Automatic watches for men run on a mainspring that is wound by the movement of the wrist, and the four models covered here come from the Indian websites of Seiko and Titan.
A buyer moving from a quartz watch to a mechanical one will meet a few new terms on the listings, among them caliber, duration and bar. The four product pages differ in how many figures they supply, so brand guides, retailer guides and a standards catalogue page are used for the rest.
How the rotor and mainspring work
Titan’s explainer on automatic watches describes a small semicircular rotor that moves with the wrist and winds the mainspring. The rotor is usually made of a dense metal such as tungsten, as per the same page.
The energy stored in the mainspring is released gradually. An escapement controls that flow so that the hands move at a steady rate, Titan says.
A watch that is worn regularly keeps itself wound. Titan says regular wear removes the need for manual winding, and for a stopped watch it suggests turning the crown 20 to 30 times. A Daniel Wellington guide gives the same range, adds that the crown is turned clockwise, and says extra winding adds nothing. Both are brand statements.
The three Seiko pages describe their movements as automatic with manual winding capacity, so the crown can also be used to wind those models by hand. The Titan product page states an automatic movement and does not mention manual winding.
For a watch that is not worn, the product FAQ on another Titan automatic advises a cool, dry place or a watch winder, and winding by hand before the watch is worn again. The Daniel Wellington guide adds that the hands are set forward only, since turning them backward can put extra strain on the movement.
Power reserve and servicing
The figure for how long a watch keeps running after it is taken off is called the power reserve. None of the four pages uses that label. The 5 Sports SRPD63K1 and the Presage Style 60s SRPG03J1 list a field named duration, with a value of approx. 41 hours, and that is the closest figure to a power reserve in the group.
Neither the Dress SRPH92K1 page nor the Titan page gives such a figure.
The Grail Watch reference for the 4R36 caliber lists a power reserve of 40 to 41 hours and a beat rate of 21,600 beats per hour. It also says the movement is wound by hand with the crown in position 1, and that it adds hacking seconds.
A jewellery retailer, Reis Nichols, states that the norm for automatic watches is 36 to 42 hours, while manual wind watches can last a week.
That reference gives an accuracy range of 35 seconds slow to 45 seconds fast a day for the 4R36. That range appears only on a third party site, and the Seiko pages state no accuracy figure.
Servicing advice conflicts between sources. Titan recommends servicing an automatic watch every 3 to 5 years, and the Daniel Wellington guide recommends a full professional service on the same interval. A retailer guide from Time4Diamonds puts a full service at every 5 to 10 years. The product pages do not say which interval applies to a given model.
Titan also warns that strong magnetic fields can affect accuracy.
Seiko lists the case size as a diameter, while the Titan page uses the terms case width and case thickness. Every page gives a thickness, so the two measurements can be set side by side for each model.
The Dress SRPH92K1 is listed at 39.5 mm in diameter and 9.78 mm in thickness, which is the thinnest of the four. Its page also lists a 41.2 mm dial, a figure that differs from the stated case diameter.
Next in size is the Presage Style 60s SRPG03J1, at 40.8 mm across and 12.8 mm thick. The 5 Sports SRPD63K1 is the largest Seiko of the group, at 42.5 mm and 13.4 mm. The Titan 1797KL03F has a case width of 44 mm and a case thickness of 12.50 mm.
Water resistance is stated in bar on the Seiko pages. The 5 Sports and the Dress carry 10 bar, and the Presage carries 5 bar. The Seiko pages give the ratings as figures and do not explain them, and the Titan page lists no water resistance figure at all.
Retailer guides fill that gap. Time4Diamonds equates 30 metres with 3 bar, 50 metres with 5 and 100 metres with 10, and gives an ATM as about 1.013 bar.
Just in Time puts 1 ATM at approximately 10 metres, and says 3 ATM covers light showers, 5 ATM covers hand washing and light rain but not swimming, and 10 ATM covers swimming and snorkelling. These equivalents come from the retailers and not from Seiko.
Both guides say the numbers are not a diving depth. A rating describes a static pressure test in a chamber, and swimming strokes or taps can create pressure above the static figure. Just in Time adds that a 100 metre rating is measured in a laboratory, and that water temperature, sudden movement and chemicals can reduce real world performance.
The ISO catalogue page for ISO 22810 describes the standard as setting requirements and test methods for verifying water resistance, plus the marking a maker may apply. It gives no rating figures. Time4Diamonds says the standard sets the minimum for calling a watch water resistant, with tests for immersion, overpressure, condensation and temperature, and that ISO 6425 covers divers’ watches.
Seals and gaskets can wear from chlorine and salt, and Just in Time recommends a professional service every year. Time4Diamonds says a screw down crown must be fully screwed in before water contact, pushers should not be pressed underwater, and hot water or steam is harder on gaskets than cold water.
The 5 Sports page also lists 24 jewels, a screw down case back, a see through case back and a unidirectional rotating bezel.
Crystal types are stated for some models. The 5 Sports page names Hardlex glass, the Presage page names a box shaped Hardlex, and Titan lists mineral glass. The Dress page does not name a crystal.
Caliber codes are Seiko’s own labels for its movements. The 5 Sports carries 4R36, while the Dress and the Presage carry 4R35. The pages do not rank the codes against each other.
Where each listed watch fits
The 5 Sports SRPD63K1 suits a buyer who wants a sports style automatic with a clearly stated caliber and a larger case. Its page gives no warranty term and no accuracy figure, and the duration field takes the place of a power reserve label.
For a buyer who prefers a smaller, dress style case with a stated caliber, the Dress SRPH92K1 is the match. The page gives no power reserve figure, no crystal type and no warranty.
The Presage SRPG03J1 suits a buyer who wants a 5 bar rating and a case the brand names as Style 60s. Its page also gives no warranty term and no accuracy figure.
Titan is the only brand of the four that states a warranty on its product page. The 1797KL03F listing gives 24 months from the date of purchase, and the warranty covers the movement only. The watch suits a buyer who wants an Indian brand automatic on a leather strap, and the listing shows a black strap.
The Seiko global warranty page describes a three year limited warranty that covers the case, movement, dial and hands, and any metal bracelet. It excludes glass, bracelets that are not metal, normal wear, and periodic maintenance such as overhauls, even when no fault exists. That page says terms vary by region, and the three Seiko India pages state no warranty term.
