses of everyday use. But Fortis rose to the challenge, and on July 13th, 1926, the first Fortis Harwood automatic wristwatches began leaving the manufacture in Grenchen, Switzerland. These watches were groundbreaking, with no crown and a movement that powered itself through the wearer's motion. Around 30,000 Harwood automatic watches were produced, a modest number by today's standards, but significant for the time. The automatic winding system evolved rapidly, with full rotors replacing the bumper system as the standard, bringing greater efficiency and longer power reserves. Movements became thinner, more refined, and more precise, but the central principle remained unchanged: a mechanical watch could draw energy from the motion of its wearer. Today, the legacy of the automatic watch lives on. Fortis still builds its watches in the same building in Grenchen, with a modern manufacturing space equipped to meet contemporary demands. The company continues to make robust mechanical watches made for real-world performance, just as Walter Vogt envisioned a century ago. The centenary of the automatic wristwatch is a moment worth pausing over, not just as a brand anniversary, but as a genuine historical moment. July 13th, 1926, is the day the automatic wristwatch entered serial production and began its journey toward becoming the defining mechanical movement type of the modern era. Every rotor that spins inside every automatic watch today carries that date in its DNA. Personally, I think the automatic movement is a testament to human ingenuity and the power of a single idea to change the course of an industry. It's a reminder that innovation can come from anywhere, and that the pursuit of perfection is a never-ending journey. What makes this particularly fascinating is the fact that the automatic wristwatch was almost forgotten entirely. As Rolex's Perpetual rotor system rose to dominance in the post-war decades, the origins of the automatic wristwatch became blurred in the popular imagination. But in 1956, Rolex publicly acknowledged John Harwood's invention, a remarkable act of industry acknowledgment. This raises a deeper question: how often do we take for granted the innovations that have shaped our world? From my perspective, the automatic movement is a reminder that progress is not always linear, and that sometimes we need to look back to appreciate the innovations that have paved the way for the future. One thing that immediately stands out is the partnership between Harwood and Fortis. It's a testament to the power of collaboration and the ability to turn a patent concept into a real product. What many people don't realize is that the automatic movement has become the defining mechanical movement type of the modern era, and it's a constant in a world of ever-changing trends. If you take a step back and think about it, the automatic movement has become so ubiquitous that it's easy to take it for granted. But it's a constant reminder of the power of innovation and the ability to change the course of an industry. In conclusion, the evolution of the automatic watch movement is a fascinating story of human ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of perfection. It's a testament to the power of a single idea to change the course of an industry, and a constant reminder of the innovations that have shaped our world. A detail that I find especially interesting is the fact that the automatic movement has become the defining mechanical movement type of the modern era, and it's a constant in a world of ever-changing trends. What this really suggests is that innovation is not always about creating something new, but also about refining and perfecting what already exists. This raises a deeper question: how can we continue to innovate and push the boundaries of what's possible, while also appreciating the innovations that have paved the way for the future?
