The Rotor — RICHARD MILLE

An automatic watch, as its name suggests, is distinguished by the self-winding of its movement, unlike manually wound watches. The first automatic movement was developed by Breguet, known as “la perpétuelle”. While many struggled to find a solution, he was the first to succeed with his pocket watch, featuring a mass attached above a rotating arm that rises and falls to wind the barrel spring—a reliable system introduced in 1780. However, it wasn’t until the early 20th century that the automatic watch as we know it today emerged. The oscillating weight, or rotor, is the key component of automatic movements.