self-winding

American  

[self-wahyn-ding] / ˈsɛlfˈwaɪn dɪŋ /

adjective

1. kept wound or wound periodically by a mechanism, as an electric motor or a system of weighted levers, so that winding by hand is not necessary.

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self-winding British  

adjective

1. (of a wrist watch) having a mechanism, activated by the movements of the wearer, in which a rotating or oscillating weight rewinds the mainspring

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Etymology

Origin of self-winding

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

He pointed to some striking original design features, such as the self-winding Benrus clock in the steering-wheel hub of his 1957 Chrysler 300C convertible.

From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2020

The cheaper models use Quartz movements; the larger, heavier, more expensive ones use self-winding mechanical ones, but they’re all Japanese — not Swiss, like you find in most higher-end timepieces.

From The Verge • Nov. 28, 2014

Rolex designed the first great waterproof wristwatch case and built the first truly workable self-winding, automatic wristwatch.

From Slate • Oct. 24, 2011

Not since then has the U.S. produced an automatic, or self-winding, watch, despite being the world’s top producer of high-quality timepieces for nearly a century.

From Newsweek

Its self-winding clock told the time in days, hours, minutes, and seconds, from a face seven feet in diameter.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson